Strategic Finance's senior executive team have a wide range of expertise and experience. The team members positions and their profiles follow.
The Strategic Finance Senior Executive Team:
Cristina Billett, Group Legal Counsel
Cristina joined Strategic in 2003 and has the role of in-house legal counsel. After graduating from Auckland University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Law degree, Cristina practiced law at Bell Gully in Auckland and Freehills in Melbourne, Australia. Cristina's primary specialist areas during that time were commercial property and property finance.
Kerry Finnigan, Chief Executive Officer
Kerry has a strong background in property, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and business management. He was an Executive Director/Shareholder in Bayleys Real Estate Limited for 10 years and Chief Executive/Director of Hanover Finance Group and related companies for six years. Kerry is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, New Zealand Institute of Directors and the Financial Services Institute of Australia.
Brian Fitzgerald, Consultant
A commerce graduate from Canterbury University, Brian worked for a number of years in management accounting and investment management roles with public companies including P & O Shipping, Ballins Industries and New Zealand Motor Corporation. Brian moved to the United Kingdom in 1980 where he worked in management consultancy with Arthur Andersen, and from 1982-84 in the fledgling futures industry with CAL Futures. He moved to Australia in 1984 and occupied various merchant banking positions before establishing Salisbury Securities in 1989. In March 1993 Brian returned to Wellington to establish Salisbury in New Zealand.
Jock Hobbs, Executive Director
Jock has a law degree from Canterbury University and an MBA from Henley College in England. He has considerable legal and business experience and is a former All Blacks Captain. In 1996 was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and in 2006 a Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit. Jock holds a number of Directorships and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
Nicola Holland, Chief Financial Officer
Nicola has a Bachelor of Business Studies and a Diploma in Business from Massey University. She worked for three years at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Wellington before going to London. Nicola is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand and is currently the Group Accountant for Strategic, a position that involves the management of the Strategic accounting division and using her wide work experience and knowledge of chartered accountancy and project accounting gained in both New Zealand and London.
Marc Lindale, Executive Director
Marc has significant experience in the banking and finance industry. Marc joined Austin Hill in 1994 after spending three years as an Associate Director of Finance Operations for Foster's Brewing Group. This role involved the restructuring and rationalisation of assets valued in excess of NZ$500 million domiciled in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and New Zealand. Previous employment included four years merchant banking with Elderbank and seven years with the National Bank of New Zealand. Marc joined Strategic Finance in 2000 following the merger with Salisbury Group. Since the time Marc has been involved in the structuring and arrangement of numerous significant property financing transactions.
Mike Wilde, General Manager - Credit
Mike joined Strategic in 2004 after 6 years with ASB Bank where he most recently led the Property Finance and Business Solutions teams. He was responsible for establishing ASB's turnaround capability reflecting a focus on risk mitigation and business strategy. Mike has considerable experience in the finance sector having previously worked for KPMG within Financial Advisory and Management Consulting areas, Westpac focussed on property finance and corporate recovery and National Australia Finance in credit and lending roles. Mike holds an MBA from Auckland University.
