Profiles
Go online or go broke
Maureen Jordan talks to Jaci Smith, founder of My Local Broker. Because Jaci is so switched on to the online world, we’ll be chatting with her regularly. You were at the MFAA conference last week, where you were networking with brokers and representatives from the industry. From what you le... read more >
Diversity, a challenge, support and the time with her family are Erica Elvy’s main drivers.Erica of Aussie Rouse Hill has seen it all in her career as one of the company’s most successful brokers.After a successful and satisfying career in accounting, Erica settled down and started he... read more >
Switzer Broker has teamed up with the Commonwealth Bank to highlight regional brokers, the challenges they face in their business and how they have achieved success. In part five of our Best of Brokers series, we travel to Victoria to speak with Stephen Britton, princpal at Mortgage Choice Ballar... read more >
Switzer Broker has teamed up with the Commonwealth Bank to highlight regional brokers, the challenges they face in their business and how they have achieved success. In part four of our Best of Brokers series, we travel to Tamworth, NSW to speak with Bryan Coleman about delivering great customer ... read more >
Switzer Broker has teamed up with the Commonwealth Bank to highlight regional brokers, the challenges they face in their business and how they have achieved success. In part three of our Best of Brokers series, we speak with Ruan Burger about the importance of looking after clients. For Ruan Burg... read more >
Switzer Broker has teamed up with the Commonwealth Bank to highlight regional brokers, the challenges they face in their business and how they have achieved success. In part two of our Best of Brokers series, we hike out to Western Australia’s Pilbara region to discover a regional broker ma... read more >
Switzer Broker has teamed up with the Commonwealth Bank to highlight regional brokers, the challenges they face in their business and how they have achieved success. Following a 10-year tenure in the real estate game, Steve Banks moved into the mortgage and finance industry. “When I got si... read more >
“Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.” This is one of the phrases which Tom Uhlich (Mewing), Aussie franchisee principal at Brisbane’s Kenmore and Forrest Lake, signs his emails with… this week. Mewing’s motivational phrases – three new on... read more >
Nicole Rajkovic, owner of Pengar Finance, does business a little differently from most. She may be in the finance industry, having founded and managed a successful brokerage since 2007, but she insists finance isn’t her main focus when it comes to growing her business. Coming from a backgr... read more >
When Jack Daly crossed the threshold into his teenage years he was fortunate enough to get good advice that would shape his business life: have written goals and understand the numbers. “I’ve been working from written goals since i was 13 years old. I view the practice of written goa... read more >
The inside word from Mary Ploughman, RESIMAC’s director of securitisation. 1. How are the non-banks faring? While we can't escape the fact that operating conditions over the past few years have been challenging, the outlook for non-banks is quite positive. With further recovery in th... read more >
As joint winner of Operator of the Year in 2010’s MFAA Excellence Awards, Horizon Financial Services is certainly a brokerage to emulate. Mark Turnbull, Horizon’s principal, appreciates the gravity of their accomplishment. Despite the many awards the company has been awarded over the... read more >
Jeana Scott’s finance background is diverse and enviable, in a career spanning more than 30 years, and many continents. Travelling from her UK base she did a stint in the tax haven of the Channel Islands, followed by a Middle East work sojourn to Dubai, before settling in Brisbane with her... read more >
Stuart Wemyss, director and founder of ProSolution Private Clients, believes that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Originally a Chartered Accountant in corporate finance, Wemyss moved into broking out of sheer frustration, and in 2009 diversified into financial planning... read more >
Rob Chaloner, founder and managing director of Stratton Finance, is no stranger to scaling heights. After completing a mechanic apprenticeship and lecturing in motor vehicle engineering, his first venture was to start a chauffeured limousine business that expanded to include helicopters and jets... read more >
Go online or go broke
Recursion error: already rendering the `body' part. read more >
Spotlight on: Tim Brown, Vow CEO
Tim Brown, the CEO of Vow Financial, reveals what's ahead for the business and brokers. What did you set out to achieve at Vow as the recently appointed new CEO? I am in the exciting position of being able to build a business from the bottom up and have a real opportunity to transform Vow into a... read more >
Out on top
Experience is an advantage in any industry, and Richard Korda, managing director at Zenith Finance, has it in spades. He began in the finance industry in 1993 and to date has more than 4500 commercial finance transactions under his belt: “Anything from small equipment finance deals to a... read more >
The Wizard of Aussie
The John Symond Aussie Home Loans story is one based on a businessman determined to succeed by forcing change on one of Australia’s most over-charging and uncompetitive industries. His upbringing was important. “I was fortunate that I was brought up in real working-class... read more >
In the hot seat: Drew Hall, Advantedge CEO
What are the opportunities that you are seeing for brokers? (DH) The big one is around regulation – their business is to take advantage of that. There are opportunities around diversification – the offerings brokers have for their customers – particularly in an environment... read more >
Making business personal
Just under a decade ago, Leonie and David Jackson were working full-time, Leonie as a primary school teacher, and David in IT. The decision to invest in property changed their life, providing financial stability and piquing their interest in business ownership. Inspired by Money Secrets of the... read more >
The seasoned traveller
As iconic songwriter Paul Kelly sang in the early 1990s, “from little things big things grow”. It’s an apt sentiment for Glenn Mitchell’s journey in the mortgage and finance industry, which began as a postage clerk at NAB in the late 1970s “licking stamps and... read more >
A fast mover
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but industry trailblazer Anne-Marie Syme says a strong point of difference is key to survival in the industry during tough times, as is having the confidence to trust your intuition and stay one step ahead of your competitors. Advice from someone of... read more >
A day in the life of James Symond
“I don’t know how many people would be interested in that,” laughs James Symond, when asked what a typical day at the office holds. But as an executive director of Aussie, a day in Symond’s life is no ordinary day like most people know. From meetings with key industry... read more >
Two of a kind
Ian and Kelly Fraser laugh when they recall the odd hours clients would call their finance broking business when it was home-based. “Probably the worst phone call I had was at 7.30am one Boxing Day,” says Ian. “It was a lady ringing up saying, ‘We’re going to go and... read more >
Keeping up appearances
Cynthia Grisbrook is rushed off her feet. But that certainly hasn’t slowed her down. As principal loan writer and executive director of DLV Finance Solutions, Grisbrook manages the operations of the business. Grisbrook co-founded DLV Finance in 2000, and now works out of their St Kilda Road... read more >
