Executive Leadership Team
Our Executive has a deep belief in the important role that mutuals play in serving those who are under-served by others. That belief and sense of purpose is at the heart of everything they do.
Michelle Bagnall
Chief Executive Officer
MBA, B.Bus., GAICD, FCSI
Michelle brings close to 30 years of financial services experience in Australia and internationally.
She has held executive positions at RACQ, Suncorp, NAB, RBS and IAG. She is Senior Fellow of CISI, an AICD graduate and holds an MBA and Bachelor of Business.
She has held Executive Director positions on the boards of Suncorp Superannuation Trustee and RACQ Financial Planning Pty Ltd and is currently on the board of VTMB Properties.
Sunny Avdihodzic
Chief Operations and Digital Officer
B. NetComp (Hons) B. Tech (CompSt)
Sunny is the Chief Operations and Digital Officer at Bank First and brings more than 20 years of experience in the Australian financial services sector.
He has a deep technical knowledge from his work in senior leadership roles across large-scale digital transformation and integration initiatives. He balances technological innovation with a Member-centric approach to create exceptional banking experiences.
Andrew Bartolo
Chief Growth Officer
B. Bus, CPA
Andrew has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, including senior leadership roles at Defence Bank, RAMS, ME Bank and NAB. His experience ranges from operational efficiency and business performance as well as strategic change initiatives and improved customer outcomes.
Rebecca Gravestock
Chief People and Strategy Officer
MBA, BSc, BOT
Rebecca has over 20 years of experience across strategy, transformation and people and culture, including senior leadership and consulting roles with AFG, Xero and Booz & Company/PwC across Australia, Asia and Europe.
Christine Harman
Interim Chief Risk Officer and General Counsel and Company Secretary
LLB (Hons), GAIDC, MBA, BA
Christine is the General Counsel and Company Secretary of Bank First and Interim Chief Risk Officer, and is an experienced corporate governance and risk executive, bringing over 25 years of legal, governance, risk, compliance and company secretarial experience across a range of sectors in Australia.
Chandrika Leslie
Chief Finance Officer and Treasurer
B. Bus (Banking and Finance), B. Com, CFA
Chandrika is the Chief Finance Officer and Treasurer of Bank First and brings more than 17 years of experience across financial services in Australia and the United States.
She has deep expertise in treasury and financial markets, with experience spanning relationship banking, capital markets, securitisation and finance.
Corporate Governance
As a mutual, our customers are also shareholders. Profits are reinvested into the organisation, to strengthen Bank First and return value to Members.