SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Latitude Group Holdings has appointed Mr. Bob Belan as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer effective 1 April 2023.

Mr Belan’s appointment follows an extensive global search. Mr Belan joined Latitude as Executive General Manager of the Money Division, following the acquisition of Symple Loans in November 2021, having founded that business with Paul Byrne in 2018.

Bob Belan has more than 20 years’ experience in leading consumer finance businesses across Australia, Asia and the USA at Symple, ANZ, JP Morgan Chase and American Express.

Ahmed Fahour announced his desire to step down from the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer roles in August 2022. Ahmed will finish up in that role on 31 March 2023 ensuring a smooth leadership transition.

Commenting on the appointment Latitude Chairman Mike Tilley said: “It is very pleasing that after embarking on a global search over many months, the best candidate to lead Latitude through the next phase of its life as a listed entity was already part of our team. Bob has made an outstanding contribution to Latitude since joining in 2021, not only in the integration of Symple and Latitude’s personal and auto lending activities but also in his role as a leader across all facets of our business. Bob’s vision for the future of Latitude is aligned with that of the Board.”

Mr Belan said of his appointment: “I am delighted to be in a position to lead this great business and to be working with a talented executive team on delivering Latitude’s purpose of enabling a better lifestyle for its customers. We operate in a dynamic, often ambiguous and highly competitive environment that is evolving rapidly. I believe we are well positioned to capitalise on the opportunities that this creates – pivoting our strategies to achieve market-leading receivables growth, leveraging our inherent strengths to unlock our full commercial potential and ensuring laser focus on generating positive outcomes for our customers, employees and shareholders alike.”

Commenting on Mr Fahour’s time at Latitude, Mike Tilley said: “Ahmed has led Latitude through some of its most important and most difficult times, including its listing in 2021 at the height of COVID lockdown restrictions and through the significant customer and operational challenges of COVID over almost 2.5 years. Being based in Melbourne which experienced extensive and debilitating lockdowns resulted in very significant operational challenges. Ahmed’s extensive experience as a CEO was incredibly valuable in dealing with these challenges. On behalf of the Latitude Board and all the employees at Latitude I would like to thank Ahmed and acknowledge a great contribution from a genuine leader.”