Dixon stepped into the role of Heartland Bank’s chief technology & operations officer on 1 July 2024, bringing with him 25 years of industry experience across credit risk, decisioning, technology, and credit bureaus.
According to Heartland Bank, Dixon is a specialist in applying technology, analytics, and innovation within corporate environments.
He entered the role with the digital specialist bank after spending three years as the chief information officer at humm group.
Previously, he was the founder of the Decision Intellect business and spent over 10 years at Dun & Bradstreet Australia, where he remained after a post-private equity buyout that saw the company be known as illion, in a number of leadership roles including chief technology officer.
In addition, Dixon spent time leading the product strategy, direction, and build for an initiative for ANZ’s corporate venture capital arm ANZi.
“Vaughan’s extensive experience and leadership across technology and operations will contribute to advancing Heartland Bank’s technology and operational growth ambitions,” the bank said.
Heartland group announces former CEO to board
Dixon’s appointment comes as Heartland Group Holdings Limited (Heartland) announced two new independent, non-executive directors to its board.
Effective from 27 June 2024, Robert (Rob) Bell and Simon Beckett have been appointed as board members with Heartland.
Bell has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership banking roles across a range of listed companies and was the founding CEO of digital challenger bank 86 400 (now part of NAB’s digital brand ubank).
Prior to 86 400, he held executive and CEO roles at Cuscal, Australian Unity Bank, and ANZ (including CEO positions at both ANZ Japan and ANZ Fiji).
He is currently a non-executive director of HFC Bank.
Similarly, Beckett – who has more than 30 years of experience in financial services – joined the Heartland board with “deep mergers and acquisition (M&A) experience and extensive financial, regulatory, risk and governance expertise”.
Beckett is currently the founder and CEO of First Avenue Ventures, a company that supports, invests in, and mentors early-stage ventures, and has previously held a range of executive leadership positions within multinational corporates including in the US, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Heartland said that the appointments would further contribute to “the depth of expertise and skill” of the board and strengthen the board’s Australian expertise.
[RELATED: Former 86 400 CEO to join Heartland board]