'The sign is a visible moment, but what matters is everything that’s gone into getting here'
Melbourne's skyline is a shade bluer after non-bank lender ORDE Financial switched on new illuminated signage atop its Queen Street headquarters, marking a milestone seven years in the making.
The sign replaces the old "Challenger" branding on the CBD tower long known by that name, and lands as ORDE marks its growth from a six-person 2019 startup to a national non-bank supporting more than 7,000 brokers, 16,000 borrowers and over $13 billion in settled loans.
Co-founder and chief lending officer Ryan Harkness said the sign was a nod to the hard work that has gone into scaling the business.
"When we started ORDE in 2019, the non-bank sector looked very different,” said Harkness. “Today, brokers and borrowers have far more choice, and non-bank lenders are playing an increasingly important role in supporting clients with a broader, more complex range of lending needs.
“The sign is a visible moment, but what matters is everything that's gone into getting here – the people, the relationships and the belief from those who backed us early on."
Co-founder and chief executive Paul Wells framed the moment as a marker on the way to bigger things: "We're proud of what we've achieved, but there's a lot more in front of us. We've recently launched the ORDE Income Fund and continue to invest across the business. We see this as another step in ORDE's next chapter."
