As the Greater's regional manager for Queensland and Northern NSW, Ms Laws, is responsible for nine branches, more than 55 staff and in helping thousands of customers each year to reach their goal of home ownership.

Queensland woman Karen Laws is heading the charge of NSW based Greater Building Society into Southern Queensland.

As the Greater's regional manager for Queensland and Northern NSW, Ms Laws, is responsible for nine branches, more than 55 staff and in helping thousands of customers each year to reach their goal of home ownership.

Ms Laws is also overseeing the Greater's expansion into Queensland. Construction commenced last month on its fourth Queensland branch at Nerang River Plaza. A new branch at Westfield Helensvale opened in October last year.

Ms Laws says that she is relishing the opportunity to use her skills to grow a business in a really competitive market place. She says the Greater is planning to open more branches in Southern Queensland in the near future as suitable sites become available.

"Our expansion will create local jobs and provide Gold Coast people with "greater" choice in the home loan market," Ms Laws says.

Ms Laws joined the Greater Building Society in November 2004 after taking time out to complete a Masters of Management at University of Southern Queensland.

Born in Toowoomba, Ms Laws has spent most of her working life in the financial services industry in Cairns, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast. She started her career with a building society and is pleased to be working for one again.

'I was attracted to the Greater because it is opening more branches and is really big on providing exceptional customer service," Ms Laws says.

"One of the nice things about The Greater being a mutual building society is that our customers are really the 'owners' of the business

"This means that we can reward them for their membership with lower fees, and for borrowers, free holidays and discounted petrol as well as a transaction fee free savings account."

The Greater has 63 branches and is one of the fastest growing building societies in the country.

"While the Greater is relatively new to Queensland it has been operating for more than 60 years."

Ms Laws has responsibility for branches in, Coffs Harbour, Ballina, Casino, Grafton, Lismore and Tweed Heads in NSW as well as Queensland branches at Burleigh Heads, Helensvale, and Robina.