Paul Dubois, General Manager of Profunding

Paul Dubois General Manager of Profunding has been member of BRG Melbourne East since July 2017. I specialise in helping SME’s gain access to finance via the major banks, but also through specialty lenders such as cash flow financiers and Fintechs.

My target market is businesses that turn over $5mn – $30mn and have debt needs starting at $1mn. I have over 25 years experience in financing businesses both as a banker for the Big 4 banks and as a business owner. Profunding was established in 2011 when I realised that there were a large number of business owners who just did not realise what it was that their banks required, and why they were asking for certain things. At the same time I realised that the skill level in Bankers to understand businesses and their cash flows and importantly their cash flow needs had deteriorated to a level that opened up an opportunity for me to offer my skills in this market.

BRG has assisted me in many ways. As simple as to give me the opportunity to talk to other business owners and share the trials and tribulations of operating a business. It has also opened up opportunities to new markets where I have assisted other BRG members clients in refinancing and restructuring debt so that we have both mutually benefitted. Importantly I see BRG as a two way street having referred work to other members for clients and myself personally. If I can’t trust another member to do something for me, how can I trust them with my clients?

The thing that I have learnt through being a member of BRG is that all businesses have similar pain points and it is how we manage and deal with those, and discuss them, is really how we all get through those challenging times.