Lendela appoints new CFO & CTO to drive APAC expansion

Lendela has announced the appointment of Kent Huang as Chief Financial Officer and Steven Wong as Chief Technology Officer as it looks to expand across the Asia Pacific region following strong performance in 2024.

The fintech company, backed by Walter de Oude, is known for its loan matching platform that utilises a reverse auction model. This model allows financial institutions to bid for borrowers, presenting them with competitive financing options, while borrowers benefit from fair and transparent loan opportunities.

Kent Huang joins Lendela with nearly 20 years of experience in financial leadership roles at renowned fintech and financial services companies such as PayPal and Intuit. He will oversee financial strategy, risk management, and regulatory compliance, supporting the company's growth while upholding financial integrity. "A fintech's story isn't and shouldn't be just about growth—it's also about sustainable, responsible scaling," Kent Huang stated. "Lendela is at the forefront of this shift, ensuring both borrowers and lenders thrive in an ecosystem built on transparency and efficiency. My goal is to drive financial governance and strategy that supports long-term expansion while reinforcing trust in digital lending across Asia Pacific."

Steven Wong, who has over 15 years of experience in scaling tech-driven financial platforms, will focus on enhancing Lendela's technology infrastructure. "The reverse auction model is a breakthrough in lending that has already created a much more transparent and competitive space where both borrowers and lenders benefit," said Steven Wong. "Lenders can acquire customers more efficiently while borrowers gain access to better, more tailored financing options. I'm very excited to help Lendela optimise this experience at scale, ensuring technology continues to enable informed financial decisions across Asia Pacific."

Nima Karimi, CEO and Founder of Lendela, expressed confidence in the new appointments: "With Steven's track record in fintech product innovation and Kent's extensive experience in financial leadership, we are well-positioned to scale sustainably while staying true to our mission of making borrowing fairer and more transparent. Lendela has created a unique model where consumers make better financial decisions and lenders gain access to a wider pool of qualified borrowers at lower acquisition costs, and I know that Steven and Kent will be instrumental in scaling this win-win model across the region."

Since the beginning of 2024, Lendela has expanded its team by nearly 30 percent and facilitated over 400,000 loan applications. The company counts more than 100 lenders across the region as partners, including major banks in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Lendela's approach has aided borrowers by saving them a combined S$42 million in interest costs in 2024, as the platform offers personalised loan options rather than generic advertised rates. This move has been particularly beneficial as many Singaporeans have had to borrow funds to address rising living costs.

In recognition of its impact on the lending sector, Lendela was named Best Lendtech in Singapore at the Asian Banking & Finance Fintech Awards in 2024. The company has also produced significant reports on borrowing and credit trends in Singapore, receiving notable attention.

Steven Wong will be based in Kuala Lumpur, whereas Kent Huang will be operating from Singapore, positioning them to lead Lendela's strategic efforts in enhancing its presence in the region.