Wisr has appointed Sam Harding as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Sam Harding joins Wisr with 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services landscape, having served in a variety of leadership roles encompassing product development, strategy, operations, customer service and transformation initiatives.
Harding's most recent position was at Westpac, where he served as Chief Operating Officer for the Auto Finance division. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing operational performance within the auto finance business and managing transformation initiatives.
Earlier in his career, Harding was at Bankwest, where he acted as Head of Credit Analysis and Operations. His responsibilities included acquiring and onboarding new-to-bank clients sourced through commercial broking and small business channels. This experience contributed to his expertise in operational strategy and process improvement in areas critical to banking operations.
Role and responsibilities
In his new position at Wisr, Harding will have oversight of day-to-day operational strategy and delivery across the business's personal loan and secured vehicle loan segments. He will also be tasked with leading key transformation projects that support Wisr's long-term growth strategies.
According to the company, Harding's remit is to ensure the smooth operation of these business units while facilitating continued expansion and pursuing greater efficiency through automation and technology-enabled processes.
"We're incredibly pleased to welcome Sam to the Wisr team. As we continue to grow a sustainable, profitable business with strong unit economics, Sam's depth of operational expertise, leadership capability and alignment with our purpose makes him an exceptional fit for this next phase of our journey."
Commenting on his appointment, Harding stated:
"I'm delighted to join Wisr at such a pivotal time. The company's clear sense of purpose, innovative mindset and impressive track record in the lending sector are what drew me to this opportunity. I look forward to working with Wisr's Executive Leadership Team to drive operational excellence and create meaningful value for customers and shareholders."
Growth and outlook
Wisr's announcement comes after a period of consistent loan book growth across its suite of lending products. The company attributes this growth to disciplined credit performance and a continuing focus on investment in technology-driven operating models. Wisr has sought to leverage automation and digital solutions as part of efforts to enhance both operational efficiency and the customer experience within its lending businesses.
As Harding steps into the role of Chief Operating Officer, his focus is expected to remain on operational optimisation, the execution of transformation initiatives, and the delivery of Wisr's commercial objectives in a competitive lending environment.