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Shane Howell will commence in the role on 4 May after two decades with the Westpac Group, where he most recently held senior leadership positions across commercial banking and business lending.
In the newly created role, Howell will focus on expanding Loan Market Group’s (LMG) small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and business lending offering, including lender relationships, technology integrations, data capabilities and new product opportunities.
He will work alongside Stephen Scahill, group executive – commercial, who will continue to lead LMG’s commercial broker and lender relationships.
The aggregator said the appointment forms part of its continued investment in SME and business lending across Australia as well as New Zealand.
“We’re deepening our investment in the SME and business lending space because we know the broker channel can do for business lending what it has done for home lending – giving Australians more options, better outcomes, and a real alternative to the traditional path,” Ewen Stafford, chief executive officer and executive director at LMG, said.
“Shane understands business lending from both sides – what lenders are weighing up and what brokers need from a partner. That combination is rare, and it’s why we’re so pleased he is joining LMG.”
LMG said Howell brings more than 20 years’ experience at Westpac across commercial banking, business and consumer product, and transformation roles in both Australia and New Zealand.
His tenure at the bank also included nine years as chief product officer and chief customer experience officer in New Zealand.
Commenting on the appointment, Howell said: “LMG is operating at a scale and pace that genuinely excites me. The broker channel has reshaped Australian home lending, and there’s a real opportunity to do the same in business finance – but it takes serious commitment, the right partners, and a willingness to build. That’s what I see at LMG, and it’s why I’m excited to be joining.
“Too many Australian businesses don’t get access to the capital they need, and we want to change that. Our ambition is to connect brokers, lenders and capital so more businesses can access funding on the right terms.
“At a time of ongoing economic pressure, access to the right capital structured appropriately and delivered quickly is critical. The work ahead is making sure more Australian businesses, not just some, can access the funding they need to grow.”
The appointment marks a further expansion of LMG’s focus on business finance as aggregators continue to broaden their commercial and SME lending capabilities.
Recently, the aggregator appointed Maple Asset Finance in order to broaden its commercial lender options.
[Related: LMG reveals AI roadmap focused on broker efficiency]
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