Non-bank lender creates new executive role to sharpen focus on broker and customer growth opportunities as it builds on record lending momentum
Pepper Money has appointed mortgage industry veteran Matthew Catt to the newly created role of head of growth, tasking him with identifying and delivering strategic growth opportunities across the non-bank lender's products, technology, operations, and broker and customer experience.
The appointment comes as Pepper Money continues to expand its lending capabilities.
It follows a run of momentum for the business, including record first-half originations reported earlier this year, where the lender posted $6.3 billion in total originations despite a wider downturn in the mortgage market.
A familiar face
Catt brings almost two decades of financial services experience spanning product, distribution, operations and strategic partnerships.
He spent more than ten years at Commonwealth Bank before moving to Aussie Home Loans, where he held senior roles across white-label distribution and helped launch Aussie's white-label partnership with Pepper Money.
"Pepper Money has a strong reputation for challenging convention and finding better ways to help customers achieve their goals," Catt said. "What attracted me to the business was its growth mindset and commitment to putting brokers at the centre of what it does."
"I've known Pepper for a long time, both as a customer and a partner, and I've watched the business continue to grow year after year. The opportunity to not just be part of that growth, but help drive what comes next, was incredibly exciting."
Reporting lines and reunited leadership
Catt will report to Pepper Money's chief executive of mortgages and commercial lending Barry Saoud, with whom he previously worked at Aussie Home Loans.
Saoud said the creation of the role reflected the lender's continued focus on innovation and execution as it looks to build on its growth momentum.
"Matt's breadth of experience across the mortgage industry, combined with his customer-first mindset and strategic capability, makes him ideally positioned to help us turn opportunities into initiatives that create real value for brokers, customers and the business.
"We have an ambitious growth agenda, and this role gives us dedicated capability to accelerate that work and continue finding new ways to support more brokers and their customers."
Saoud linked Catt’s appointment to Pepper Money's broader distribution ambitions, which have recently extended into large-scale loan servicing deals such as its role in the HSBC Australia loan book acquisition on behalf of Blackstone.
Catt said engaging directly with brokers, customers and Pepper Money's sales teams would guide how he prioritises new opportunities.
"My approach is to bring together Pepper Money's strategic priorities with what we're hearing directly from brokers, customers and our sales teams.
“That gives us a really strong foundation to identify where the biggest opportunities are, validate those ideas and focus our efforts on the initiatives that can have the greatest impact."
