Stephen joins a refreshed executive team under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer, Catherine McGrath, as the transformation and growth programme gathers further momentum.

Stephen is a highly experienced Financial Services lawyer with over 25 years of experience in private practice, five years of which were as a Partner in UK law firms, Stones Porter and DJ Freeman and a further eight as Partner of global law firm DLA Piper – where he led the largest Real Estate Financing Practice in London. He also subsequently held consulting roles with DLA Piper and Maple & Black for a further three years.

Since relocating to New Zealand in 2014, Stephen has worked directly in banking as Head of Legal for Westpac’s Institutional & Business Bank.  His primary role has been in Institutional and Business banking where he has focused on loan products, syndicates. project finance, agricultural lending. property finance, equipment leasing and the NZ securitisation business. He is also responsible for managing the risks associated with Westpac’s Financial Markets business which principally comprises derivative sales and bond arranging undertaken by the WBC NZ Branch.