Alternative financier Falcon Group has expanded into New Zealand and appointed former Westpac banker Alastair White as country head of the new office in Auckland.

It is the second former Westpac director the firm has taken on in the region since the start of the year.

White’s career spans two decades in corporate treasury, debt securities origination and execution, and bank relationship management at an institutional level. He joins from Westpac New Zealand, where he had been for 12 years, most recently as director of large corporate relationships.

In his new role, he reports to Paul Mitchell, Falcon’s regional head of Australia and New Zealand.

The new office is part of Falcon’s expansion across the Asia Pacific region.

“Since launching in 2015, Falcon has continued to expand in the Asia Pacific, and the business has gone from strength to strength,” says Mitchell.

Earlier this year, Falcon recruited Ross Anderson as national business development director for institutional clients in Australia, also from Westpac. There, Anderson worked as relationship management director in the seven years to December 2017. Prior to this, he was a relationship manager with National Australia Bank.

“Based on the success Falcon has had in Australia over the past three years, there is no doubt the products will resonate similarly in New Zealand,” White says. “Given my extensive experience in debt capital markets and corporate treasury, I am excited to facilitate new opportunities for the group and anticipate a busy and exciting year ahead.”