Movers & Shakers

LMG announces new CEO

AGGREGATOR LOAN MARKET GROUP has appointed industry veteran Ewen Stafford as executive director and CEO of its wholesale aggregation arm LMG, with a view to drive growth, investment, and innovation.

The move builds on the group’s decision to distinguish Loan Market and LMG as separate businesses.

As such, two CEO positions were created – one to lead the brokerage brand (Loan Market, headed by David McQueen) – and another for the wholesale aggregation offering under LMG.

Stafford joined LMG as executive director and COO in 2022, boasting more than 35 years’ experience including senior roles at Bank of Queensland (BOQ), Deloitte, Telstra, Australia Post, NAB, Colliers, and KPMG.

Stafford said: “LMG has always been about helping brokers grow, and that’s exactly where my focus will be. This builds on everything we’ve been working towards – expanding the opportunities for brokers across residential, commercial, and asset finance, while continuing to invest in the best tech, security and support.”

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Beyond Bank interim CEO confirms retirement

BEYOND BANK has confirmed the retirement of its interim CEO and long-serving executive, Wayne Matters, after almost 24 years with the lender.

As part of the leadership transition, the mutual said Matters will be supporting incoming CEO David Marshall during a four-week handover.

Matters has been one of Beyond Bank’s longest-serving executives, having joined the lender back in 2001 as chief financial officer. During his tenure, he sat on several industry working groups, supported community initiatives, and oversaw the bank’s early work in the establishment of a climate reporting framework.

Sam Andersen, Beyond Bank chair, said: “It is with both sadness and gratitude that we say goodbye to Wayne but we wish him all the very best for a long, healthy and happy retirement.

“Wayne’s commitment to diligent financial governance has kept our financial position strong over many years, and we are truly grateful to him for leading this area so capably.”

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Specialist brokerage appoints national sales manager

VICTORIA-BASED ASSET finance brokerage National Finance + Loans has announced the appointment of Ebony Maxwell as national sales manager.

In her new role, Maxwell will be responsible for building client relationships and driving revenue growth, as well as strategic planning, market research, and proactive outreach.

Maxwell possesses 15 years’ experience working with the broker channel and has been praised for her ability to identify opportunities, develop solutions, and collaborate with clients.

Les Crowe, National Finance + Loans founder and managing director, said the appointment represented a continuation of the company’s vision to diversify into the broking channel.

“Ebony’s a great fit with National Finance + Loans, as she’s culturally aligned and highly experienced. In addition to being very established and respected in industry, she is renowned for her ability to build meaningful connections and deliver tailored solutions,” Crowe said.

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Chris Slater joins broker investment business

RECLUDO GROUP, a boutique private equity firm that invests in the mortgage and finance industry, has appointed Chris Slater as head of strategic growth.

Slater will join the new company in May and boasts 30 years’ experience in the broking industry, including senior management positions at aggregator Australian Finance Group (AFG).

At Recludo Group, he will be tasked with selectively partnering with high-performance brokerages and driving long-term business value. Speaking to The Adviser, Slater said: “I’ll be focused on helping grow the footprint and getting out and trying to find businesses for us to invest in, while also providing some of the strategy around what we offer our brokers to support them and help them grow their business.

“The reality is the broker market has a huge footprint across the country, and there’s plenty of opportunity for Recludo to make a real difference – which is what I’m excited about.”