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Firstfolio has followed its recent lead generation deal and technology rollout with a restructure of its leadership team.
The group has recruited Paul Liccione and Kon Shizas, both of whom previously held senior positions at Resi Mortgage Corporation.
Mr Liccione has been appointed general manager of sales and distribution and will help expand Firstfolio’s broker network.
Mr Shizas has been appointed general manager of product and services, after Firstfolio decided to consolidate product development and operations into a single leadership role.
The two appointments support Firstfolio’s increasing focus on product development and distribution, which are key pillars of the group’s three- to five-year growth strategy.
Firstfolio includes a retail loan aggregation and broking division, eChoice, and a wholesale finance, franchise and leasing business, Folio Mortgage & Finance.
About 400 brokers are affiliated with the aggregation business, while about 50 additional brokers work for the loan writing business, according to chief executive Peter Andronicos.
The appointment of Mr Liccione and Mr Shizas is the latest in a series of big announcements from Firstfolio over the past three months.
That includes the promotion of Mr Andronicos, a lead generation deal with Domain, the first two stages of a technology rollout and a plan to change the company’s name.
Mr Andronicos told The Adviser last month that the worst was now behind Firstfolio after several difficult years.
“I believe our weaknesses in the past have been distraction and have been focus, and about having a vision and leadership to be able to deliver that,” he said.
“That’s why I say all of that is behind us, because I think we tick all those boxes of how to deliver a very successful, fast-growing business and a return to our shareholders.”
Firstfolio’s growth strategy includes a plan to double settlement volumes over the next five years through a mixture of increased recruitment and productivity.
Mr Andronicos said Firstfolio would be selective in its recruitment, which includes an invitation-only graduate program that accepts 20 or 30 applicants per year.
“Our model is to work with the brokers and help them bring graduates into their businesses, because one of the biggest issues in this industry is around succession planning,” he said.
[Related: Firstfolio posts $4.1m loss but underlying profit]