Lumi welcomes 3 new executive hires

Ahmed Khan and Andrew Beckett have both joined Lumi’s executive team as senior business development managers (BDMs).

Mr Khan was most recently the head of sales at SME lender Capify and has more than 10 years’ experience in the lending space, including as a business banker at Westpac.

Mr Beckett was most recently national business development manager for specialist capital asset business Iron Capital, and previously worked as a BDM at SME lender GetCapital.

As senior BDMs, both Mr Khan and Mr Beckett will join senior BDM John Clifford to support the scaling of Lumi’s small business loans as the company embarks on a period of “aggressive growth” and seeks increased market share in the SME lending space.

Meanwhile, Steve Lambert, who has held a range of roles in wholesale banking, including at Westpac (15+ years) and NAB (20+ years), has also joined Lumi’s board of directors and chair of its risk committee.  

Lumi’s founder and CEO, Yanir Yakutiel, welcomed the new appointments and said he was “delighted to have recruited candidates of this calibre for this exciting growth chapter”.

Noting the two new senior BDMs, Mr Yakutiel added: “Ahmed and Andy’s understanding of tech-driven SME lending is unsurpassed, and it’s easy to see why they have built such a loyal network of referral partners. Culturally, there was an immediate fit for our business, and I’m excited to work closely with them both to grow the business.”

Mr Khan and Mr Beckett both said they were excited to be joining the Lumi team.

“I was really drawn to how far Lumi has come since its inception. There is a true vision to what the business is looking to achieve in the coming years,” Mr Khan said.

"I am really excited and proud to be a part of this journey, and I am certain that with my experience in this industry, I can make a significant impact. I can’t wait to be working alongside my colleagues Andrew Beckett and John Clifford.

“Get ready to be hearing a lot more about Lumi soon,” Mr Khan added.  

Similarly, Mr Beckett said he was looking forward to playing an integral role in Lumi’s next growth chapter.

“When I was initially approached to move across to Lumi, I was blown away by the journey and growth of the business to date,” Mr Beckett commented.

“My initial view has further been legitimised and strengthened with Lumi’s recent acquisition of institutional funding. I can’t wait to get my boots on the ground and begin to build something special here at Lumi,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Lambert said he was thrilled to be working with a dynamic team, adding: “Having worked with several fintech start-ups, it is great to be involved with a group that has such a strong sense of purpose that is providing a very differentiated product to an underserved market segment.”

The new appointments come as the fintech prepares to double its headcount over the next 12 months.

Lumi recently announced that it had signed a $40-million warehouse facility with National Australia Bank (NAB) and Alexander Funds Management (AFM). The SME lender also recently launched a $20-million equity raise to fund its growth.

While the lender currently offers unsecured business loans between $5,000-$300,000 on maximum loan terms of 36 months, it is set to expand the limit to $500,000 and the term to five years over the coming months.

[Related: Lumi secures new warehouse facility]