Headquarters:
29 Sale St, Auckland 1010
Year founded:
2008
Number of employees:
138
Phone:
0800 21 22 30
Email:
clientservices@squirrel.co.nz
Website:
squirrel.co.nz
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/squirrel-mortgage-brokers
“We target wealth managers and RIAs that are looking for ways to differentiate in their offering and cater to a growing number of high-net-worth individuals looking for alternative investment vehicles such as private equity investment”
Kevin Collins
CEO and Founder
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SQUIRREL
John Bolton
Founder/Group Head of Property Finance
David Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer
Dave Tyrer
Group Head of Asset Management
Leadership
John Bolton is founder and group head of property finance at Squirrel and one of New Zealand’s most respected voices in property finance. After 10 years in senior banking roles, he founded Squirrel in 2008 to create a fairer financial system and improve housing outcomes for New Zealanders. Under his leadership, Squirrel has become one of the country’s largest mortgage brokerages and most trusted non-bank lenders, recognised for practical funding solutions and straightforward advice. Having personally developed, traded and funded property, Bolton brings real-world insight, market foresight and candid leadership. Outside work, he enjoys skiing and eating sashimi with friends.
Founder/Group Head of Property Finance
John Bolton
David Cunningham is chief executive officer at Squirrel, bringing more than three decades of experience across New Zealand’s banking and financial services sectors. He has delivered executive-level results within several leading financial institutions, with expertise spanning finance, marketing, risk management and sustainability. Throughout his career, Cunningham has consistently focused on building and leading high-performing teams while driving strategic growth and operational excellence. His broad industry knowledge and leadership experience continue to strengthen Squirrel’s position in the market. Outside work, he enjoys cycling around the world and discussing the Tour de France. His favourite treat is Percy Pig sweets from Britain.
Chief Executive Officer
David Cunningham
Dave Tyrer joined Squirrel in 2020 and serves as chief operating officer, leading the company’s peer-to-peer lending and investment platform while overseeing product strategy across the business. He has delivered several key product enhancements, including the Squirrel On-Call Account, the Squirrel Monthly Income Fund and tailored solutions designed for wholesale investors. Before joining Squirrel, Tyrer spent nearly two decades in senior roles at major New Zealand financial institutions, including ANZ and Westpac, where he focused on digital transformation and customer experience innovation. Recognised for his extensive expertise in finance and investing, he remains a trusted leader within New Zealand’s financial services industry.
Group Head of Asset Management
Dave Tyrer
SPECIAL REPORT
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Tim Bowen
Chief Financial Officer
Tim Bowen is chief financial officer at Squirrel, bringing more than 15 years of management and consulting experience across the insurance sector and other industries. A former New Zealand representative swimmer, he is recognised for his strong work ethic, leadership and broad commercial expertise. Bowen plays an important role in supporting Squirrel’s growth and financial performance. Outside work, he enjoys staying active, sharing dad jokes and unwinding over a classic dinner of steak and mash with family and friends.
Chief Financial Officer
Tim Bowen
Abi Cooke
Chief Marketing Officer
Abi Cooke is chief marketing officer at Squirrel, bringing extensive experience across marketing, digital strategy and financial services. Her career has spanned both London and New Zealand, working with major brands including UBS, ASB, ANZ, Westpac, Generate and Fisher Funds through leading agencies such as Affinity ID, Colenso and Krunch. With postgraduate qualifications in business and marketing, Cooke combines strategic thinking with strong industry expertise. She is recognised for her energy, creativity and leadership within the business. Outside work, she enjoys travelling, exploring new restaurants, staying active and spending time with her children, Josh and Siena.
Chief Marketing Officer
Abi Cooke
As one of Aotearoa’s largest mortgage brokers, Squirrel helps people purchase over $3 billion worth of property each year and currently holds over $650 million in funds under management through its saving and investing platform.
Founded in Auckland in 2008, Squirrel’s footprint now spans the length and breadth of the country, following its expansion into the lower North Island in 2024 and the South Island in 2025. That means the company is helping more Kiwis all over New Zealand find the right mortgage solution for them.
Squirrel is also a non-bank lender, offering its own unique home loan and construction and development funding solutions to borrowers who don’t quite fit traditional lending criteria. The company has lent over $1 billion to New Zealand homeowners and builders and paid over $85 million in interest to its investors.
Squirrel is on a mission to make finance fairer for New Zealanders. Through a combination of tailored, expert mortgage advice and a unique lending and investment platform, the company offers innovative, real-world solutions to disrupt the long-standing institutions and drive change in this industry.
Squirrel is New Zealand owned and operated.
“[Automation] has resulted in productivity gains far greater than 80 percent and allowed our customers to grow their business by handling a greater number of clients, client portfolios, and assets under management”
Kevin Collins
CEO and Founder
Callan Wayne-Bowles
Group Head of Advisory
Colin Gardyne
Chief Technology Officer
Lauren De Witt
Chief Operating Officer
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Callan Wayne-Bowles is group head of advisory at Squirrel, bringing more than two decades of experience within the finance industry. He holds degrees in accountancy and commercial law from Victoria University and spent over ten years working for major banks before joining Squirrel. Known for his deep industry knowledge and trusted advice, Wayne-Bowles has built a strong reputation as a leading mortgage adviser in Wellington, reflected in his many repeat clients and referrals. Outside work, he enjoys fishing, snowboarding and playing golf whenever time allows. He is also recognised within the team as its most successful poker player.
Group Head of Advisory
Callan Wayne-Bowles
Colin Gardyne leads Squirrel’s growing team of developers as chief technology officer and is constantly focused on building innovative technology solutions for the business. After a busy day of coding and problem-solving, he enjoys relaxing by watching Liverpool matches or playing PlayStation with a Tuatara beer in hand after work.
Chief Technology Officer
Colin Gardyne
Lauren’s spent more than 20 years helping businesses make big change feel a little less complicated. She’s worked across 12 countries and a mix of industries — from financial services and mining to FMCG and telcos — helping teams work smarter and businesses run better. Before joining Squirrel, Lauren spent 15 years in advisory working on large transformation projects with companies including Standard Bank, Barclays, Anglo Platinum and Foodstuffs. At Squirrel, Lauren’s the one helping keep things running smoothly behind the scenes — connecting people, strategy and operations so the business keeps moving forward. Outside of work, Lauren’s usually off chasing sunshine with her husband and two boys — whether that’s golfing, scuba diving, fly fishing, racing cars or riding motorbikes. She’s also a prolific baker, school basketball coach, fluent in English and Afrikaans, and currently learning Mandarin.
Chief Operating Officer
Lauren De Witt
Greg McAweeney is an accomplished commercial leader with over 20 years of experience spanning digital strategy, customer experience, strategic marketing, brand building and B2C/B2B sales across financial services, telecommunications and insurance. He joined Helia in 2022 as chief commercial officer, where he leads growth strategy and drives key partnerships. Prior to Helia, McAweeney served as CCO at HCF and held senior sales and service roles at Rabobank across Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA from University College Dublin and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Chief Commercial Officer
Greg McAweeney