New CEO takes control of national mortgage group

John Flavell will now officially assume the responsibilities of CEO of listed broker group Mortgage Choice.

In December last year, the board announced that Mr Flavell would work alongside outgoing CEO, Michael Russell, in a transition phase from 7 April.

Two weeks after joining the company, Mortgage Choice chairman Peter Ritchie said Mr Flavell was ready to hit the ground running.

“We are delighted to officially transfer Mortgage Choice’s CEO responsibilities over to John Flavell,” Mr Ritchie said.

“With his broad financial services experience incorporating lending, broking, third-party distribution and wealth management, John is not only ready but ideally placed to lead Mortgage Choice to continued success.

“The board is confident that John’s experience developing and managing businesses and people combined with his eagerness to take Mortgage Choice to the next level, will help the company to deliver a strong performance across its existing operations as well as its emerging businesses,” he said.

Mr Ritchie said Mortgage Choice’s new financial planning arm will remain a key focus for the business.

The board are confident that Mr Flavell can help the company grow its footprint in the financial planning space as it continues its diversification into a fully-fledged financial services group, he said.

Mr Flavell said the period working alongside Michael Russell was very valuable and he looks forward to the next chapter.

“Since joining Mortgage Choice in April, I have learnt a lot about the business, the way it runs and its plans for the future,” he said.

“Having worked alongside Michael Russell as part of a transition phase, I am now looking forward to taking the reins and making sure the company continues to go from strength to strength.”