The non-bank lender has strengthened its executive bench with the move set to galvanise broker-focused products.
Specialist non-bank lender Better Choice Home Loans (Better Choice), part of the BNK Banking Group, announced on Wednesday (11 February) that it had made two senior leadership appointments across its product and credit divisions.
Among the new appointments is Jelena Babanour, who joined Better Choice in December 2025 as head of product.
The lender said Babanour had extensive experience in retail and business banking, having previously served as head of product at Police Bank, senior manager of wealth development at HSBC, and product lead for consumer finance at Westpac during her eight-year tenure at the major bank.
Babanour will oversee Better Choice’s product development and optimisation strategy across deposits and lending – with a specific emphasis on “broker-led distribution and customer-centric design”.
The lender said her role will include ensuring the bank’s offerings remain competitive, customer-focused, and aligned with its funding and profitability goals.
BNK CEO Allan Savins said Babanour’s appointment would allow the lender to bring “new, broker-led products to market faster”
“Her focus will be on competitive pricing, clear policy and product features that help brokers win and retain customers.”
Also joining the lender’s leadership team is Grant McFarlane, who stepped into the role of head of credit and lending origination in January 2026.
McFarlane previously held senior positions with MA Money as head of lending and spent a decade at Resimac as its specialist lending lead.
Better Choice said McFarlane brings deep expertise in disciplined credit expansion and portfolio management.
McFarlane will be responsible for credit policies, origination frameworks, and portfolio monitoring – while supporting brokers with “competitive, fit-for-purpose lending solutions.”
Savins said credit and product capabilities were “fundamental to our balance sheet growth, strengthening broker partnerships and maintaining disciplined risk management.”
“Grant’s experience will help us simplify credit processes and improve turnaround times for brokers.
“He will play a key role in making it easier for brokers to place complex and non-standard deals with confidence.”
He said the appointments reflect the company’s “renewed focus” on improving broker experiences through “streamlined credit policy, expanded commercial lending options and enhanced residential product offerings.”
The chief executive added that the new hires reflected BNK’s commitment to ensuring it had the leadership capability required to execute its long-term strategy.
“As we enter into 2026, BNK continues to invest in the leadership capability required to execute our strategy and support the next phase of sustainable growth,” Savins said.
Hires come after announcement of new head of sales and strategic partnerships
The hires come after Better Choice named Cath Ryan, a veteran of the commercial banking and specialist lending industry, as its new head of sales and strategic partnerships.
The new hire has almost three decades of experience spanning across banking, specialist lending, aggregation, and broker distribution, including as regional head of sales executive for NSW with non-bank lender Thinktank and as a senior business development manager at St.George Bank.
Ryan previously worked at asset finance aggregator Viking Aggregation, where she helped develop its recently launched commercial aggregation offering.
[Related: BNK points to strategic portfolio growth in quarterly update]
