The
MFAA has named a new chief executive to replace long-time CEO Phil Naylor.
The association has announced former Finware partner Siobhan Hayden will take the reins as CEO, effective immediately. Hayden has been with Finware for the last eight years, providing software and technology solutions for the broker market. Previous to this, Hayden was a Senior Project Manager with Woolworths, which included negotiating with one of the biggest unions in Australia. The MFAA said Hayden also has an extensive background in human resources and holds a Masters in Business from Macquarie University.
Hayden told Australian Broker her first priority will be to engage the association's membership.
"What I’d like to do and with the assistance of the MFAA team is to get around the country, both into CBD areas and regional areas and ideally get in front of, face to face with facilitated sessions with ideally 10% of our members. So, it’s ambitious and I’m pretty confident we can, as a team, can go out there and do that. That session will be around what is important to our members, what do they feel that we need to provide as an industry body and then that will come back to our office and we will distribute those findings to our members after having them speak to us, but then it will also inform the strategy that we will roll out with," she said.
The MFAA said it undertook an extensive process in selecting a new chief executive, which included:
- The Board developing a job description and an overview of the MFAA
- The Board tendering the new role to three recruitment agencies who were then interviewed by three Board members, where the most appropriate firm was selected.
- The recruitment agency scouring the market and presenting over 30 candidates to the selection committee
- The selection committee meeting and discussing which six candidates would be interviewed
- Interviewing the six candidates and recommeding two candidates to association president Tim Brown for a final decision
- Each candidate was asked to prepare a 90 day business plan if they were successful in obtaining the role
Hayden said her background had prepared her well for the job ahead.
"It feels almost like an apprenticeship everything I have done to date to take on this role," she said.
For a video interview with Hayden discussing her new role and the future of the MFAA, stay tuned for Australian Broker TV, due later today.
