So Matt, tell us a bit about yourself:
I grew up on my family’s mixed sheep & arable farm in the South Island of New Zealand. After graduating from Lincoln University in New Zealand, I started my agricultural banking career in 2006 at ANZ Bank & Rabobank, and went on to manage client portfolios and agricultural banking teams, as well as offshore agricultural banking projects.
In addition to my banking career, I have also run my own successful livestock farming business and I am still an independent trustee of a family-owned sheep and beef farming enterprise.
My hobbies include; rugby union, cricket, running and skiing… all at a very social level!
What is your role in Oxbury and when did you join?
Tell us about your background and how that has led to you working at Oxbury?
I grew up on my family’s sheep and arable farm in the South Island of New Zealand. I have always enjoyed the physical ‘hands on’ side of farming especially the technical aspects of plant and animal health. As I got older and graduated from University, I became very interested in the financial side of farming businesses, so banking was a natural fit, especially agricultural banking!
Working for an agricultural bank fulfils both my financial and agriculture interests!
As a member of our executive team, how would you describe Oxbury, and compare it to other banks in the market?
Agriculture is front and centre to everything we do, Oxbury was formed by the UK Agricultural industry to solve the current and future transitional challenges Agriculture may face.
Our competitors have Agricultural divisions that are very minor parts of enormous organisations where Agriculture is probably never discussed at board and Exco level like it is here.
The Oxbury farmer facing personnel strategy from day 1 has been to teach an agriculturalist to be a banker rather than teaching a generalist banker to be an agriculturalist.
Since it has been 3 years since Oxbury obtained its banking licence, what is your proudest moment?
We are one of the fastest banks in UK banking license history to post a profit with no existing lending book acquisitions relying entirely on a fresh, competitive and pragmatic lending approach. We have taken the business from a book value of zero in 2021 to financing over 2300 farming businesses with the loan book surpassing £600m in 2023.
Where would you like Oxbury to be in another 3 years?
I’d like Oxbury to be continually innovating by using our technology and people centred approach to produce new and unique banking solutions for the real time problems that UK agriculture and the rural economy faces. When farmers in the UK think Agricultural finance, I want Oxbury to be the first bank they think of.
What is the most challenging part of your job as an executive member?
I’ve only just joined Exco so I'm still finding my feet!
How do your colleagues describe you in 3 words?
Regional Agricultural Manager, Cat Howell & Agricultural Relationship Associate, Hannah Gainfort described Matt as -
- Straight Talking
- Pragmatic
- Fun
What do you like most in your current role?
My role is so varied, I get to travel all around the country and meet the people who are making UK agriculture happen, both at a farm gate and at an industry level.
I’ve enjoyed creating and establishing a team of agricultural banking specialists, and seeing some of the brightest young minds in agriculture join Oxbury from agricultural Universities and watching them develop into highly competent agricultural bankers.
Do you have a funny moment you can share that has happened to you on farm?
In a previous role, I was driving around a dairy farm in the far north of New Zealand on a Tuesday and the farmer/client at the time was insistent that we both finish work for the day there and then as the sea was flat enough to launch their boat off the beach to go Marlin fishing. It is safe to say that the cows did not get milked that afternoon!
What is your proudest moment from working at Oxbury?
I have proud moments every week, and it is always the positive customer and professional feedback I get about how Oxbury is a breath of fresh air in the Agri banking scene, which makes me proud to work here.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself or an interesting, yet unhelpful fact that you know?
I have two, when an Alpaca gives birth, it’s called ‘Unpacking’ and the unpacking usually takes place between 7am & 3pm.
Also when one ant walks past another ant they touch faces.