PEXA names new group chief operating officer

Mr Vance joins PEXA with more than 20 years of corporate experience.

Most recently, Mr Vance held the role of group executive for financial crime, compliance and conduct at Westpac.

Prior to this, he was chief operating officer of Westpac’s consumer division, chief risk officer at BT Financial Group, group executive for external funds and chief operating officer at Investa Property Group, general counsel at Tab Limited, and partner at Freehills.

Mr Vance’s new role will see him report to PEXA’s group managing director and chief executive officer Glenn King. He will be further supported by PEXA’s current chief operating officer Simon Smith, who is stepping into an advisory role.

According to a statement provided by the company, Mr Vance will be responsible for the “enablement of a regulatory environment that reflects PEXA’s deep commitment to consumers and community, extending through to the group’s legal function as well as product, pricing, enterprise governance and delivery”.

“Les is an incredibly credentialed executive, having worked in several senior roles across risk, transformation, legal, operations, investments and business partnering,” Mr King said on Mr Vance’s appointment.

“Having also worked across both the banking and legal sector, he is a tremendous fit for our business. Likewise, I’m extremely grateful for the significant contribution Simon has made to date and I’m pleased he remains part of the team, continuing his ongoing support and contribution to PEXA.

“PEXA is a world-leading initiative, and it is a testament to the team and the culture we’ve built that we attract talent of Les’ calibre.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Vance said: “PEXA has fundamentally transformed the way property transactions are settled across Australia.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to be part of building on that and delivering the growth from this next phase of PEXA’s strategy.”