Australia’s newest premium funder, Attvest Finance, is behind schedule in its plans to be a national operator, but the company says it is growing and hiring.

When Hollard Insurance announced in May that it was creating the business with offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth, it said Attvest would have a national presence within three months.

But Sales and Marketing Director Natasha Gale says the next office, in Melbourne, now won’t open until the end of the year.

“We definitely see opportunities in Victoria, but we don’t want to grow too quickly and not be able to service our brokers,” she told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “We expect to be in Melbourne within the next six months.

“We expect to have national representation over the next 12 months.”

The three founding director-shareholders have three markets covered: MD Johan Steyn is based in Brisbane, Ms Gale is in Sydney and Broker Development Director Craig Aylmore is in Perth.

National expansion may be a work in progress, but in the meantime Attvest is hiring.

Former Macquarie Bank sales manager Heather McDonald has been appointed Senior Relationship Manager in Sydney. She joins former Lumley Finance area manager Antony Gitsham, who becomes Attvest’s National Relationship Manager.

Jim Herzfeld, previously a business development manager with Centrepoint Alliance Premium Funding, has been appointed Senior Relationship Manager in Perth. Ms Gale says a relationship manager will be appointed in Brisbane “in the near future”. 

She says the experience and industry standing of the three founding directors has ensured that Attvest is considered a highly desirable employment destination”. 

Mr Steyn was previously COO of Centrepoint Alliance, Mr Aylmore was GM sales there, and Ms Gale was previously head of distribution at Wesfarmers Insurance Premium Funding. 

“We know who’s good out there, and for most people it’s pretty exciting to be involved in something like this at the ground level,” Ms Gale said.

“It’s something new and they get to put their stamp on it; they get to have an impact. People find that exciting.”