JB steps back at Squirrel

Squirrel has made two key changes to its senior leadership line-up, as it positions itself to further capitalise on recent momentum and growth.

Thursday, September 18th 2025, 10:25AM

Founder, John Bolton (JB), take a step back from Squirrel’s residential advisory business and into the newly-established role of Group Head of Property Finance.

Meanwhile, Callan Wayne-Bowles has now joined Squirrel’s senior leadership team as group head of advisory, in charge of managing its 50-strong network of advisers across New Zealand.

Chief executive David Cunningham, says the rapid expansion of Squirrel’s property finance and mortgage advisory offerings has meant the leadership change-up was needed to set the business up for its next phase.

“Our property finance business recently surpassed $1.5 billion in all-time lending originated, across more than 1500 development projects—supported by strong growth in our saving and investing business. And over the last 12 months, our wider advisory team has overseen more than $3 billion in mortgage lending."

"The growth we’ve experienced has been hugely exciting, but it’s also meant that managing both advisory and property finance under the one umbrella was starting to get a bit unwieldy."

“The decision to split out the two units under JB and Callan’s leadership will enable us to take a more targeted approach to growth and innovation moving forward, and we have some big plans in the pipeline,” Cunningham says.

John Bolton founded Squirrel—now New Zealand’s largest independent mortgage brokerage—in 2008, at the height of the GFC. Squirrel’s saving and investing business, launched in 2015, now has more than $550 million of investor funds under
management.

Wayne-Bowles has upwards of 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including more than a decade as a mortgage adviser. He joined the Squirrel team in 2022 via its merger with Wellington mortgage brokerage The Home Loan
Shop, where he responsible for leading the company’s growth strategy.

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