Crescent announces new head of risk and compliance

Sydney-based Crescent Group (Crescent), which pioneered Islamic investing in Australia and consists of two profit-for-purpose businesses and three not-for-profit organisations, has named Saira Cader its new head of risk and compliance.

Cader holds a Bachelor of Business in Banking and Finance from Victoria University and completed a diploma in Computing and IT. She has more than 15 years of experience in financial services, including leading credit teams at Pepper Group, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and GE Capital Finance. She also led the risk and compliance operations at several start-up companies, including Nano Lending and Xinja Bank.

Cader said she is looking forward to working with Crescent and its 11,000 customers, highlighting the group’s reputation for “engaging Muslims with high-quality propositions built on best-in-class infrastructure.”

“Robust risk and governance frameworks are critical in today’s changing regulatory and legislative environment, and I look forward to working with Brendan and contributing to the success of the group,” she added.

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The announcement follows the appointment of Brendan White as group executive and Dr. Sayd Farook as group head of strategy in November 2021.

Commenting on the latest appointment, White said: “Saira’s diverse experience across compliance, credit risk, and risk management, together with her leadership and relationship skills, provide an ideal skill-set as the group builds a strong executive team. We anticipate benefits from her deep knowledge and specialised expertise as our business continues to evolve.

“The Crescent Group is moving forward on a dynamic growth path, targeting a combined $5 billion for super funds under management and residential finance originated by the end of 2026.”

Crescent will announce several key appointments within the year.