Movers & Shakers

BNK appoints new CEO as Savins steps down

BNK Banking Corporation confirmed on Thursday (2 April) that CEO Allan Savins would be stepping down, with chief financial officer Steve Kinsella appointed interim CEO.

Kinsella joined BNK as chief operating officer in November 2023 before becoming CFO and was credited by the company for playing a “significant role” in the bank’s recent profitability improvement and balancesheet repair.

Savins joined BNK in 2018 as general manager of banking and wholesale and executive director of Better Choice Home Loans and was then made CEO in November 2021.

From 2 April, Kinsella will move from CFO to interim CEO, subject to regulatory approval.

In the ASX statement, Savins said it had been a pleasure to lead the business and steer BNK through a “transformation” period.

“It has been a privilege to lead BNK through a period of transformation. I am proud of what the team has achieved and am confident the business is well placed for continued success,” he said.

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YBR appoints chief risk and compliance officer

YELLOW BRICK ROAD GROUP (YBR) has appointed governance specialist David Flynn as chief risk and compliance officer.

Reporting to executive chairman Mark Bouris, Flynn joins with the intention to help strengthen borrower protections at the group.

He brings more than 20 years’ experience across major financial institutions, most recently serving as interim chief risk officer and general manager of compliance at Insignia Financial.

Commenting on the appointment, Bouris said governance is central to delivering better outcomes for borrowers.

“At Yellow Brick Road, we’ve always believed that Australians deserve better when it comes to home lending – better advice, better service, and better outcomes,” he said.

“Achieving that means holding ourselves to the highest standards of compliance and governance, not just because regulators expect it, but because our borrowers deserve it.”

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MA Money boosts BDM ranks

MA Money has reshaped its national sales structure, lifting its business development manager headcount to 24 with six new BDMs across NSW, Victoria, and South Australia.

In NSW, the lender has appointed Katie McNamara, who it said had a deep non-bank credit background, alongside Van Vu, whose more than 20 years in broking roles included, most recently, supporting brokers at aggregator Finsure.

Adding to the NSW ranks, MA Money said Brad Crawford had spent two decades as a BDM working closely with brokers, while Joshua Bittencourt brought seven years in non-bank lending spanning originations and scenario leadership.

South Australia, meanwhile, has gained Kylie McCue, who has spent over 30 years in the banking and finance industry, while Victoria’s presence would be strengthened by 20-year non-bank industry veteran Linda Leong.

MA Money national sales manager Tim Lemon said: “Our focus has always been on responsiveness, consistency and strong credit knowledge.”

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AFCA flags appointment of chief scams officer

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has bolstered its leadership ranks with the appointment of David Lacey as its inaugural chief scams officer (CSO), following a string of C-suite appointments announced earlier this month.

In what the authority describes as a “key leadership role”, Lacey will lead the expansion of its jurisdiction “to consider the role of banks, telcos and digital platforms in scam complaints”.

Lacey joins AFCA from not-for-profit cyber support service IDCARE, where he built Australia and New Zealand’s leading response service for victims of identity crime and scams.

AFCA CEO and chief ombudsman David Locke said he would bring “unparalleled experience” in the impact scams have on Australians.

“David has spent years working directly with scam victims, and that perspective will be critical in shaping a scams ombudsman service that is accessible, fair and can effectively resolve complex issues involving multiple parties,” he said.

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