Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times

STEPHEN DITTMANN the owner manager of BOQ Maleny branch has been involved in banking on the Sunshine Coast hinterland since 1993 and is committed to the steady growth and economic stability of the region.

BOQ is Australia’s fastest growing retail bank and it’s a success partly due to the many managers owning their own branch. As small business owners they have invested in communities they care about. They’re also committed to the BOQ philosophy of corporate social responsibility by aligning their values and actions with the expectations and needs of stakeholders, whether they be customers, employees, shareholders, the environment, the community they operate in, or the government regulators they must comply with.

“Most of all, the first thing we own is personal service”, says Stephen with genuine enthusiasm. “We believe in the importance of personal attention for our customers whether they are shop assistants or shop owners; whether they are seventeen or seventy. We believe local communities are better served when they have their own bank manager who knows what’s at stake and understands the personal responsibility involved in undertaking a business venture.”

Stephen strongly supports his local community as president of Maleny Commerce, an organisation which has gone from strength-to-strength over the last couple of years. For example, its monthly business breakfast meetings can attract upwards of 65 local traders and professionals. Stephen is also a director of Queensland’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCIQ) which guarantees there’s an influential hinterland voice in a number of state business forums.