Avanti Finance

Office address: 33 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland 1023 
Website: www.avantifinance.co.nz 
Year established: 1989 
Company type: financial services 
Employees: 300+ 
Expertise: property lending, auto lending, personal lending, business lending
Parent company: Avanti Group 
Key people: Glenn Hawkins (founder and chairman), Fred Ohlsson (group CEO), Brad Lang (group CFO), Ben Anderson (CRO), Ian Boyce (GM Property), Lee Robson (GM Auto NZ), Liesl Knox, (CEO Branded Financial Services AU), Mena Eskander (CTO), Paul Jamieson (group treasurer), Robin Hopkins (GM Property Development and Business Lending), Tracy Pennell (GM Strategic Delivery)
Financing status: private equity-backed 

Avanti Finance is an award-winning specialist lender that has been helping New Zealanders achieve their financial goals for over 35 years. The company was founded in New Zealand and continues to be locally operated.

Through a trusted network of introducers, Avanti Finance offers property, auto, personal, business lending and insurance premium funding in New Zealand to over 300,000 customers. It has one of the broadest lending portfolios in the NZ market and an established presence in auto lending in Australia. 

As of July 2025, the company’s loan book exceeded $3 billion, making Avanti Finance one of the fastest-growing specialist lenders. It is also one of the largest locally owned origination platforms in New Zealand. 

Avanti Finance is a member of the Financial Services Federation and is committed to responsible lending, regulatory compliance, and excellent customer service. 

History of Avanti Finance 

‘Avanti’, meaning ‘go forward’ in Italian, represents the company’s mission to back people, move lending forward and deliver the best outcome for its customers, partners and investors.  

Established in New Zealand in 1989, Avanti Finance is still locally owned and overseen by a board chaired by Glenn Hawkins. Group Chief Executive Fred Ohlsson leads the company, backed by a committed executive team. 

In 2023, Avanti Finance was named best non-bank at the New Zealand Mortgage Awards, its second such award in a row. 

Products and services of  Avanti Finance 

Avanti Finance offers a range of lending solutions to meet clients’ diverse needs. Its key offerings include: 

• property lending: a comprehensive range of tailored home loan solutions to support customers, including migrants and the self-employed, in purchasing their first home, next home or investment property. It also offers short-term bridging loans to help with upsizing, downsizing, relocating or renovating to sell 
• auto lending: a multi-tier auto lending solution for consumer, commercial and wholesale floorplan finance. It provides funding for new and used cars, luxury vehicles, boats, motorbikes and light commercial vehicles
• personal lending: flexible unsecured personal loans designed for a wide range of risk profiles. It supports customers through life’s big moments and everything in between, from debt consolidation and refinancing to holidays, weddings, tertiary study and emergency healthcare 
• business lending: versatile business loans for sole traders, SMEs and property developers. It offers funding for business assets, equipment upgrades, working capital, residential property development, and commercial investment properties

Culture at Avanti Finance 

Avanti Finance builds an inclusive culture that values people, supports growth and cares for the community. This commitment is reflected in its workplace and community initiatives: 

A vibrant and inclusive workplace 

Avanti Finance is guided by its core values:  

• People First 
• Do What’s Right 
• Relentlessly Helpful 

These principles shape the company’s approach to treating each customer as an individual, acting with integrity, and providing practical support to help people move forward.

Avanti Finance invests in its people's well-being and professional growth, with initiatives such as:

• flexible and hybrid work arrangements 
• secondment opportunities 
• monthly reward and recognition programs 
• access to learning resources  

These help promote career development, employee engagement and work-life balance.

Driving positive social impact

Avanti Finance is also deeply committed to giving back to the communities it serves. The company supports the Duffy Books in Homes program, helping put books into the hands of children at Dawson Road School in South Auckland.  

Aside from Duffy Books in Homes, Avanti Finance supports other national charities such as:  

• Saint Vincent de Paul House 
• Helping Homeless Families 
• Lifewise Merge Café 
• Eat Up Australia 

Avanti Finance employees help support the community, too. Every team member is entitled to a paid volunteer day annually to support causes close to their hearts. Collectively, employees have given back to a wide range of organisations across New Zealand and Australia. 

About Avanti Finance Group CEO Fred Ohlsson and key people 

Fred Ohlsson joined Avanti Finance as group CEO in February 2024, bringing extensive leadership experience across New Zealand and Australia’s financial services sector. Previously managing director at Amplifi Group, he also held senior roles at ANZ, leading retail and business banking in New Zealand (2010–2016) and retail and commercial banking in Australia (2016–2019). 

Key people assisting in the company's operations include: 

• Glenn Hawkins, founder and chairman, oversees Avanti Group’s strategic direction 
• Brad Lang, group CFO, directs financial strategy and overall financial performance 
• Paul Jamieson, group treasurer, is responsible for the company’s treasury and liquidity management 
• Ben Anderson, chief risk officer, oversees company’s risk management framework and compliance 
• Liesl Knox, CEO Branded Financial Services AU, oversees strategic direction and business operation of Branded Financial Services AU, a subsidiary of Avanti Group 
• Mena Eskander, chief technology officer, leads technology innovation initiatives 
• Ian Boyce, GM Property, is responsible for Avanti’s property lending division 
• Lee Robson, GM Auto NZ, leads Avanti’s auto lending portfolio and related services in NZ 
• Robin Hopkins, GM Property Development and Business Lending, oversees Avanti’s property development, personal and business lending division, as well as Bexhill Funding Group Limited, and insurance premium funding business 
• Tracy Pennell, GM Strategic Delivery, leads organisation transformation projects 

The future at Avanti Finance 

Avanti Finance aims to reach $5 billion in assets under management by 2029. The company intends to achieve this target by enhancing its products and services, strengthening partnerships, and improving customer experiences.

Avanti Finance recently underwent a rebrand, updating its identity and clarifying its strategic direction. The company plans to maintain its focus on developing new products and services, while continuing to provide value to its customers, partners, and investors.