Private equity firm Wingate Group is entering the asset finance market. Wingate said that Nicholas Goh and Stuart Gray would manage the business. Goh was managing director of Gresham Asset Finance and has previously worked for Allco and Transfield. Gray also worked at Gresham Asset Finance and prior to that worked for Babcock & Brown and Societe Generale. Investors in Wingate include Australian Unity and Safika, a South African investment group. Mortgage lender FirstMac has launched a A$300 million issue of residential mortgage-backed securities. FirstMac Mortgage Funding Trust Series 1-2012 is a pool of 1028 loans with an average loan-to-valuation ratio of 67.9 per cent and an average seasoning of 23.1 months. Visa has appointed a new country manager in New Zealand. Caroline Ada takes over from Sean Preston, who has moved to a new role in Singapore. Ada was previously director of innovation products for Australasia.