Skip to main content

Welcome to doing things differently

At Heartland Bank, we’re on a mission to improve the lives of Kiwis by making money work for them. We believe banking shouldn’t be hard. We’re always working to integrate innovative new technology that enables you to live and bank the way you want.

Here's how we work

  1. We make things easier for you

    Whether it’s applying for a loan or making a term deposit, we are committed to finding a way to make it easier for you. We focus on speed and simplicity in everything we do so we can get to “yes” faster.

  2. We know that your time is precious

    We know that dealing with a bank is not at the top of your to-do list. That’s why we spend our time finding more ways to give you more time – to run your business, to enjoy your retirement, to get where you’re going faster. Your time is better spent doing the things you really want to do.

  3. We’ll be here if you need us, but we won’t get in the way

    We know that good customer service can mean different things to different people. We love getting to know our customers. When you call us, you’ll speak to a friendly, real person. When you come and visit us, one of the locals will be there to help. But if it’s quick, no-fuss online service that you’re after, we’re great at doing that, too.

  4. We’re not just another bank

    We’re proud to be Kiwi. And we’re proud to have a long New Zealand heritage. But that’s not the only thing that defines us. We embrace technology and the difference it can make for our customers. We get things done quickly and without fuss. We are a small and agile team with a great track record of achieving what we set out to do.


The leader in Reverse Mortgages – both here and in Australia

The leader in Reverse Mortgages – both here and in Australia

Heartland Bank is the market leading reverse mortgage provider in New Zealand. Together with Heartland Reverse Mortgages in Australia, we have helped more than 40,000 home owners live a more comfortable retirement.

In New Zealand we are proud to be Consumer Trusted Accredited for six years running. In Australia, Heartland Reverse Mortgages has won the Australian Broker 5-Star Mortgage Innovator Award, as well as Infochoice’s Best Reverse Mortgage, and winner of the Australian Mortgage Awards’ ‘Most Effective Digital Strategy – Lender’ Excellence Award for digital focus.

Our award-winning product and thorough process - to ensure customers make an informed decision, together with our personalised service from our team of professionals, is what makes Heartland the lender of choice for many Kiwis over 60.

Find out more

The leader in Reverse Mortgages – both here and in Australia

Canstar's Savings Bank of the Year 2018 - 2024

We are very proud to be awarded Canstar's Bank of the Year – Savings for the seventh consecutive year! This achievement is awarded to the institution that provides the strongest combination of products, accounting for the price positioning, features, savings tools and flexibility of the products assessed within Canstar’s Savings Account Star Ratings profiles, as well as supporting savers through a competitive Term Deposit offering.


Meet our leadership team

Leanne Lazarus

Chief Executive Officer

Leanne joined Heartland Bank in New Zealand in August 2022 as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this, she was Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Westpac NZ’s insurance brand, Westpac Life NZ Ltd. Leanne has 30 years of global experience in banking and financial services, having held a number of senior executive roles throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Leanne has led multi-disciplinary teams of up to 6,000 people globally, including 17 years at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and 7 years at Westpac.

Andy Wood

Chief Risk Officer

Andy joined Heartland Bank in 2022. He is an experienced senior leader with an in-depth knowledge of New Zealand’s regulatory environment, and strong industry expertise spanning 30 years in banking and finance. Andy joined Heartland Bank from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) where he held several supervision leadership roles. In his most recent role as Head of Supervision, Andy was responsible for the delivery and modernisation of the RBNZ’s overall approach to supervision, covering both prudential and anti-money laundering activities across the bank, non-bank and insurance sectors.

Kerry Conway

Chief Financial Officer

Kerry joined Heartland Bank in March 2024 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this, she spent 7 years at Westpac New Zealand in various senior finance roles, as well as Chief Product Officer. Kerry is an accomplished senior finance executive, with 30 years’ experience in the financial services sector working in large global companies in both the UK and New Zealand.

Michael Drumm

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Michael has responsibility for leading critical functions at Heartland Bank. These include Information Technology, Operations, Line 1 Risk and Compliance, Programme Management, implementing Heartland’s procurement strategy and progressing initiatives within Heartland’s sustainability framework – including Climate-Related Disclosures.

Since joining Heartland in 2015, Michael has held several senior executive roles across the organisation – including General Counsel, Chief Risk Officer, and most recently Chief Compliance & Sustainability Officer.  In his time at Heartland, Michael has been involved in various strategic corporate and funding transactions and has helped Heartland through a period of significant regulatory change.

Prior to joining Heartland, Michael was a Senior Associate at a commercial law firm in Auckland.

Lana West

Chief People & Culture Officer

Lana joined Heartland in 2021 as Head of People. In her current role as Chief People & Culture Officer, she leads Heartland’s people and culture portfolio across both sides of the Tasman. This role provides a shared resource into Heartland Group.

Lana has more than 25 years’ experience in people and culture, having worked in New Zealand, Australia and in Samoa. Her previous roles included Head of People & Culture at: ASB, Beca NZ & Australia (a professional services consulting firm); Head of Diversity and Inclusion BNZ; Head of People at BNZ; People and Culture State Manager Bupa Australia and Senior HR roles at ANZ/NBNZ.

Phoebe Gibbons

General Counsel

Phoebe joined Heartland in 2020 as Associate General Counsel and was promoted to General Counsel in June 2022, leading the Legal team. Phoebe also leads the Communications and Investor Relations team. This role provides a shared resource into Heartland Group.

During her time at Heartland, Phoebe has advised on a range of matters of strategic significance to the Group and its businesses, including corporate, finance and capital and debt markets transactions, as well as preparing for the significant volume of regulatory change in the New Zealand and Australian financial services sector.

Prior to working at Heartland, Phoebe was a Senior Associate at a large commercial law firm in Auckland.

Peter Griffin

General Manager, Business & Agri

Peter joined Heartland Bank in 2011 and has over 35 years of experience in the business banking sector, including at BNZ and ASB.

At Heartland Bank, he has held senior leadership roles in various business units across the distribution spectrum. As General Manager, Business & Agri, Peter leads Heartland Bank’s Business, Rural, Livestock, and Asset Finance portfolios, focusing on the provision of finance to New Zealand SME’s and farming enterprises.

Keira Billot

General Manager, Retail & Reverse Mortgages

As General Manager Retail & Reverse Mortgages, Keira is responsible for Heartland Bank’s award-winning Savings & Deposits, Reverse Mortgages, and Online Home Loans.

Keira joined Heartland Bank in 2018 and has had held several executive and senior leadership positions, including People Operations Manager, Chief People & Culture Officer, and Chief People & Brand Experience Officer. 

Prior to joining Heartland Bank, Keira worked across multiple industries, including banking, pharma, media, infrastructure, and within the public sector.

Darryl Harnett

General Manager, Consumer – Motor Finance

Darryl joined Heartland Bank in 2000 and has over 35 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. At Heartland Bank, Darryl has held senior management roles in Retail, Reverse Mortgages and Business.

In his role as General Manager Consumer – Motor Finance, Darryl leads Motor Finance and Leasing, including customer and dealer support, for Heartland Bank, Marac, and branded partnerships.  

Prior to joining Heartland Bank, Darryl held roles within Bank of New Zealand, National Australia Bank and Westpac/Australian Guaranteed Corporation (AGC).


Heartland quick facts

Heritage Heartland Bank's roots stretch back to 1875.
Credit rating BBB (Outlook Stable) from Fitch Ratings.
100% for NZ NZ operated and managed.
NZX and ASX listed Listed on the NZX Main Board, and listed on the ASX (Foreign Exempt Listing), with 13,000+ shareholders.
$4.9bn in Finance Receivables Diversified portfolio of assets by business sector and geography.
$4.1bn of Customer Deposits 44,000 individual depositors, many of whom have been with us for 10+ years.

Get in touch

Need to chat? We’re here to help.

Contact us
Back to top TOP