John BAINI
Melbourne
Summary
Following a 17-year career in international banking & finance, I returned home to Australia in 2014 after living in the London and Dubai for a total of 15-years.
I have significant experience in lending and credit decision making, having held GBP100m of credit approval authority in my last banking role with the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Working with financially distressed companies has given me significant exposure to high pressure decision making, often with imperfect information.
Founding TruePillars has required me to step out of my comfort zone, start from scratch and bring a vision to life. This has required me to win over a range of stakeholders, including new shareholders, loan book funders, regulators and most importantly, all the employees who took the risk of coming to work at a small start-up.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
CEO & Co-Founder
TruePillars
12.2014 - Current
- TruePillars is a small business lending platform specialising in financing for tradies and blue collar businesses. TruePillars also operates an investment fund that gives everyday Australians the opportunity to lend to the small businesses we approve for loans.
- I founded the business upon my return to Australia in 2015, raising seed funding from family and friends before launching in 2016.
- Leaving a successful international banking career to become a start-up founder was a significant decision for me that demonstrates my willingness to back myself. Above all, it has required me to bring a range of stakeholders into a vision and journey that started as an idea in my head
- Raised Series A equity from a large family office in 2017 and from the Reece Group, an ASX100 listed corporate in 2021, both of whom are now our largest shareholders.
- Established foundational processes for business operations across our growth strategy, risk mitigation and compliance.
- Managed partnerships and strategic business relationships including with regulator (ASIC), private credit funds, shareholders and advisers.
- Fostered culture of continuous improvement, encouraging innovation and rewarding exceptional performance.
- Championed data-driven decision-making culture, enhancing business intelligence and strategic planning capabilities.
- Achieved strong company growth by implementing strategic plans and streamlining operations, working to OKRs and KPIs.
Managing Director
Royal Bank of Scotland (Global Restructuring Group)
11.2009 - 10.2014
- The Global Restructuring Group (GRG) was responsible for all of the bank’s distressed and impaired debt ranging from small business to financial institutions and large corporate
- Lead a team of 14 restructuring professionals responsible for over US$10bn of exposure
- Held delegated credit approval authority of GBP100 million
- Established and led RBS’ first restructuring team based in the Middle East after Dubai’s economy collapsed in 2009.
- RBS was often asked to lead negotiations on behalf of bank groups due to our expertise in debt restructuring. This required me to adapt to cultural norms in a range of new countries I had not previously visited.
- This role required collaboration with a large number of international banks to achieve consensual restructures in often complex situations in challenging jurisdictions. I led coordinating committees on multiple cases, involving as many as 96 different banks
- During this period I was able to refine my skills in negotiating, balancing between demonstrating to the group of banks that I was representing them strongly, while also convincing the impacted business that I could help them find a solution
- As deal team lead, completed the restructuring of US$2.1bn of direct RBS debt, across cases in Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, Denmark, UAE, Bahrain and the US. This work not only saved the bank's money, but preserved the jobs of thousands of employees working for the distressed businesses
- Worked alongside prominent advisory firms including KPMG, Deloitte, PWC, E&Y, Lazard, Rothschild, Clifford Chance, Moelis, Allen & Overy and Linklaters.
Director, Corporate Coverage
Royal Bank of Scotland
04.2005 - 10.2009
- Corporate Coverage was responsible for maintaining the relationship
with large corporate clients, focusing on the top FTSE100 and FTSE250 listed business - RBS was the largest bank in the UK during this period and therefore lead bank to most of the largest listed corporates
- I was directly responsible for credit exposure and lending to my clients, which required me to regularly present at credit committees that would include the bank's CEO, Chief Risk Office and other senior executives
- I was additionally required to cross-sell a range of bank products and services including derivatives, M&A advisory, ratings advisory, bond issuance, private placement issuance, structured finance and project finance
- Required to meet annual revenue growth targets, which I achieved throughout my time as a coverage banker
Associate Director, Corporate Coverage
National Australia Bank
10.2001 - 03.2005
- Corporate Coverage in NAB London during this period had a mandate to grow the bank’s presence in the UK and Europe focusing on FTSE 250 clients
- My role included the direct management of a small number of clients, while supporting the senior director on others.
- During this period, I built my understanding of building rapport with a range of people, often older and significantly more senior than me.
Credit Analyst, Corporate Banking
National Australia Bank
12.1999 - 09.2001
- Preparation of credit papers with supporting financial modelling for lending usually between GBP20-100m
- Wide range of industries covered, with interaction required between both the London and Melbourne based credit sanctioning teams.
Business Banking Lending Officer
National Australia Bank
01.1997 - 11.1999
- Joined NAB on the graduate program, rotated through various departments during the first 6-months
- SME sized clients (typical loan under $1m), role was in support of a senior manager covering over 50 connections.
Education
Bachelor of Commerce - Economics
Monash University, Clayton Campus
11.1996
Diploma of Financial Planning (RG 146) -
International Institute of Technology
10.2017
Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking -
International Institute of Technology
01.2019
Certificate in Corporate Finance -
Securities Institute, UK
06.2003
High Performing Leaders Program -
Mt Eliza Business School, Melbourne
07.2003
VCE -
Emmaus College, Burwood
12.1992
Skills
- Member of multiple boards
- Strong cultural awareness
- Start-up founder with ASX100 major shareholder
- Experienced people leader
- Crisis management
- Financial and compliance audit experience
- AFSL responsible manager
- Equity raising
- Debt structuring
- Loan book funding
- General financial advice
Personal Information
- Nationality: Australian (birth) and British (naturalisation)
References
Joe Calafiore: Chairman, Kardinia Park Trust, CEO Worksafe Victoria
Deborah Ralston: Board of Guardians, Future Fund, Professional Fellow Monash University Business School
Timeline
CEO & Co-Founder
TruePillars
12.2014 - Current
Managing Director
Royal Bank of Scotland (Global Restructuring Group)
11.2009 - 10.2014
Director, Corporate Coverage
Royal Bank of Scotland
04.2005 - 10.2009
Associate Director, Corporate Coverage
National Australia Bank
10.2001 - 03.2005
Credit Analyst, Corporate Banking
National Australia Bank
12.1999 - 09.2001
Business Banking Lending Officer
National Australia Bank
01.1997 - 11.1999
Bachelor of Commerce - Economics
Monash University, Clayton Campus
Diploma of Financial Planning (RG 146) -
International Institute of Technology
Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking -
International Institute of Technology
Certificate in Corporate Finance -
Securities Institute, UK
High Performing Leaders Program -
Mt Eliza Business School, Melbourne
VCE -
Emmaus College, Burwood
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