When people hear the title Group Managing Director, they often picture distance, spreadsheets, approvals, corner offices, and a narrow focus on numbers. Catherine Claassens does not fit that stereotype.
Her appointment as Group Managing Director of Finance Warehouse marks not just a leadership change, but a deliberate shift toward something the finance industry often overlooks: structure over speed, relationships over transactions, and sustainability over short-term wins.
At a time when finance has become faster, louder, and increasingly automated, Catherine’s approach is quietly different, and that is exactly what makes it powerful.
The Big Picture: Why Finance Warehouse Was Built Differently
Finance Warehouse operates as a holding company for Auction Finance, Commercial Finance, and Agri-Finance, a structure that was intentional from the start.
Rather than forcing clients into a single, generic finance brand, the group was designed to reflect how real people and businesses operate, with diverse needs, varying risk profiles, and assets that behave differently across industries.
“Diversification wasn’t just a growth strategy,” Catherine explains. “It was essential if we were going to serve clients properly, on an individual, personal level.”
Each division carries its own expertise, its own credit realities, and its own market dynamics. Under the Finance Warehouse umbrella, that diversity becomes a strength rather than a limitation, allowing the group to tailor finance solutions instead of retrofitting clients into one-size-fits-all structures.
What a Finance Director Actually Does
Catherine’s day-to-day role extends far beyond approvals and balance sheets.
It sits at the intersection of banking relationships, risk mitigation, strategic positioning, and deeply personal client engagement. Every transaction Finance Warehouse touches involves multiple stakeholders, including clients, funders, insurers, and internal teams, and maintaining alignment across those relationships is central to the business.
“Our service is relational by nature,” she says. “Finance isn’t a single decision. It’s a chain of decisions that affect people long after the paperwork is signed.”
That philosophy has shaped the group’s positioning for more than two decades. Removing noise from finance, educating clients, and ensuring every deal makes sense not just today but over time remains a core priority.
What People Get Wrong About Finance
Despite greater access to information through the internet and AI, Catherine sees the same misunderstanding surface repeatedly. Clients do not always realise how many options they actually have.
Many buyers still assume finance only applies to dealership purchases, or that traditional bank structures are the only route available. Others focus almost exclusively on interest rates or monthly repayments, a mindset Catherine believes can be risky.
“A low repayment can hide a longer term. A low rate can mask fees or inflexibility,” she explains. “If you don’t look at the full structure, you don’t see the real cost.”
Experienced finance professionals can usually tell early in a conversation when a client has not fully thought through a deal, particularly when the focus is purely on approval or repayment rather than purpose, sustainability, and long-term value.
Structure Over Speed
In a world conditioned to expect instant approvals, Catherine is clear that speed should never come at the expense of suitability.
Finance Warehouse moves efficiently, but not blindly. The emphasis is on setting expectations early, gathering complete information upfront, and having honest conversations about affordability before urgency takes over.
“An approval means very little if the structure puts pressure on cash flow six months later,” she says.
For Catherine, finance is not about getting a yes from a lender. It is about designing a structure, including term, deposit, balloon payment, repayment frequency, and product type, that aligns with real life, real income, and real risk.
Sometimes that means slowing a deal down.
There have been many instances where approval was secured, yet the advice was to reconsider because the structure did not support the client’s long-term position. Those conversations are not always easy, but they are central to the group’s philosophy.
Experience, Risk, and Knowing When to Say No
After years in finance, particularly in the post-COVID environment, Catherine’s approach to risk has become increasingly holistic.
Affordability is no longer just about whether a client qualifies on paper. It is about stress-testing cash flow, understanding buffers, and assessing whether an asset genuinely supports income or growth.
“Saying no used to be harder earlier in my career,” she reflects. “Now I understand that protecting a client’s future is more important than closing a deal.”
Ironically, those decisions often strengthen relationships rather than damage them, preserving trust and creating stronger opportunities in the future.
Why Funders, Market Conditions, and Timing Matter
Finance Warehouse works with a broad panel of banks and specialist funders, and that diversity fundamentally changes outcomes for clients.
Different funders assess risk differently. Appetite shifts. Market conditions evolve. A deal that works today may not work six months from now, even if the client’s circumstances have not changed.
“Clients often underestimate how much timing and funder appetite influence outcomes,” Catherine says. “That’s where experience and relationships matter.”
By understanding the market and positioning deals strategically, Finance Warehouse ensures clients are not limited by a single lender’s policy, but empowered by choice.
Auctions, Assets, and Preparation
Preparation becomes even more critical in the auction environment.
Once the hammer falls, the purchase is binding, with no cooling-off periods and limited conditions. Buyers who arrive without pre-approval, cost clarity, or asset insight expose themselves to unnecessary risk.
The most common mistakes include underestimating total costs, overlooking asset condition and resale value, and allowing emotion to override financial discipline.
Catherine’s advice is clear. Know your full budget, including all additional fees. Conduct due diligence during viewing days. Set firm limits. Ensure finance is structured before you bid.
What Truly Sets Finance Warehouse Apart
In a crowded market, Finance Warehouse differentiates itself through specialisation, creativity, and transparency.
Rather than chasing approvals, the group structures solutions strategically. Rather than hiding complexity, it brings clients into the decision-making process. Rather than offering a single product, it offers perspective.
The specialist-division model allows clients to access deeper expertise while ensuring consistency across their broader financial position.
“Clients don’t have one-dimensional needs,” Catherine explains. “Their finance shouldn’t be treated that way either.”
Leadership in a Changing Market
Running a finance group with multiple verticals brings complexity, including regulatory pressure, shifting funder appetite, and economic volatility.
Catherine’s answer is clarity. Clear standards, strong values, disciplined processes, and consistent communication keep teams aligned even when conditions tighten.
Markets move in cycles. Experience reinforces perspective.
Looking Ahead: What Hasn’t Changed
Despite technology, automation, and evolving regulation, two things remain constant in finance: trust and personal service.
“Finance will always come down to relationships and responsible risk assessment,” she says. “That’s what lasts.”
Her advice to clients considering major financial decisions in the coming months is disciplined and forward-looking. Stress-test cash flow. Build buffers. Think long term. Never confuse speed with strategy.
And if there is one thing she wishes clients understood before approaching finance, it is this:
Insurance, structure, and protection are not optional extras. They are fundamental components of responsible finance. Protecting the asset, the cash flow, and the broader financial position is just as important as securing approval.
What Still Matters Most
After years in the industry, what matters most to Catherine has remained consistent.
Understanding individual needs.
Structuring solutions properly.
Executing at a level that is unmatched.
Not because it was fast, but because it was right.
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