Global treasury expertise and top-flight BDM back lender’s next growth phase
Finbase has made two senior appointments it says will underpin its push to become a tier‑one private credit institution in New Zealand.
Global treasury hire to bolster Finbase’s capital and risk management
US‑based finance executive Antje Volk (pictured left) has joined as treasury and finance manager after more than a decade in senior roles across private debt and real estate funds, including chief accounting officer/VP of finance at Columbia Pacific Advisors.
Volk said she was pleased to join Finbase as it undertakes a strategic shift towards a tier‑one private credit institution “with depth, controls, and discipline comparable to significantly larger financial institutions”. With that shift, she added, comes a requirement for “experienced banking, finance, and compliance and risk management leaders”, and she plans to apply her global experience to help meet those goals.
Managing director Pernell Callaghan said Volk’s specialist skills will help strengthen Finbase’s capital and cashflow management as it scales its first‑mortgage lending and wholesale investor offerings.
Award-winning BDM to drive adviser channel
At the front end of the business, Finbase has appointed long‑time Westpac New Zealand executive Nicky Skinner (pictured right) as business development manager, supporting its broker and adviser channel.
Skinner spent around 20 years at Westpac, largely as a BDM working with more than 300 mortgage advisers across the South Island. Her work with the adviser community has been recognised through multiple New Zealand Mortgage Awards honours, the Link Financial Group Best Bank BDM award in 2025, and inclusion on MPA’s Elite Women and Global 100 lists.
“After two decades in the banking sector, I am excited to bring my experience and my adviser relationships to the non-bank space,” Skinner said. “Finbase has built a compelling proposition for advisers and their clients.”
Callaghan described her as “one of the most respected BDMs in the New Zealand market”, saying her move from a major bank reflects the strength of Finbase’s growing private credit platform and its focus on meeting adviser needs.
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