First Mortgage Trust makes two key appointments

Gareth Brown has been appointed as the new head of treasury and will join the non-bank lender's leadership team.

Brown has a background in financial markets and financial risk in the banking and accountancy sectors.

He has also run his own business providing advice on financial market and treasury matters as well as ESG concerns.

“Gareth will be a key member of the leadership team,” FMT chief executive Paul Bendall says.

“He has responsibility for overseeing and implementing the treasury strategy and will also be involved in our technology project that will provide an improved client experience.”

Another appointment is Matthew Laing as wholesale investment manager. Laing was the head of wholesales at Kiwi Invest

Prior to that he was head of distribution for Salt Funds Management. His other roles include being a director of First State Investments NZ (now called First Sentier).

Bendall says he has a “wealth of experience and knowledge in the investment and financial industry.”

"These appointments reflect our desire to expand our funding footprint on a national basis," he says. As an active fund manager, First Mortgage Trust is constantly reviewing the NZ market to ensure we optimise our investors’ returns on their investments.

"The introduction of these two roles will ensure we continue to provide our investors a great customer experience and good outcomes."

First Mortgage Trust is a large non-bank lender, which emerged as a proper finance company from various lawyers' nominee funds in the 1990s.