Movers & Shakers

Westpac announces new group CEO and MD

Anthony Miller has been named as the replacement for long-serving Westpac CEO and managing director Peter King, who will retire in December.

The appointment marks the end of a 30-year career at the major for King.

Miller, who has been at Westpac for the past four years, has extensive financial services experience to call upon, including stints at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs.

He said the appointment was an honour and paid tribute to King’s contribution to the bank.

“Westpac is an exceptional company that plays a profoundly important role in the lives of millions of Australians,” the incoming CEO said.

“I’m excited by the opportunity and I’m grateful for Peter’s significant contribution as CEO.

“My aspiration is to build on that work and unleash Westpac’s true potential.

“I want Westpac to be a bank built on trust and reliability – always there to help our customers through every one of life’s moments.”

Pepper Money expands Victorian BDM team

Pepper Money has bolstered its Victorian team with four new business development managers under state manager Adam Croucher, enhancing broker support since his arrival in April 2024.

The new appointments are:

• Matthew Gatt: A former mortgage broker, Gatt has held roles including general manager of home loans at Compare Club and head of sales at BankVic.

• Jana Nicholas: With over 20 years in banking at CBA and NAB, Nicholas has expertise in credit policy and loan structuring, strengthening support for Victorian brokers.

• Sach Ranathunga: Previously a credit analyst at Pepper for two years, Ranathunga has strong knowledge in products and deal structuring.

• Jasvinder Singh: With nearly 20 years in credit roles at CBA and Rabobank, Singh is a specialist in residential and commercial lending.

Croucher said diversification is key for brokers in Victoria to unlock growth potential.

Brighten expands leadership team

Brighten has appointed three female leaders to enhance its operations and broker distribution.

Julie Stanceski, previously the residential lending manager, is now head of lending operations. Since July 2024, she has overseen the entire credit process, focusing on compliance, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. With over 20 years in finance, she was formerly head of residential credit at Thinktank and a senior loans adviser at ubank.

Annorah Hannon, who joined in April 2023 as collections manager, has been promoted to head of servicing operations. Since June 2024, she has improved operational efficiency and relationship management, leveraging her 10 years of experience at Westpac, Pepper Financial Services, and AMAL.

Katarina Topalovic, formerly senior credit manager at Thinktank, is now commercial lending manager. She brings nearly a decade of commercial lending experience and 16 years in finance, having worked at St.George and NAB.

Assetline appoints first Victorian and NSW state managers

ASSETLINE CAPITAL has appointed Arthur Karvelas as its Victorian state manager – its first for the southern state.

With over 20 years in the finance industry, including his most recent role as head of distribution at Resi Mortgage Corporation, Karvelas will now lead Assetline’s sales team in Victoria, focusing on expanding the lender’s presence through partnerships with brokers and aggregators.

In addition, Laura Stanley has been promoted to state manager for NSW after joining Assetline as a business development manager earlier this year. Stanley brings prior mortgage brokering experience and will now oversee the NSW sales team, enhancing support for brokers and borrowers in the region.

These appointments aim to strengthen Assetline’s broker support in Australia’s most populous states, coinciding with significant growth and an upcoming product launch.