Major brokerage appoints new GM of distribution

Mr Zammit was most recently head of banking and wealth management distribution at Citibank and has held various roles in financial services over 14 years, including at ANZ Private Bank and financial planning company Next Financial.

In his new role, Mr Zammit will “provide direction, leadership and coaching to the Mortgage Choice franchise recruitment and state management teams to ensure they are positioned, both in function and structure, to deliver on franchise network growth”.

Speaking of the new appointment, Mortgage Choice chief executive officer Susan Mitchell said the appointment came at a “critical time” as the industry prepares for a “new era”.

“We have made it a priority to invest time and resources into building a competitive and ever-evolving technology and compliance offering to support our network for best interests duty,” she explained.

“We are excited for David to join us and bring his wealth of experience to Mortgage Choice. During his time at CitiBank, client satisfaction rose to an all-time high, leading the business to achieve record volumes across mortgages, investments and FX transactions.

“I believe that David’s understanding of the lending industry and ever-changing regulatory environment will help to position Mortgage Choice and its franchisees for the changes that lie ahead,” Ms Mitchell said.

Mr Zammit also commented on his new role, stating: “I’m thrilled to be joining this iconic Australian brand and to drive Mortgage Choice to reach new milestones after nearly 30 years of helping Australians realise their financial goals. 

“I have a deep passion for building and growing successful businesses, both large and small. I look forward to building strong relationships across the franchise network and learning first-hand from its experienced franchisees what they need in order to be successful and grow their businesses and to drive the change required to deliver to those needs.”

He continued: “I have always believed in the strong value proposition of the broking channel and its ability to put the customer first, which makes me optimistic about the future. I have seen the industry undergo tremendous growth over the years, and I believe there is much more to come.” 

Mr Zammit takes up the role following the departure of Neill Rose-Innes, who had been in the position since 2015. Mr Rose-Innes had worked at Mortgage Choice for the past 12 years, holding roles including chief information officer and general manager of operations. Mr Rose-Innes departed at the end of May and is believed to be consulting on a range of projects in the fintech and franchise space and will be seeking a "substantial role in the new financial year where [his] executive and people leadership expertise will be most valued". 

"I set out and achieved the career and experience milestones I had set for myself during this time [at Mortgage Choice] which I am immensely proud of, and it is now time for me to move onto the next exciting challenge," Mr Rose-Innes told The Adviser.

“I wish Neill all the best in his new journey.”

[Related: Mortgage Choice rebrands wealth business]