They will start in January
Raylene Bellottie and Yien Hong will join the board of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority as industry directors, effective Jan. 1, AFCA has announced.
John Pollaers, AFCA's independent board chair, said the board was excited about the new appointments, stating that Bellottie and Hong’s diverse skills and knowledge will “ensure the organisation will continue provide an independent, free, and fair external dispute resolution service for financial disputes in Australia.”
Bellottie: Finance sector veteran
Bellottie (pictured above left), a Nanda woman from Yamatji country, has more than 25 years of experience in the financial sector. She has held roles at ANZ Bank and Credit Union Australia (CUA), where she was instrumental in expanding the First Nations portfolio from $17m to more than $200m. She also spent more than 10 years with the First Nations Foundation, where she was deputy chair.
Bellottie is currently a business coach for the Waalitj Foundation, a member and director of Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation, and chairperson of Yamatji Funds Management. She also held various roles with the Indigenous Advisory Group, the Indigenous Financial Service Network, and was deputy chairperson for Nanda Aboriginal Corporation.
Bellottie’s “remarkable career in the finance sector along with her experience working with small businesses, means she has a strong understanding of the important work AFCA does,” Pollaers said in a media release.
Hong’s executive career
Hong (pictured above right), currently the general counsel and company secretary at Judo Bank, has also held senior roles in companies such as Growthpoint Properties Australia, NAB, Deutsche Bank in London, and global law firm Linklaters. Hong also contributed to social justice initiatives as director and chair of the development committee at YWCA Housing. She is currently non-executive director of the Australian Arts Orchestra.
Hong’s “impressive executive career, strong legal background, and solid understanding of governance, underpinned with a strong sense of social justice, makes her an excellent fit for AFCA and an important addition to the board,” Pollaers said.
Acknowledging outgoing board members
Bellottie and Hong will replace current AFCA board members Claire Mackay and Andrew Fairley, who, Pollaers said, played important roles as founding directors during AFCA's first five years.
“They both provided invaluable knowledge and expertise during their tenures, and we thank them for the significant contributions they have made in helping AFCA to become the world-class ombudsman service it is today,” the AFCA chair said.
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