Mrs Davenport previously spent more nearly 17 years with Dunedin-based MTF before joining law firm Gallaway Cook Allan as chief executive in 2021. She is also on the board of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.
In a statement, MTF said she would sit on the company’s senior leadership team and offer strategic support to not just credit but also the wider business.
MTF chief executive Chris Lamers said Mrs Davenport was "one of those rare people that can develop strategy and then be detailed enough to deliver on it".
"She is a passionate supporter of MTF Finance. Her previous experience, combined with what she delivered at Gallaway Cook Allan and is achieving on the NZRFU board, gives her a unique perspective on our business," he said.
Mrs Davenport grew up in East Otago and completed a commerce degree in finance before joining MTF as a treasury analyst. She moved on to managing the treasury function and then into a strategic role which was a result of her interest in governance.
She first joined the Otago Rugby Football Union board in 2014 and was appointed chairwoman in 2019, the first woman to hold the top job at a major provincial rugby union.
Mrs Davenport was excited to return to MTF and have the opportunity to contribute to the organisation where her career began.
"I’ve been privileged to work in some of Dunedin’s most well-established and successful businesses, and my professional and governance career has benefited from the experiences and connections I gained from each of them.
"I’m at a point now where I’m keen to leverage those skills and experiences to meet more of my personal and professional goals, and the opportunity to go back to where it started, to MTF Finance, is a dream next step," she said.
Mrs Davenport, who starts on February 14, providing her services for an initial 12-month period, said she was looking forward to supporting the team to fulfil the organisation’s growth ambitions.
Mr Lamers said the company’s franchise and dealer originators were experiencing rapid growth, which it recently strengthened with the purchase of Lending People to drive business performance for existing and new products.
