Meet Our Team
Backgrounds in banking, insurance, accounting, law, and technology. Here are the people behind Oz Premium Finance.
Leadership
Karl Kirsten
Chief Executive Officer / Director
Karl is a Barrister and Solicitor with 18 years of experience across a variety of areas. Starting as a criminal defence lawyer in 2004. His move into the field of Native Title involved also working in property law, mining law and corporate governance, mainly within the Federal Court system. In the business sphere he has worked as a Venture Capital Fund manager and been a director of Westminster Australia where he has gained experience in Mergers and Acquisitions and banking and finance law, with a strong focus on mediations and negotiations. He has also been involved since 2009 with a registered Australian Charity (PAF) as an investment advisor and Trustee on a volunteer basis.
Jarrod Herring
Director
20 years Banking and Executive experience with National Australia Bank Ltd in Australia, across Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney regions. Jarrod is highly experienced in Corporate Lending, Commercial Property debt structuring, Compliance, Trade, Finance and Executive Leadership.
Matthew Abbott
Chief Financial Officer
Matt brings over two decades of international banking experience across multiple countries to the business. Specialising in risk mitigation and balance sheet management, Matt ensures the business upholds a robust control and compliance framework while maintaining a strong growth mindset.
Sam Morris
COO / Director
Operations / general manager with 15 years experience in both the mining and private wealth industries. Specialising in being the interface between the board and operational team to ensure there is effective board decision making leading to efficient operational outcomes.
Henry Downer
Director
Chartered Accountant with over 20 years experience. Henry was at Deloitte for over 15 years, where he led Deloitte’s Adelaide Transaction Services team for a number of years, focused on providing Corporate Advisory, M&A and financial due diligence. Most recently Henry supported Capital Prudential as its CFO in its start up period.
Business Development
Anna Lee
National Sales Manager
With over 25 years of experience in insurance and the premium funding industries, Anna brings a strategic edge and deep industry insight to every partnership. Having honed her insurance and finance skills in Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast/Brisbane areas, senior management and leadership roles have given her a rare national lens on Australia's diverse broker landscape. Blending sharp strategy with a passion for collaboration and growth, Anna has cemented her reputation for turning relationships into results. At leadership level, she has empowered sales teams through hands on mentoring and a passion for helping people and their businesses scale smarter and faster.
Ben Hage
Business Development Manager – SA & WA
Ben is an experienced Financial Services Professional with 25 years experience in finance, predominantly focused on Commercial, business and asset finance; including Mortgage Broking and financial planning. Ben worked with CBA, Westpac, and his own financial services business for the past 20 years in Australia and London. With key relationships across all of the financial services sector, combined with an entrepreneurial flair, Ben adds a broad knowledge of financial products and experience with the industries and businesses that utilise them.
Jess Newman
Business Development Manager - VIC & TAS
With 25 years of experience in both Underwriting and Broking, Jess will leverage her extensive industry knowledge to deliver exceptional value to our clients. She is passionate about providing outstanding customer experiences, recognizing that each client's unique needs and challenges is essential for building lasting relationship and fostering trust.
Operations
Jade Murray
Operations Manager
With over 24 years of experience in insurance premium funding, Jade joined the business in May 2023. She specialises in people leadership, customer experience, and product development. Jade leads the Operations team at Oz Premium Finance Pty Ltd, driving operational performance and continuous improvement.
Board & Advisory
Philip Riquier
Non-Executive Director
Professional Finance Sector Non-Executive Director and Advisor. Philip was previously a group executive of Bendigo/Adelaide Bank Ltd, responsible for multiple banking divisions; Mergers and Acquisitions, Products Treasury, APRA relationship, Rating Agency relationship and major technology projects. Philip was also previously a Director of the Risk Management Association of Australia. Philip is currently a Non‑Executive Director of Credit Union SA Ltd and Capital Prudential Pty. Ltd. (which also provides executive management services for an APRA regulated super fund). Philip’s advisory clients include several Banks, Superannuation Funds, Private Health Insurers and listed gold EFT issuers.