FBAA appoints first chief development officer

The Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) has created the new senior executive role of chief development officer (CDO) to place a greater emphasis on growth and member services.

Joanna James will commence in the role later this month and as a former general manager of lender Mortgage Ezy, has an extensive finance and lending background.

FBAA managing director Peter White AM expressed his excitement at the new role and said Ms James will bring great “substance and fluidity to what we do.”

“The FBAA continues to grow, develop and expand. We must always be getting better and providing more for our members.

“To achieve this we need more resources and the right people, and Joanna not only has an impressive resume and is well respected across the industry, but importantly is aligned to our culture and purpose.”

Ms James currently chairs the FBAA’s ‘Artemis Space’, a community that supports women across the industry.

The role of CDO will involve managing the various internal teams and working closely with state managers and national partnership managers, something Ms James understands well.

“My primary focus is always the people. I have developed and led many leadership teams over the years, across many areas of business,” she said.

“I love to motivate, and support others to succeed not just in their professional roles, but in life.

“My experience brings an empathy for the complexity brokers traverse in the day to day of business, the highs and lows of the journey and the dexterity with which they must adapt to shifting landscapes.”

Ms James said she hopes to bring “a stable and calm approach to assisting brokers navigate future changes.