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Julie Stanceski has been promoted to head of lending operations, Annorah Hannon has been appointed head of servicing operations, and Katrina Topalovic, previously senior credit manager at Thinktank Commercial Property Finance, joins as commercial lending manager.
Stanceski’s promotion comes after three years of serving as resident lending manager, with her 20-plus years of experience making her a “seasoned leader” in residential lending. In her new role, Stanceski will oversee the end-to-end credit process to ensure compliance, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Hannon, who joined the lender in April 2023, brings experience in business process improvement, complaint management, contact centre operations, and residential mortgages to her new role as head of servicing operations.
She carries over a decade of industry experience having previously held roles with Westpac, Pepper Financial Services, and AMAL and has been “instrumental in enhancing operational efficiency and relationship management at Brighten”.
Topalovic enters the role of commercial lending manager with over nine years of experience in the commercial lending space and 16 years of experience in finance. Along with her role at Thinktank, Topalovic held roles at St.George and NAB.
In the past year, Brighten has expanded its offerings and strengthened its team, reportedly leading to a 105 per cent year-on-year increase in applications.
As the company continues its growth trajectory, Brighten CEO Jason Azzopardi highlighted the importance of inclusivity and diversity in fostering future innovation and success.
“Early in my banking career, I was fortunate to work with outstanding leaders who taught me the importance of culture, customer, broker, and execution,” Azzopardi said.
“Those experiences shaped my leadership style, where creating a safe and inclusive space for innovation and growth is my priority.”
Brighten has doubled in size over the past three years and remains committed to diversity and inclusion, as evidenced by its recognition as an Inclusive Employer for 2021–22 and 2023–24 by Diversity Council Australia (DCA).
Currently, 60.8 per cent of Brighten’s workforce identifies as female, with 57.1 per cent of leadership roles held by women. This gender representation is favourable compared to industry averages and Brighten continues to invest in nurturing future female leaders as they advance in their careers.
“We are entering an exciting growth phase with significant opportunities ahead,” Azzopardi said.
“As we expand further in the broker market, we will continue investing in our people and systems – not only to provide a positive experience for brokers and their customers, but also to position Brighten as the lender of choice.”
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