Executive Management Team

Meet our Executive Management team

Michelle Bagnall

Chief Executive Officer

MBA (with Distinction), GAICD, FFin

Michelle is the Chief Executive Officer of Bank First and brings over 25 years of financial services experience in Australia and internationally. Prior to joining Bank First in February 2021, Michelle was CEO of RACQ Bank and held senior positions at Suncorp, National Australia Bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Insurance Australia Group. She is driven by a deep respect for people and passionate about the powerful combination of people leadership, partnership and organisational competencies. Michelle is a member of FINSIA, a graduate of AICD and has completed an MBA (with Distinction). She has previously held Executive Director positions on the Boards of a superannuation trustee at Suncorp, and the Board of RACQ Financial Planning Pty Ltd. On a personal level, Michelle directs her energies toward issues related to women, education, equality, inclusion, and empowerment.

Alison Hill

Chief Risk Officer

Bachelor of Commerce / Law, CPA, CIA

Alison is the Chief Risk Officer of Bank First and brings over 25 years of risk management, governance, and audit experience across a range of sectors in Australia. Alison joined us in June 2021, and prior to that held senior positions at RACQ Bank, Deakin University, and Crown Perth. She is passionate about the mutual sector and the enduring benefits that these organisations contribute to their members and the broader community. She is also driven to develop high performing teams who truly support and enable the business to achieve its goals in a safe and responsible way. Alison is a member of CPA Australia, Institute of Internal Auditors, and Risk Management Institute Australia.

Ashley Hood

Chief Operations Office

B.Com FFin

Prior to joining Bank First, Ashley was COO of Beyond Bank Australia and CEO of Nexus Mutual. He is a banker with over 30 years’ experience, having held senior executive roles at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Ashley is passionate about the customer and improving the prosperity and capacity of the communities he serves. Ashley is a graduate of the University of Queensland, a Director of the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) and a Fellow at the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA).

David Percival

Chief Financial Officer

B.Bus (Accounting), CPA, MBA, GAICD

David Percival joined Bank First in 2002 and has over 28 years experience within the financial services industry. He is responsible for leading the finance function which includes accounting, treasury, credit control and transaction operations. David has been a CPA for over 15 years and completed an MBA at Deakin University in 2005.

Matthew Ricker

Chief Customer Officer

Bachelor of Economics (B Ec) and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Matthew Ricker joined Bank First in 2018 and leads the Lending, Insurance, Financial Planning, Branches and the Member Contact Centre teams. With over 27 years’ experience at National Australia Bank, Matthew has a strong understanding of financial services. A customer-focused strategic thinker, Matthew focuses on developing a coaching and learning culture to enhance the customer experience, while driving business results.

Simone Van Veen

Chief Member Officer

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and MBA

Simone is the Chief Member Officer of Bank First and brings over 25 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Bank First in August 2021, Simone was Executive Everyday Banking at NAB. She has also held senior positions across product, digital, marketing, projects and agile delivery functions. Simone has a deep care for people and is passionate about creating outstanding customer experiences, and highly engaged, high performing team environments that enhance the working lives of colleagues. She is a member of FINSIA, a graduate of Chartered Banking Institute Professional Banking Fundamentals. Simone has previously held a Non-Executive Director position on the eftpos Board.