Brighten Announces Jason Azzopardi as New CEO to Spearhead Expansion
Publication Date: Monday, 22 January 2024
This article originally appeared in Business Daily Media
Non-bank lender Brighten Home Loans (“Brighten”) has appointed accomplished mortgage industry executive Jason Azzopardi as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Azzopardi joins Brighten at a pivotal time as the lender embarks on an ambitious expansion to meet the growing Australian demand for alternative lending solutions.
Mr. Azzopardi brings nearly 30 years of industry experience, having worked for financial institutions in Australia and London. Previously, he served as the Chief Financial Officer at ASX-listed non-bank Resimac, overseeing several functions, including the company’s NZ and Manila operations, marketing, and investor relations.
His experience includes senior leadership roles at Macquarie Bank, Bankwest, and Uno Home Loans, where he was instrumental in implementing strategic initiatives across various domains such as finance, distribution, operations, business intelligence, brand, and customer experience.
Under Mr. Azzopardi’s leadership, Brighten aims to strategically accelerate its growth and further solidify its position in the non-bank lending sector. The company has continued to expand its presence in the industry, as evidenced by its recent $600 million public RMBS transaction in October 2023 — the fourth and largest to date. Additionally, Brighten has expanded its distribution by forming key partnerships with leading national aggregators, including AFG Home Loans, LMG, Finsure, and Outsource Financial.
Scott Kelly, Brighten’s Managing Director and Australia CEO of its parent company RAM, said, “We are delighted to welcome Jason, a highly respected and endorsed industry executive, to our team at Brighten. His track record and expertise will contribute to sustaining and accelerating our growth trajectory, driving success in key areas, and leading the business to new heights.”
Mr. Azzopardi said the dynamic and evolving market landscape is a prime opportunity for Brighten. “I am excited to be joining Brighten at this time. Brighten’s diversified funding platform, including the wholesale credit fund, allows Brighten to provide residential and commercial lending solutions not readily available from most lenders in the market. This is supported by an engaged team of banking professionals focussed on servicing brokers and customers efficiently,” he said.
He also noted Brighten’s ability to leverage technology through its proprietary origination platform as one of the key reasons for joining the team.
“Brighten’s growth will be driven in part by our outstanding, recently implemented proprietary origination platform and our new core banking platform soon to be launched. These platforms will continue to drive market-leading customer and broker experiences as we build the Brighten brand in the Australian home loan market,” he added.
As Brighten continues its upward trajectory, the team remains dedicated to its mission of serving under-served segments of the lending market. Brighten offers a range of competitive Full Doc, Alt Doc, Near Prime, and Construction loan products available to Resident, Expat, and Non-Resident borrowers.
Brighten Home Loans (“Brighten”) is an Australian-owned and regulated non-bank lender. We are a full-service non-bank lender responsible for the origination, underwriting, servicing, and funding of our mortgage portfolio. We have well-established warehouse-funding arrangements with multiple top-tier banks, a public RMBS programme, and a wholesale credit fund to provide further funding diversification. Brighten’s comprehensive set of product offerings includes competitive home loans for prime and near-prime borrowers, the self-employed, alternative-documentation loans, expats, and non-residents.