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The lending fintech has announced two major executive leadership appointments amid a push to expand in Australia.
Singapore-based lending fintech Lendela has appointed a new chief financial officer and chief technology officer amid a drive to grow across the Asia-Pacific region.
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Kent Huang has joined as chief financial officer while Steven Wong has become chief technology officer.
Huang has nearly two decades of financial leadership experience at prominent fintech and financial services companies, including PayPal and Intuit. He also spent almost four years at medical tech business, GE HealthCare.
He will operate from Singapore and be charged with steering financial strategy and management, risk management, and regulatory compliance to support Lendela’s growth.
“A fintech’s story isn’t and shouldn’t be just about growth – it’s also about sustainable, responsible scaling,” Huang said.
“Lendela is at the forefront of this shift, ensuring both borrowers and lenders thrive in an ecosystem built on transparency and efficiency.
“My goal is to drive financial governance and strategy that supports long-term expansion while reinforcing trust in digital lending across Australia and Asia Pacific.”
Wong has spent over 15 years in leadership roles across start-ups in the region and will be based in Kuala Lumpur in his new role.
He was most recently chief technology officer at Malaysia-based crowdfunding specialist pitchIN and was previously country manager at Islamic travel platform, Tripfez Travel.
Lendela said his track record in “scaling tech-driven financial platforms” positions him well to scale the business across its markets.
Commenting on the new hires, Lendela CEO and founder Nima Karimi said: “With Steven’s track record in fintech product innovation and Kent’s extensive experience in financial leadership, we are well-positioned to scale sustainably while staying true to our mission of making borrowing fairer and more transparent.
“Lendela has created a unique model where consumers make better financial decisions and lenders gain access to a wider pool of qualified borrowers at lower acquisition costs, and I know that Steven and Kent will be instrumental in scaling this win-win model across the region.”
Lendela aims to match borrowers with personalised loan options through a simple application, offering an alternative to the traditional lending landscape.
Since its founding, the company has facilitated over 400,000 loan applications alongside more than 100 lending partners. In 2023, Lendela raised US$5 million in an oversubscribed Series A round to scale across Asia Pacific.
Lendela serves users in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia.
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