Bruce Debenham is a risk management professional and finance broker with over thirty years of industry experience in credit risk management and the financial services industry. He is a Director at Perks, a large second-tier business services and wealth firm that also provides debt advisory and broking services for clients seeking residential, commercial and asset finance facilities from a variety of lenders.
He is a highly skilled risk management professional with an outstanding track record of change management and implementation. He commenced his career in public practice with two large accounting firms working in insolvency, restructuring, and consulting followed by 15 years commercial banking experience with NAB and Rural Bank (a subsidiary of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank). Whilst at NAB and Rural Bank he focused on risk management and the setting and application of policy and process in the provision of financial services and the review and decision-making of commercial and agribusiness loan applications. He has been with Perks since February 2015.
Mr Debenham completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Management and Administrative Studies in 1990 from Aston University in England.
Subsequently, he commenced his career with Arthur Andersen in the UK and moved to PwC in Adelaide as an Associate Director in 1995. In this position, he was responsible for the preparation of investigating accountants' reports on behalf of banks. He is equipped with comprehensive knowledge of the Corporations Act and insolvency law, extending to compliance and regulatory requirements within the banking industry. During his tenure at Arthur Andersen and PwC, Mr Debenham performed thorough evaluations of the ongoing viability of distressed companies which included, amongst other things, an assessment of the business strategy, staffing requirements and ongoing profitability and working capital requirements. He utilized his skills and experience was appointed the State Head of Risk for SA and NT at National Australia Bank (NAB), where he managed a team of 30 credit professionals and insolvency specialists from 2008-2009. Prior to this, in 2003 Mr Debenham was the Principal Manager of NAB’s Major Client Group for Victoria and Tasmania, a role in which he successfully implemented the pilot project on impaired and potential problem loans within the Major Client Group.
Mr Debenham’s expertise in insolvency is bolstered by his broad experience in the management of non-performing loan portfolios. As the former General Manager of Business Capability and National Head of Credit at Rural Bank Limited, Mr Debenham successfully managed the credit risk of both the performing and non-performing loan portfolios whilst exercising the highest management-delegated lending authority.
Since 2015, Mr Debenham has been a director responsible for the Perks Banking and Finance business. Here, he deals primarily with clients with banking and finance needs in agricultural, commercial, and retail banking., The Perks Banking and Finance business draws heavily on Mr Debenham's extensive knowledge and experience of credit risk assessment and management.
In March 2020 ARITA published his paper titled “Diligent and Prudent Lending – It’s Not That Hard”.
He is a member of the ASIC Financial Services and Credit Panel (since its inception in 2017) and one of a few on the panel who represents the banking industry. This panel makes administrative decisions on matters referred to it that relate to the conduct of financial advisers. He is also a member of the AFCA Banking and Finance Panel which provides support for the Ombudsman in respect of banking related matters.
In the last 8 years Mr Debenham has been engaged as a banking and finance expert witness in respect of more than twenty other matters in the:
- Australian Federal Court;
- Supreme Courts in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory;
- Administrative Appeals Tribunal;
- High Court in Singapore; and
- Supreme Court in New Zealand.
Mr Debenham has been cross examined in the Supreme Court in South Australia and the High Court in Singapore.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Management and Administrative Studies
Fellow of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Forensic Accountant
Memberships
Commercial and Asset Finance Brokers Association of Australia (Director and Treasurer)
Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association
Australian Institute of Company Directors
Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia
