Brighten senior BDM promoted to newly created role

Mikai Ning will be working alongside Brighten national sales manager Chris Meaker in order to drive expansion of the non-bank lender’s distribution network via strategic partnerships and reach new domestic and international markets.

Ms Ning was promoted internally from her senior business development management (BDM) role with Brighten to the newly created position after a rapid period of growth for the business, with Brighten’s loan origination volume increasing by 91 per cent following three RMBS transactions.

Brighten hit several growth milestones over the course of 2022 such as the three partnerships with mortgage aggregators Finsure, outsource Financial and Purple Circle, which boosted the non-bank lender’s distribution network to over 15,000 brokers nationally.

She brings more than 13 years of experience in the financial services industry, specialising in portfolio management, relationship management, business development, and multi-channel sales.

Ms Ning has been a part of Brighten since 2017 as a BDM, following tenures with major banks ANZ and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).

Ms Ning said the non-bank lender’s growth reflected the increasing popularity among clients and brokers who are seeking effective and alternative lending solutions.

“I am thrilled to embark on an exciting chapter as I step into this new role at Brighten,” Ms Ning concluded.

“My goal is to build upon the strong foundation of partnerships we have established and explore new opportunities for further growth and success.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue delivering superior service and continue to support our valued broker partners.”

Athena appoints head of distribution

The fintech lender hired Raj Kapoor — Adelaide Bank’s former head of broker — to the role of head of distribution in January 2023 in order to drive its entry into the third-party distribution space.

Mr Kapoor’s experience in financial services stretches over 20 years, having been at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank for three and a half years, after holding several senior mortgage positions with CBA over 15 years.

He commenced his role on 9 January and is in charge of the fintech’s third-party channel arrangements in mortgage distribution, which included a white label offering with Mortgage Choice and an aggregator partnership with FAST.

[RELATED: Athena ramps up broker strategy with new head of distribution]

Written by Adrian Suljanovic

Last Updated: 17 February 2023

Published: 17 February 2023