Industry seeking fresh approach from Naylor's replacement

Century 21 Home Loans chief executive James Green said Mr Naylor had done an excellent job but that his departure would give the association an opportunity to try something different.

He told The Adviser that the new chief executive should be an interim appointment because they would be willing to stir things up if they knew they would be in the role for only a year.

Mr Green said fresh ideas were needed if the third-party channel wanted to keep increasing its market share and to attract more university graduates.

Smartline executive director Joe Sirianni said Mr Naylor’s replacement should be someone with the skill to influence government and win favourable media coverage.

Mr Sirianni said the role could suit an ex-politician, a former lobbyist or someone who had run another industry association.

Aussie Home Loans executive director James Symond said the new chief executive needed to have long-term vision and understand how the industry is evolving.

Mr Symond said the candidate also needed to have a politician’s knack of building consensus among a range of competing interests.

Outsource Financial chief executive Tanya Sale said Mr Naylor’s replacement needed to return the MFAA to its roots as a broker-focused association.

“The next person will have to be a very strong personality, be someone with a bit of profile and have the vision and the passion to remain totally independent,” she told The Adviser.

Time Home Loans managing director Ruan Burger also called for someone who would put brokers first and “have our back when things get tough”.

Mr Burger said he favoured the appointment of an insider with strong industry knowledge.