New leader and partnership for Women's Commercial Finance Forum

The Women’s Commercial Finance Forum will enter a bold new era of growth and collaboration, with a new forum head at the helm and a formal partnership with the FBAA in place.

The WCFF has been operating for four years and was founded and led by commercial broker Yasmine Shah (pictured above centre). It now has more than 1,000 members.

It will now be led by Donelle Brooks (pictured above left), a highly experienced operator in commercial finance, who serves as the head of customer and partnerships at global business lender TP24.

The forum aims to empower and educate female brokers in the commercial finance sector and increase the number of women working in the industry.

Shah will remain involved in the WCFF but is stepping aside after setting up the organisation in 2020. She said she was proud that the WCFF had grown to be the largest community for women in commercial finance, but “it’s time for a fresh leadership approach.”

The forum also needs greater access to education, development and recourses, said Shah. An agreement with the FBAA is designed to lock-in this support.   

“The backing from the FBAA will lift our voices and help empower our initiatives that will deliver better support for our members, exposure to a wider range of events, targeted commercial education pathways, and more networking opportunities to connect with peers, mentors, lenders and other dedicated industry stakeholders,” Shah said.

“All members will always be welcome irrespective of role, industry sector, association or aggregation membership status.”

FBAA chief development officer Joanna James (pictured above right) reinforced this commitment to autonomy, emphasising that the WCFF would not lose its independence.

“This is not about us, as we are in the background,” James said. “We were approached to help and wanted to stand beside the many women from the commercial broking and finance sector and develop the industry-at-large.”

James said the FBAA was proud to extend its support to the WCFF and its future development as a key forum in the Industry.

“The WCFF values of upskilling women to grow and collaborate within the commercial space aligns with our values and initiatives to support brokers operating in this space. What has impressed us is the diversity and veracity of the WCFF members and the collaborative spirit they demonstrate. It truly embodies a conversation about inclusivity and progress in the industry.”

James said the FBAA planned to extend resources so the forum could continue to grow, through extended education, events nationally and other opportunities for its members.

“We intend on supporting the forum's agnostic and independent voice within the industry,” she said.

New WCFF head Donelle Brooks shares her vision

Brooks, who starts her role as head of the WCFF today (Monday, July 22), spoke to MPA about the exciting times ahead for the organisation.

“The forum will now be powered and supported by the FBAA, but will remain its own entity,” said Brooks. “It’s great to have an industry association powerhouse behind the forum that can support us with education and marketing and reach a much wider community as well.”

Brooks said Shah had spent a lot of time building the forum community and felt it was time to step away and let it go to the next level, approaching the FBAA about a partnership and a new leader to run the WCFF. 

“The FBAA reached out and said we really need a new head of forum who is passionate about diversity and inclusion and education and all those things that I stand for and a lot of people will know that about me.”

Brooks said the WCFF created a space that was “safe and empowering for everyone in the commercial space”.

“I really want to drive initiatives for 2025 and continue to grow the forum and evolve it into something bigger. I knew that having the support of the FBAA behind us would allow that growth to happen and so when they reached out to me, it was something I didn’t think twice about.”

Brooks has been involved in the WCFF since its inception and has been working in the commercial finance industry for 15 years. Her employer TP24 is a big supporter of the forum.

“I’ve worked across pretty much every spectrum of non-bank lending there is ... in the last six or seven years I have been in more strategic leadership roles.

“I have a thirst for knowledge and I know that by educating, empowering and upskilling it’s allowed me to achieve things in my career that I never thought was possible when I first entered the industry.

“I really want to lead from the front and share those experiences and create those outcomes for members of our forum and the community.”

By highlighting the achievements of forum members, Brooks said this would support and empower other women in the commercial broking industry.

She had her own “three Cs mantra” – curiosity, courage and confidence. Brooks said this meant creating an environment where people were curious about the industry, courageous in what they wanted to achieve and had the confidence to follow it through.

The road ahead

Brooks said her focus over the next six months would be on re-engaging with members and partners.  

“I aim to foster a collaborative environment that promotes growth, inclusivity, innovation, and excellence in commercial finance.

“With the support of the FBAA, I look forward to the Women's Commercial Finance Forum reaching new heights.”

Brooks said partnering with the FBAA meant it would have its support, planning, communications and marketing capabilities when it came to organising WCFF events.

“Being able to leverage platforms, systems and processes that the FBAA already have in place to make our job easier, means that we can focus on our key objectives of growth – diversity, inclusion, education, empowerment, upskilling.”

She also envisioned WCFF members participating in and around FBAA events, such as its commercial masterclass.

Another goal was to keep working with the forum’s great sponsors and to bring on more sponsors to help drive initiatives in 2025.

For more information on WCFF go to: https://womenscommercial.finance/