Former leader at Pepper, Westpac, and CBA, joins Brighten

Publication Date: Friday, 11 October 2024
This article originally appeared in Australian Broker.

Brighten has appointed Ben McKell (pictured above) as its new head of commercial lending, signaling the company’s strong move into the commercial lending sector.

McKell to drive growth in commercial lending sector

In his new role, McKell will report to Chris Meaker, Brighten’s director and head of distribution.

Meaker said that McKell’s expertise will help accelerate the company’s growth in the commercial lending space.

“With Ben’s expertise and our deep understanding of our brokers, we’re confident that our solutions-based offering can meet the evolving needs of both brokers and customers,” he said.

Innovative solutions for brokers

Brighten’s expanding product suite for commercial loans includes Full Doc, Alt Doc, Lease Doc, and Brighten Lift, a short-term commercial loan product designed to offer accessible options for businesses.

“We’re committed to simplifying the commercial loan process for brokers and providing education to help them diversify into this sector,” Meaker said.

McKell brings extensive experience

McKell brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial and business banking to his new role, having held senior positions at Pepper Money, Westpac, and Commonwealth Bank.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the journey to bring that same innovation to the commercial sector,” McKell said.

“I’m passionate about business banking – understanding the customer, their business, their purpose, and their vision.”

The appointment follows the recent addition of Katrina Topalovic as commercial lending manager, further strengthening non-bank lender’s commercial lending team.