Australia’s export credit agency appoints new Managing Director

I am pleased to announce the Board of Australia's export creditagency, Efic, has appointed a new Managing Director, Ms Swati Dave.

Ms Dave has more than 30 years' experience in finance and bankingacross a range of sectors in both domestic and international markets.

She has held a number of senior roles, most recently as ExecutiveGeneral Manager at the National Australia Bank. She brings to Efic a strong trackrecord of leading strategy, driving customer focus, risk management and peopleleadership.

With extensive international experience, she has led and growncomplex P&L businesses in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore, aswell as here in Australia. Ms Dave's breadth of experience has seen her workacross a range of diverse sectors such as infrastructure, energy and utilities,renewable energy, and property.

I thank outgoing Efic Managing Director, Mr Andrew Hunter, for hisconsiderable contribution. Under Mr Hunter's leadership, Efic has had a strongfocus on enabling small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to capitalise on exportopportunities, including those created by the free trade agreements theCoalition concluded with Japan, China and Korea.

Efic supports Australian businesses become exporters. During thelast four years Efic has helped almost 300 exporters with more than $500m offacilities. Currently more than 90 per cent of all Efic transactions supportSMEs.

Efic has launched a range of initiatives to meet the specificneeds of SME exporters such as the development of an online portal to supportthe Small Business Export Loan. The introduction of this facility hasseen overall application approval times reduce significantly.

The Turnbull Government is committed to growing Australia'sexports to create new Australian jobs and drive economic growth.

Ms Dave will start in her role on 3 July 2017. I look forward toworking with her.