Centuria Bass Credit has appointed former Wallabies and Rugby World Cup-winning player David Giffin as deputy CEO.
Giffin played for professional rugby for nine years including a period as vice-captain of the national Wallabies team.
This included being a member of the team that won the Rugby World Cup in 1999 against France and was runner-up in the 2003 final against England.
Following his exit from professional sport, he co-founded auto finance company, Taurus Motor Finance, which was later acquired by Metrics Credit Partners, as well as working at CBA and Grant Samuel and has experience in capital raising, structuring, and credit risk.
Alternative asset manager Centuria Bass Credit was set up in 2021 as a joint venture between Bass Capital Partners and Centuria Capital Group to provide real estate funding solutions.
At the firm, Giffin will act as deputy CEO supporting joint CEOs Nick Goh and Giles Borten as well as head of lending.
The pair said: “It is a pleasure to welcome David to the Centuria Bass fold and have such a credible, seasoned professional join our senior ranks at a time of significant growth.
“What sets us apart is targeting the underserviced real estate loan middle-market to enable developers to get shovels in the ground for new development projects and land subdivisions as well as see projects come to fruition through bridging finance and residual stock loans.
“David’s experience across capital raising and loan management is a perfect match to assist Centuria Bass in continuing its growth trajectory.”
At the end of last year, wealth management firm Viola Private Wealth appointed former NRL player Cooper Cronk as a brand ambassador. Cronk played rugby for 16 years at Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters and won NRL premierships in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Viola said the firm is well-positioned to serve clients who need bespoke advice, which includes professional sports players such as Cronk.
It has been discussed in the past how sports people face unique challenges in earning a lot of money at a young age, unpredictable or unreliable earnings stream, having a limited period of time to earn money, and the possibility of a sudden loss of earnings in the event of injury. When their career comes to an end, financial advice is critical for them to maximise their earnings stream and maintain their finances.
Viola said: “Cooper embodies our core values – professionalism, leadership, and a drive to achieve excellence. His insights into building high-performing teams and his dedication to connecting his network with quality advice will add tremendous value to our team and clients.”
