Australia’s largest loan aggregator LMG has appointed Shane Howell as Group Executive – Business Lending, deepening its investment in SME and business lending across Australia and New Zealand.
Howell joins LMG on Monday 4 May after 20 years at the Westpac Group, most recently as General Manager of Commercial Banking and Managing Director of Business Lending.
The appointment is part of LMG’s continued investment in SME and business lending – a market where many Australian businesses still struggle to access capital on terms that work for them, and where the broker channel is increasingly the answer.
Howell’s role will focus on expanding and innovating around LMG’s SME and business lending offering – pursuing opportunities to deepen relationships with lenders, particularly around technology, integrations and data, and to explore new products, markets and adjacencies. He will work closely alongside Stephen Scahill, Group Executive – Commercial, who continues to lead LMG’s commercial broker and lender relationships.
LMG CEO and Executive Director Ewen Stafford said Howell’s appointment reflected both the size of the opportunity and a clear gap in how Australian businesses access funding.
“We’re deepening our investment in the SME and business lending space because we know the broker channel can do for business lending what it has done for home lending – giving Australians more options, better outcomes, and a real alternative to the traditional path.
“Shane understands business lending from both sides – what lenders are weighing up, and what brokers need from a partner. That combination is rare, and it’s why we’re so pleased he is joining LMG.”
More broadly, Howell brings over two decades of experience at the Westpac Group across commercial banking, business and consumer product, and transformation in Australia and New Zealand. This included nine years as Chief Product Officer and Chief Customer Experience Officer in New Zealand. He is well respected across the industry for his deep understanding of business lending from both the lender and broker perspectives.
“LMG is operating at a scale and pace that genuinely excites me. The broker channel has reshaped Australian home lending, and there’s a real opportunity to do the same in business finance – but it takes serious commitment, the right partners, and a willingness to build. That’s what I see at LMG, and it’s why I’m excited to be joining,” Howell said.
“Too many Australian businesses don’t get access to the capital they need, and we want to change that. Our ambition is to connect brokers, lenders and capital so more businesses can access funding on the right terms.
“At a time of ongoing economic pressure, access to the right capital structured appropriately and delivered quickly is critical. The work ahead is making sure more Australian businesses, not just some, can access the funding they need to grow.”
