Private credit pioneer Wingate celebrates 20 years

31 JULY 2024

One of the nation’s leading investment firms that pioneered the introduction of private credit to the Australian market, now one of the fastest-growing asset classes globally, celebrates its 20th anniversary today.

Wingate, founded in 2004 from a home office in Melbourne, today manages over $8 billion in funds, having funded $20 billion in property value and corporate investments and supported the construction of over 20,000 homes for Australians.

And, far from its humble beginnings, Wingate is now headquartered in 101 Collins Street and the Governor Phillip Tower in Sydney, with around 400 staff working across the group.

“This milestone is a significant achievement for the Firm. Twenty years represents more than just time; it’s experience, partnership, reputation, and trust with our clients, business partners and co-investors. It’s time-tested investing,” said Farrel Meltzer, Wingate Founder and CEO.

Inspired by the traditional style of European merchant banks, Wingate has always focused on ‘enlarging and enriching’ the lives of those with whom it interacts. It draws its name from the brilliant but eccentric British military figure, Charles Orde Wingate, whose genius lay in his ability to succeed in all terrains – from the deserts of north Africa to the jungles of Burma.

Like its namesake, Wingate has successfully navigated a wide gamut of financial conditions over the last two decades, investing through the cycle to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns for its thousands of co-investors.

As new entrants emerge in the private credit space, Wingate’s steady hand, experience and established risk management practices continue to set it apart as the industry's leader.

“A key differentiator for Wingate, and the most sustainable over the long term, is our care for and our genuine alignment and partnership with our co-investors and clients,” Meltzer continues. “We care as much or more for the assets of our co-investors as we do for our own – and we always invest our capital alongside our co-investors. Having this mindset and always doing what’s right has empowered our considerable achievements over the last two decades. I believe that the best is yet to come.”

Wingate has also invested in and incubated several financial services portfolio businesses. These include mortgage lender ORDE Financial, with a current loan book of over $3 billion, personal loan provider NOW Finance, with a current book of over $1 billion and global equity fund manager Talaria Capital, with funds under management of $2.4 billion.

The firm has launched a special website highlighting key achievements over the past two decades to celebrate this milestone.  The ‘Wingate 20’ site shares previously never-seen historic images, stories and videos from Wingate staff past and present, co-investors, business partners and friends, showing the evolution of the Firm from a small home office to 101 Collins St and other locations across the country.

Visit https://www.wingate20.com.au/ for more details.

Disclaimer

This document has been prepared by Wingate House Pty Ltd ACN 114 119 710 (Wingate House)]. Wingate House is a corporate authorised representative of Wingate Financial Services Pty Ltd ACN 106 480 602, AFSL No. 276899.

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