Pepper partners with Hawks for 2021

According to Pepper, part of the financial investment (not disclosed) will go towards the establishment of a Hawks local business community program.

The non-bank lender said it was attracted to the Illawara-based foundation NBL club as “the ambitions the Hawks have, both within the league and in the community, are aligned to Pepper’s corporate mission – ‘To help people succeed’”.

It added that the partnership also complemented the lender’s mission to achieve a greater awareness of the Pepper Money brand across both regional NSW and Australia.

Commenting on the new sponsorship, Pepper Money’s Australian and New Zealand CEO, Mario Rehayem, said: “As a people-focused lender, Pepper Money specialises in flexible loan solutions that help people through the highs, lows and unexpected events that real life throws at them.

“This partnership, along with our shared values with The Hawks, will allow us to champion people that are traditionally underserved and make a tangible difference in the community.

“We wanted to join the Hawk’s family to help them rebuild their franchise, reclaim success in the league and serve the community in the Illawarra region. This also ensures our brand is seen by a wider audience of sporting fans in Illawarra and across Australia,” the Pepper Money CEO added.

The partnership marks the second major announcement of the year for the lender after the global group, Pepper Group, recently announced that it is to break into the Japanese market following its 100 per cent acquisition of Japanese loan servicing company Millennium Holdings KK.

[Related: Human element key for brokers in 2021: Pepper CEO]