Australia’s largest community for women in commercial finance has flagged major changes.
The Women’s Commercial Finance Forum (WCFF) has announced a change in leadership with Donelle Brooks, head of client and partnerships at international invoice finance lender TP24 Financial Services, replacing founder and CEO Yasmine Shah.
This change of leadership is the first in the networking and peer-to-peer learning network’s history, with Shah having led the forum since its inception in 2020.
During Shah’s tenure, the WCFF has evolved into Australia’s largest community for women in commercial finance, accumulating more than 1,000 members.
The network, which started as a private Facebook group, now has a membership base comprising brokers, lenders, and business development managers.
In the announcement, Shah also revealed an agreement with industry body Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBCC) to provide WCFF with access to education and development opportunities, as well as other resources.
Shah said she’s proud of her achievements to date but added she believed, “it’s time for a fresh leadership approach.”
“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.
In the announcement, FBAA chief development officer Joanna James said the agreement would not affect WCFF’s autonomy and that it would remain independent.
“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.”
Incoming head Brooks steps into the leadership position after joining the Australian arm of TP24 Financial Services earlier this year.
She said she was ready to “lead the forum into an exciting new chapter, and will do so with an unwavering passion for the industry and a strong commitment to education.”
Brooks said her focus for the next six months would be re-engaging members and partners.
“I aim to foster a collaborative environment that promotes growth, inclusivity, innovation, and excellence in commercial finance,” Brooks said.
“With the support of the FBAA, I look forward to the Women’s Commercial Finance Forum reaching new heights.”
This article originally appeared on The Adviser.
