Briefs: Suncorp issues RMBS, new COBA chair, Challenger exec to head Whitehelm, and more 24 February 2015 5:05PM Banking Day staff Briefs, Suncorp has launched an issue of residential mortgage-backed securities, seeking A$750 million of funding. Apollo Series 2015-1 Trust is backed by a pool of mortgages with an average loan-to-valuation ratio of 64.5 per cent. Investment loans make up 22.1 per cent of the pool. Wendy Machin will take over as the chair of the Customer Owned Banking Association board. COBA is the industry body for credit unions, building societies, mutual banks and friendly societies. Before being appointed to the COBA, Machin chaired National Roads and Motorists Association for six years. She remains a director and deputy president of the NRMA, as well as a director of the Australian Automobile Association. Former Challenger senior investment director Saji Anantakrishnan will lead the Australian and Asian operations of global infrastructure manager Whitehelm Capital. The former chief executive of the Challenger Mitsui Emerging Markets Infrastructure Fund has worked in Challenger's UK, Australian and Asian divisions. Prior to joining Challenger, Anantakrishnan worked for Deutsche Bank in Sydney and was a management consultant. Matthew Brown will replace Christine Bartlett as general manager of NAB Asset Servicing when she retires next month. Brown has about 20 years experience in securities servicing, including ten years with State Street. He has also spent as number of years working overseas with Citi. Westpac and China Australia Millennial Project will partner to bring 200 young innovators aged 18 to 35 years from across China and Australia to tackle challenges common to both countries, including global talent and digital disruption. Westpac and CAMP plan to engage young leaders across both countries and provide a platform to connect, do business and solve problems. As part of the program, Westpac's Digital Disruption and Global Talent Thinktanks will comprise a three-month online component mentored by thought leaders from Westpac. Supreme Court data shows more than 935 properties in Victoria worth an estimated A$475 million have been recovered by lenders since June 2014, reports the Herald Sun. RMIT University Research Centre of the Australian Housing Professor Mike Berry said Victorians should expect more foreclosures in the future. "In Australia these days we have an issue with over-committing so people go in mortgaged to the hilt because they want the best possible house in the best possible place, interest rates will begin to rise at some stage and when they rise, that puts pressure on." Deutsche Bank co-chief executive Anshu Jain is arguing against holding on to a stake in Chinese bank Hua Xia as Deutsche reconsiders its near-universal range of banking services, German weekly WirtschaftsWoche reports. Jain had repeatedly called into question Deutsche's near-20 per cent stake in Shanghai-listed commercial bank Hua Xia, worth about €1.6 billion. The Chinese bank is seen as absorbing too much capital while lacking future prospects, according to the report. Regional New Zealand bank Heartland NZ reported a 41 per cent improvement in first half profit to NZ$23.5 million, but reported a fall in its Home Equity Release lending as customers repaid debt early and lower than expected new business. Heartland, which bought Sentinel and Australian Seniors Finance in early 2014, said it had employed new senior staff in Australia to reverse the slowdown in reverse equity release. Heartland shares fell two per cent to NZ$1.35 on the disappointment about the home equity release business.