BNK appoints senior leaders to accelerate broker-focused product and credit outcomes

BNK has announced the appointment of Grant McFarlane as Head of Credit & Lending Origination and Jelena Babanour as Head of Product, further strengthening the lender’s leadership team as it continues to invest in broker-focused lending solutions.

The appointments reflect BNK’s focus on delivering faster decisions, simplified policy and more competitive products for brokers and their customers across both residential and commercial lending.

Grant McFarlane – Head of Credit & Lending Origination

Grant joins Better Choice from MA Money and has previously held senior credit and lending roles at Resimac. He brings extensive experience across credit risk, lending origination and portfolio management in both bank and non-bank environments.

In his role, Grant will be responsible for credit strategy, policy development and origination oversight, helping ensure BNK maintains strong credit quality while supporting brokers with competitive, fit-for-purpose lending solutions.

“Grant’s experience will help us simplify credit processes and improve turnaround times for brokers,” said Allan Savins, CEO at BNK Banking Corporation Limited.

“He will play a key role in making it easier for brokers to place complex and non-standard deals with confidence.”

Jelena Babanour – Head of Product

Jelena joins BNK from Police Bank with a strong background in financial services product management, pricing and distribution.

She will lead product strategy, development and lifecycle management across BNK’s lending offering, with a focus on broker-led distribution and customer-centric design.

“Jelena’s appointment strengthens our ability to bring new, broker-led products to market faster,” Savins said.

“Her focus will be on competitive pricing, clear policy and product features that help brokers win and retain customers.”

Supporting brokers with better policy and faster outcomes

The appointments come as BNK continues to grow and enhance its broker proposition, with a focus on improving broker experience through streamlined credit policy, expanded commercial lending options and enhanced residential product offerings.

The hires follow the recent appointment of Cath Ryan as Head of Sales & Strategic Partnerships.

“Brokers are at the centre of our business model,” Savins said.

“Cath is already playing a key role in deepening our broker engagement, and Grant and Jelena will work closely with her to ensure our products, policy and processes are designed to help brokers do more deals, more efficiently and with ease.”