Tag: Finder

Australia – Global comparison platform Finder in Australia has appointed Adam Freedman, former practice head at media agency Red Havas Australia, to be its new head of PR and communications.

Freedman’s appointment comes after the elevation of Bessie Hassan, former head of PR and communications of Finder ANZ, who now takes the helm as global head of communications.

Freedman brings with him nine years of experience across consumer and corporate PR and communications sectors. Prior to joining Finder, he spearheaded numerous critically-acclaimed campaigns, working with an array of well-known household brands and businesses including BIG W, Booking.com, Ola, and Unilever, as well as Lion, and Sanitarium, among others.

As part of his new role, Freedman will be tasked with developing the brand’s domestic communications strategy to cement Finder as the first and most trusted choice for consumers that are seeking to make better financial decisions.

Furthermore, he will be harnessing his insights and expertise to evolve Finder’s narrative, building awareness of the scale of the Finder proposition, as well as growing credibility with Australian consumers.

Commenting on his appointment, Freedman said that he is looking forward to utilizing their expertise and collective ambition, taking the communications strategy to another level to capture the imagination of Australians and get them thinking about their finances in new and different ways.

“As a long-time Finder fan and someone who has a big interest in personal finance, I’m delighted to join the Finder crew and show how the brand can make a real difference in people’s lives and set them up for success,” added Freedman.

Meanwhile, Finder Australia’s CEO Chris Ellis, commented that Freedman’s appointment was key in supporting the company’s plans for its next phase of growth in Australia and they are thrilled to have him join them to help find new and compelling ways to share the Finder story with even more Australians.

“Adam is a passionate communications leader with a thirst for success so I’m excited to see him lead the team forward. He has a strong pedigree in creating unique and memorable campaigns and stories that get people talking and create impact. We’re looking forward to seeing him elevate our communications strategy and illustrate how and why Finder should be the number one choice to support Australians with their financial decision-making,” said Ellis.

Recently, Finder has announced several successful endeavors, such as securing its accreditation for open banking, opening its second office in the United States, and its acquisition of Singapore-based fintech GoBear.

Sydney, Australia – Comparison platform Finder has appointed former head of public relations and communications of its ANZ operations Bessie Hassan to now take the helm as the company’s global head of communications.

Aside from her previous role in Finder ANZ, Hassan has worked as a freelance journalist and public relations consultant, with bylines from various publications such as The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, and InStyle among others. She has also served as communications officer for the Randwick City Council and as vice president for New South Wales at the Public Relations Institute of Australia.

In an interview with MARKETECH APAC, Hassan stated that in her new role, she will be responsible for establishing and leading an integrated communications strategy to grow Finder’s corporate footprint, thought leadership, and credibility across all of Finder’s markets. This will include external and internal communications, corporate social responsibility (CSR), public affairs, employer brand, and risk and reputation management. 

Hassan’s promotion comes after Finder’s recent acquisition of Singapore-born financial services platform GoBear to drive its growth in the Southeast Asia region, months after GoBear announced shutting down its operations.

“As Finder continues to grow, I will work closely with the founders and executive team to establish a brand presence in all its markets. Our goal is to help people make better financial decisions every day – by helping people save, invest and grow their wealth – and we believe we have a strong role to play in doing this in Southeast Asia,” Hassan shared with MARKETECH APAC.

In regards to her appointment, she said, “The last six years at Finder have been a blast and now I’m so excited to be sharing Finder’s mission with the rest of the world.”

Finder has yet to find a replacement to lead the communications branch for ANZ.

Sydney, Australia – Comparison platform Finder has acquired the financial content platform GoBear in order to drive its growth and presence in the Southeast Asia region.

It should be recalled that GoBear had announced last January this year that they will be ceasing operations due to constraints in funding to continue operating.

“Both Finder and GoBear believe in the importance of improving people’s financial health. We are happy to see that the GoBear brand will continue to live on and it will be exciting to see where Finder will bring it next,” said Jinnee Lim, chief strategy officer at GoBear.

Through the acquisition, GoBear’s trademark and digital assets including domains, website content and social channels in seven markets: Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will be acquired. The GoBear brand will continue to operate via social media and email channels, however the website content will now form part of finder.com and its local services. 

Finder, which is founded by Frank Restuccia, Fred Schebesta and Jeremy Cabral, envisions that through the acquisition, they hope to serve 438 million unbanked consumers in the region, as there is a significant opportunity for growth as digital financial services is set to grow to a $60 billion industry by 2025, according to Bain and Company.

“Like Finder, GoBear has been committed to improving the financial wellbeing of its audience, with over 55 million people having visited its website since its launch in 2015 to make better-informed decisions. Finder’s mission is to help people all over the world make better financial decisions and we’re excited to ramp up our offering to the region through a recognised brand like GoBear,” Restuccia stated.

He added, “We see Finder as playing an important role in the financial ecosystem to help Asian consumers make decisions that are right for them when it comes to financial products and services.”