Industry united in push for more women
Despite the low numbers of women in the broking profession, leaders from across the financial services industry are working hard to encourage greater female representation, career progression and collaboration
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2023 was held in March, featuring the theme #EmbraceEquity. It focused on why equal opportunities are no longer enough and can be exclusionary instead of inclusive.
Equality means each individual is given the same resources or opportunities, whereas equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and is allocated the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
When it comes to women in the Australian broking industry, it’s clear a lot more needs to be done to provide equitable opportunities. The proportion of female mortgage and finance brokers has dropped to 25.5%, its lowest level ever, according to the latest MFAA
Nicole Triandos has spent 23 years in the financial services industry, with the last 12 years in the broker space at NAB, where she leads the strategic partnerships team.
“I've seen the huge growth from about 35% [broker] market share to now sit at about 70%,” she says. “So it's certainly been a great time to be part of broking and NAB.”
Triandos says there are three key ways to increase the number of female brokers.
“The first is around providing an inclusive workplace culture. I think the industry's come a long way; however, there's lots we can still do,” she says.
“Banking and broking must continue to adapt, and lift standards to build greater flexibility in the way we work. Now, with tools like virtual media, digital tools and flexible work hours, there's more that the industry can do to embrace and support re-entry pathways and job sharing for women.”
Chadwick says broking provides fantastic career opportunities for women, offering flexibility as well as the chance to run their own businesses and have pay parity with male brokers in terms of commission rate earned. Mortgage Choice emphasises these unique benefits in its recruitment campaigns.
“We need to think more creatively about women’s participation in our industry and take a multifaceted approach to how we promote opportunities,” she says.
“For example, joining the industry doesn’t have to mean becoming a full-time mortgage broker. You can buy a business and employ experienced loan writers; you can create job-share opportunities or work part-time. We have many examples of these non-traditional approaches across the Mortgage Choice network.”
Oct 16-Mar 17
Proportion of female brokers in industry at record-low level
Triandos says NAB, as well as SMEs and brokers, have an opportunity to maintain an inclusive culture that promotes diversity and flexibility. This includes women having supportive partners, mentors and business colleagues, and the option to work from home.
“Stepping outside the traditional banking and broking boxes to encourage underrepresented groups to take part is vital for us to drive results for the continued success of our industry,” she says.
Her second point is to emphasise the importance of women supporting other women. “There is more than enough room for women to collaborate, share and grow together by getting excited about each other's success, and I think males do this really well – women need to do this more.”
There are many beliefs and expectations regarding gender roles that women hold internally, but “women need to continue to believe in themselves and each other”, Triandos says.
“Companies with diverse boards enjoy greater success than those that don't practise diversity. It's a really important thing that we all continue as women to support other women.”
Triandos says the third way to bring women into the industry is by teaching financial literacy, starting with children.
“I know a lot of brokers do this already, where they go out to schools and universities and talk about the importance of budgeting and saving to understand the value of money,” she says. “The more we create awareness of financial literacy, the more women will want to work in the financial services industry.”
Sally Chadwick says encouraging more women to join broking has a lot to do with industry visibility, including highlighting the “incredible women working in it and their successes” and how broking is evolving from a decades-old “boys’ club” to a more diverse and inclusive environment.
“Joining the industry is just one part of the puzzle,” she says. “It’s also about the experience women have once they start working in broking. We need to move beyond paying lip service to diversity and inclusion, and work to create a fundamentally different culture and work environment that supports women who join our industry.”
Aussie and Lendi were founded as market disruptors with a common aim to help Australians get better deals, better rates and better information on their home loans. Aussie was founded in 1992, bringing competition into the Australian home lending industry. Lendi was established in 2013, and by bringing together smart technology and home loan specialist advice has been helping Australians compare, apply and settle the right home loan on the Lendi platform since 2016.
In May 2021, Aussie and Lendi merged to create Lendi Group. Its team of super-smart experts and brokers power our brands, products, services, relationships and platforms to help more Australians secure their property dreams seamlessly.
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NAB Broker Distribution is dedicated to helping brokers deliver the best customer outcomes, supported by a national network of experienced BDMs and dedicated support through every stage of a customer’s home lending experience. As the ‘Bank Behind the Broker’, NAB will continue to invest in the broker channel and uncover the next innovation to make things simpler and easier for its broker partners and customers.
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Chadwick says big changes don’t happen quickly, but it’s important that the industry continues its efforts to increase women’s participation in broking. “We will all benefit from a more diverse and inclusive industry that better reflects the communities we live and work in.”
Michelle Bannister says promotion and messaging through industry bodies is needed to show women how broking has evolved over the years.
“Showcasing the flexibility and opportunities that a career in broking offers women, including working mothers, is key to attracting women to, and keeping them within the industry,” she says.
“We’ve come a long way in the last 10 years; there is no longer the expectation that you’re at your desk 9 am to 5 pm, five days a week. With the expansion of digitisation, brokers can be available to their clients essentially anywhere, any time. This is a very appealing narrative to females who are often juggling several hats.”
Bannister says La Trobe Financial provides a hands-on approach with training for all brokers via its experienced leadership team. “We spend time with our female brokers to empower them on our commercial and development offering to ensure they have a high level of confidence to play in this niche market. This empowers them to succeed.”
La Trobe Financial is one of Australia’s leading diversified credit asset managers and credit specialists, with $16bn in assets under management. Since 1952, La Trobe Financial has been driven to help people realise their potential with specialist financing and investment solutions.
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“OnDeck is committed to making strong progress to build a truly gender diverse workplace. We are a strong supporter of Women in Finance Broking, introduced by the MFAA to increase female participation in the broking industry”
Charlene Batson,
OnDeck
In Partnership with
“We spend time with our female brokers to empower them on our commercial and development offering to ensure they have a high level of confidence to play in this niche market. This empowers them to succeed”
Michelle Bannister,
La Trobe Financial
Opportunities for Women report covering the six months to 31 March 2022. Year-on-year, the number of female recruits fell by 7.86%, showing the retention of female brokers continues to be an issue.
But there are plenty of dedicated industry leaders who are determined to boost the number of women brokers, as well as support female brokers to remain in the sector and develop successful careers so they can inspire the next generation of young women.
To discuss this important topic, MPA caught up with Nicole Triandos, head of strategic partnerships – broker distribution at NAB; Karen Sorrenti, head of retail – north at Lendi Group; Sally Chadwick, executive manager corporate communications at Mortgage Choice; Charlene Batson, chief operating officer at OnDeck Australia; and Michelle Bannister, senior executive – head of distribution at La Trobe Financial.
Michelle Bannister joined La Trobe Financial in 1996 and is senior executive – head of distribution, overseeing it real estate credit division. She is responsible for the national sales team. Prior to this, Bannister was senior client manager partnerships, and before that she led La Trobe Financial’s credit department for eight years. She has been admired for forging a solid foundation and utilising her extensive knowledge and experience in the mortgage industry.
Bannister strives to constantly develop business relationships, improve processes and recommend and develop new products, resulting in increased originations and settlements for the La Trobe Financial Group. She has won several awards over the years and has a clear and direct vision – to deliver exceptional customer service.
La Trobe Financial
Michelle Bannister
Charlene Batson became OnDeck Australia’s chief operations officer in 2021 after serving as head of business development since 2015. She has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry in Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
Before joining OnDeck, Batson was a director of transaction banking solutions at Commonwealth Bank. She worked with a cross-section of corporate and financial institutions to advise on working capital solutions and grow the institutional business. She holds a BA (Hons) Business Studies from the University of the West of England and an International Cash Management Certificate from the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
OnDeck Australia
Charlene Batson
Sally Chadwick is executive manager of corporate communications, events and franchise marketing at REA Group Financial Services and Mortgage Choice. With close to 20 years working in corporate communications, predominantly in financial services, Chadwick has led communications functions at some of Australia’s largest organisations, including CBA, and was also the general manager of a specialist editorial agency. She is a passionate advocate for the power of great communications and increasing the representation of women in the broking industry.
Mortgage Choice
Sally Chadwick
Bringing over 20 years of financial services experience to Lendi Group, Karen Sorrenti joined the Aussie business nearly three years ago and since then has been a driver of strategy and performance in various roles across the distribution division. Sorrenti has extensive experience and proven success in leading large customer-facing teams and franchise businesses, which has served her well in her role as state manager for NSW and ACT over the past 12 months. Her remit has recently been expanded to include the Queensland retail business in her newly created role as head of retail – north.
Lendi Group
Karen Sorrenti
Nicole Triandos
NAB
Sally Chadwick
Mortgage Choice
Charlene Batson
OnDeck Australia
Michelle Bannister
La Trobe Financial
Industry experts
Michelle Bannister joined La Trobe Financial in 1996 and is senior executive – head of distribution, overseeing it real estate credit division. She is responsible for the national sales team. Prior to this, Bannister was senior client manager partnerships, and before that she led La Trobe Financial’s credit department for eight years. She has been admired for forging a solid foundation and utilising her extensive knowledge and experience in the mortgage industry.
Bannister strives to constantly develop business relationships, improve processes and recommend and develop new products, resulting in increased originations and settlements for the La Trobe Financial Group. She has won several awards over the years and has a clear and direct vision – to deliver exceptional customer service.
La Trobe Financial
Michelle Bannister
Charlene Batson became OnDeck Australia’s chief operations officer in 2021 after serving as head of business development since 2015. She has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry in Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
Before joining OnDeck, Batson was a director of transaction banking solutions at Commonwealth Bank. She worked with a cross-section of corporate and financial institutions to advise on working capital solutions and grow the institutional business. She holds a BA (Hons) Business Studies from the University of the West of England and an International Cash Management Certificate from the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
OnDeck Australia
Charlene Batson
Sally Chadwick is executive manager of corporate communications, events and franchise marketing at REA Group Financial Services and Mortgage Choice. With close to 20 years working in corporate communications, predominantly in financial services, Chadwick has led communications functions at some of Australia’s largest organisations, including CBA, and was also the general manager of a specialist editorial agency. She is a passionate advocate for the power of great communications and increasing the representation of women in the broking industry.
Mortgage Choice
Sally Chadwick
Bringing over 20 years of financial services experience to Lendi Group, Karen Sorrenti joined the Aussie business nearly three years ago and since then has been a driver of strategy and performance in various roles across the distribution division. Sorrenti has extensive experience and proven success in leading large customer-facing teams and franchise businesses, which has served her well in her role as state manager for NSW and ACT over the past 12 months. Her remit has recently been expanded to include the Queensland retail business in her newly created role as head of retail – north.
Lendi Group
Karen Sorrenti
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Encouraging women to join the broking industry
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Bringing over 20 years of financial services experience to Lendi Group, Karen Sorrenti joined the Aussie business nearly three years ago and since then has been a driver of strategy and performance in various roles across the distribution division. Sorrenti has extensive experience and proven success in leading large customer-facing teams and franchise businesses, which has served her well in her role as state manager for NSW and ACT over the past 12 months. Her remit has recently been expanded to include the Queensland retail business in her newly created role as head of retail – north.
Lendi Group
Karen Sorrenti
Sally Chadwick is executive manager of corporate communications, events and franchise marketing at REA Group Financial Services and Mortgage Choice. With close to 20 years working in corporate communications, predominantly in financial services, Chadwick has led communications functions at some of Australia’s largest organisations, including CommBank, and was also the general manager of a specialist editorial agency. She is a passionate advocate for the power of great communications and increasing the representation of women in the broking industry.
Mortgage Choice
Sally Chadwick
Charlene Batson became OnDeck Australia’s chief operations officer in 2021 after serving as head of business development since 2015. She has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry in Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
Before joining OnDeck, Batson was a director of transaction banking solutions at Commonwealth Bank. She worked with a cross-section of corporate and financial institutions to advise on working capital solutions and grow the institutional business. She holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of the West of England and an International Cash Management Certificate from the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
OnDeck Australia
Charlene Batson
Michelle Bannister joined La Trobe Financial in 1996 and is senior executive – head of distribution overseeing it real estate credit division. She is responsible for the national sales team. Prior to this, Bannister was senior client manager partnerships, and before that she led La Trobe Financial’s credit department for eight years. She has been admired for forging a solid foundation and utilising her extensive knowledge and experience in the mortgage industry.
Bannister strives to constantly develop business relationships, improve processes and recommend and develop new products, resulting in increased originations and settlements for the La Trobe Financial Group. She has won several awards over the years and has a clear and direct vision – to deliver exceptional customer service.
La Trobe Financial
Michelle Bannister
Boosting participation and removing barriers to inclusion
Published 10 Apr 2023
Michelle Bannister
La Trobe Financial
Charlene Batson
OnDeck Australia
Sally Chadwick
Mortgage Choice
Karen Sorrenti
Lendi Group
Nicole Triandos
NAB
Brendan O’Donnell
LIBERTY NETWORK SERVICES
Bernadette Christie-David
ATELIER WEALTH
David August
INITIAL FINANCE
Industry experts
Nicole Triandos was appointed head of strategic partnerships, broker distribution – NAB and Advantedge in July 2016. She has worked in banking and financial services for over 23 years across property, funds management and insurance. For the past 12 years at NAB, Triandos has specialised in mortgage broker distribution and has held a variety of leadership positions spanning sales, marketing and business development. She has led innovative strategies to drive business outcomes and build meaningful relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including brokers, key aggregation groups and industry bodies.
Triandos holds a Bachelor of Business, Marketing and Human Resource Management from La Trobe University and has completed the Strategic Leadership Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
NAB
Nicole Triandos
“We need to move beyond paying lip service to diversity and inclusion, and work to create a fundamentally different culture and
work environment that supports women who join our industry”
Sally Chadwick,
Mortgage Choice
“Over 32% of our 1,300-strong broker network are women, well above industry average, and this figure continues to increase, with women accounting for over 42% of our new starters in 2022”
Karen Sorrenti,
Lendi Group
“Stepping outside the traditional banking and broking boxes to encourage underrepresented groups to take part is vital for us to drive results for the continued success of our industry”
Nicole Triandos,
NAB
OnDeck Australia is a leading online lender that focuses on Australia’s small business community. As OnDeck only provides small business loans, it is an expert in an area that has been underserved by the banking sector for too long. Importantly, OnDeck offers a skilled and experienced team, each of whom have been hand-selected for their understanding of the needs of small enterprises.
Find out more
For 30 years Mortgage Choice has been at the forefront of Australia’s mortgage broking industry, and now as part of REA Group, a leading global digital business specialising in property, this doesn’t change. As a network of more than 1,000 brokers and over 750 franchises nationally, Mortgage Choice remains one of Australia’s most trusted and recognised brands, with over 95% brand confidence among consumers. Mortgage Choice is passionate about helping people afford the things that are important to them, whether that’s buying a home or a new car, or starting a business.
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Number and proportion of female brokers in the industry
Apr 17-Sep 17
Oct 17-Mar 18
Apr 18-Sep 18
Oct 18-Mar 19
Apr 19-Sep 19
Oct 19-Mar 20
Apr 20-Sep 20
Oct 20-Mar 21
Apr 21-Sep 21
Oct 21-Mar 22
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
27.4%
27.3%
27.1%
27.1%
27.0%
27.9%
27.2%
25.5%
25.8%
25.6%
25.5%
Number of female brokers
Proportion of female brokers
Source: MFAA Industry Intelligence Service, 14th Edition, October 2021 to March 2022
Oct 16-Mar 17
Apr 17-Sep 17
Oct 17-Mar 18
Apr 18-Sep 18
Oct 18-Mar 19
Apr 19-Sep 19
Oct 19-Mar 20
Apr 20-Sep 20
Oct 20-Mar 21
Apr 21-Sep 21
Oct 21-Mar 22
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
60%
40%
20%
0%
27.4%
27.3%
27.1%
27.1%
27.0%
27.9%
25.5%
25.8%
25.6%
25.5%
27.2%
Number recruited
Proportion recruited
Source: MFAA Industry Intelligence Service, 14th Edition, October 2021 to March 2022
Number and proportion of brokers recruited, by gender – 2016 to 2022
Male recruits
80%
Apr 16-Sep 16
Apr 16-Sep 16
Oct 16-Mar 17
Apr 17-Sep 17
Oct 17-Mar 18
Apr 18-Sep 18
Oct 18-Mar 19
Apr 19-Sep 19
Oct 19-Mar 20
Apr 20-Sep 20
Oct 20-Mar 21
Apr 21-Sep 21
Oct 21-Mar 22
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
27.4%
27.3%
27.1%
27.1%
27.0%
27.9%
25.5%
25.8%
25.6%
25.5%
27.2%
Number recruited
Proportion recruited
Female recruits
According to Karen Sorrenti, there needs to be an emphasis on not just recruiting women into broking but also retaining them in the industry long-term. To do this the industry needs to foster spaces in which women can feel “included, empowered and nurtured”.
She says organisational values set a workplace’s cultural tone, so to create diverse broker networks, organisations must strive for diversity at all team levels.
“Men play a major role and are equally accountable on the path to achieving more balanced gender representation,” Sorrenti says. “It’s up to everyone to call out conscious biases, the perpetuation of dated stereotypes, and non-inclusive behaviour.”
This means prominent male leaders in the industry need to advocate for gender diversity through tangible action.
Unconscious beliefs about the industry are a major systemic barrier to entry for women, says Sorrenti. “As an industry, we should elevate the successes of our female brokers to challenge these beliefs and articulate that mortgage broking is a viable and advantageous career path for women.”
Batson says OnDeck knows there is a real gender imbalance across the finance broking sector.
“This reflects many factors, some of which are complex – from the culture of the industry through to the nature of workplaces,” she says.
“But OnDeck is committed to making strong progress to build a truly gender-diverse workplace, and we are proud to be a strong supporter of the Women in Finance Broking initiative, introduced by the MFAA to increase female participation in the broking industry.”
OnDeck is also taking important steps of its own to attract women to finance broking.
“OnDeck is focused on building a workplace where women can thrive by setting the right kind of goals for women to work towards, offering workplace flexibility to support women, writing job descriptions that connect with women, and setting KPIs that nurture long-term success,” Batson says.
These efforts are bearing fruit, she says. Across the small business lender, women fill 40% of leadership roles, and one in three roles business-wide are held by women.
“This is considerably higher than the fintech sector as a whole,” Batson says. “On an industry-wide basis, female participation is closer to 20%.”
Sorrenti says Lendi Group is committed to creating a diverse broker network that represents the people in “our community and provides exceptional experiences to address the needs of our diverse consumers”.
“Over 32% of our 1,300-strong broker network are women, well above industry average, and this figure continues to increase, with women accounting for over 42% of our new starters in 2022,” she says.
Lendi Group’s recruitment processes have been designed to target a diverse range of brokers, helping to buck the trend of a male-dominated industry. Sorrenti says the group is proud of the choice of pathways it offers for entering the industry, including:
sales associate
salaried broker
the opportunity to live and work locally as a store broker in one of Aussie’s 230-plus retail stores
mobile broker, which allows women to enjoy the flexibility of self-employment
the opportunity for women to be CEOs of their own businesses as Aussie store franchisees
“We’re very proud that 98% of the OnDeck team say they can be themselves at work and employees at OnDeck are treated fairly, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity.”
Batson acknowledges there have been times in her career when she has experienced unconscious gender bias.
“There have been occasions when I’ve felt a man gets a different response to the same thing a woman may be saying,” she says. “This is something both men and women are guilty of in different settings. The main point for the OnDeck team is that we’re encouraging everyone to be aware of this across the business.
“I’m very proud of the diversity we have achieved to date. It’s a plus for our business – and our clients, who are gender diverse – and 2023 is shaping up to be even better.”
At La Trobe Financial, Bannister says employing women has always been a focus, and the number of women joining the company remains steady and on par with the number of males.
“In the past 12 months we’ve made significant headway by increasing female representation in executive roles across the business,” she says. “We have one of Australia’s largest sales teams in the non-bank sector, and with a large female presence we provide confidence and support to new female entrants.”
Lendi Group's fully supported working model provides brokers with pre-qualified customer appointments and loan processing support, adding capacity to their businesses.
Sorrenti says Lendi Group proudly showcases women’s successes, including offering regular opportunities to participate in owned, earned and paid media features, as well as awards and other industry events and recruitment initiatives.
Batson says OnDeck’s commitment to gender diversity has driven other benefits, with the company being ranked as one of the best places to work in Australia.
“In a survey by global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work, 92% of OnDeck’s employees agreed that the company is a great place to work – above the financial services industry average of 86%,” she says.
La Trobe Financial is well known for supporting, educating and promoting female staff; it provides personalised, tailored training and helps women feel confident and like equals in a male-dominated industry.
“The team who work with our female leaders can say, ‘OK, there’s a stepping stone for me. How do I get there? I want that job’, and they can see there are no barriers at La Trobe Financial. If you’re the right person for the job, we’ll support you,” Bannister says.
Chadwick says the Mortgage Choice Aspire program supports, develops and promotes the network’s female talent. The program has contributed to more women entering leadership roles – the proportion of female franchisees at Mortgage Choice has lifted three percentage points in the past two years. And 56% of its new broker recruits in 2022 were female.
“Each year we run Aspire events featuring female business leaders and experts, as well as leading women in our network,” Chadwick says.
“We also run a range of other initiatives, including media training for the women in our network to help increase female representation in the press, and are just wrapping up a series of virtual masterclasses tailored for emerging and established businesses, and focused on topics the women in our network have told us they’d like support with.”
Mortgage Choice sponsors various MFAA diversity initiatives, including the MFAA’s Opportunities for Women report and its Women in Finance Broking events.
Triandos says she is proud that NAB is doing a lot in this area and “will continue to do more”. “We proactively partner with aggregators and industry bodies to support women with events and training.”
NAB also runs leadership courses and programs to identify key talent, including up-and-coming female leaders. These discuss topics such as support for women as they move up the ranks.
Triandos says NAB also encourages women to consider a career in technology, building their tech skills to increase diversity in Australia's digital workforce. “NAB is focused on achieving 40% to 60% gender representation at every level of our business by 2025. I'm proud to say that the broker distribution business has a 50/50 spread across staff. That's a really pleasing result.”
NAB also ensures it has a 50/50 gender split of job candidates. “It's never about making up the numbers for NAB,” Triandos says. “It's about finding the right people and the right roles, and it should always be that, but we just need to make sure our colleagues have access to the resources and opportunities in order to reach their full potential.”
The bank also offers 16 weeks’ paid parental leave for both parents.
and choosing their working hours and location; the high-earning potential of broking; the industry’s growth; the prevalence of female decision-makers in households who prefer to transact with another woman; and the fact that broking is a skill for life.
Education starts with a conversation, Triandos says. “Every female has the opportunity to talk about the great work we're doing each and every day.”
She says a conversation about what brokers do to support customers, their colleagues and each other is important.
“Seventy percent of consumers are turning to brokers because of the great work and advice they're providing each day,” Triandos says. “We've all got a role to play – whether we run a business, we're an aggregator or we're a bank – to better educate women and the general public around the benefits of supporting customers in their homeownership dreams.”
Bannister agrees that educating women on careers in broking and its lifestyle benefits is key, especially showing the next generation “that you can be your own boss early on in your career”.
“La Trobe Financial is very passionate about supporting all industry bodies in the messaging around gender diversity,” she says. “As a company we support women in finance-themed events and any education aimed at females in the finance industry or who are looking to enter.”
Mentoring and networking
La Trobe Financial has always understood the importance of fostering career progression for women, says Bannister. Its Women of La Trobe Financial group was established to promote, support, network, mentor and develop its female staff.
“We have now merged this working group with Future Women and cannot wait to see how we can work collaboratively to further enhance opportunities,” she says.
La Trobe Financial is also very good at educating all brokers on the ease of moving from residential transactions to commercial/development opportunities and opening their eyes to diversification, as well as ways to grow their businesses and personal brands.
The non-bank lender backs a number of industry and aggregator events that educate, support and empower female brokers to take on these opportunities and step outside their comfort zone.
“With my long-term knowledge in the commercial and development landscape, it’s always rewarding to share this with other females and watch their personal growth and confidence flourish,” Bannister says.
Triandos says it's really important that women do more networking and reach out to people who will support their career development.
“A mentor can help you shape the career that you want. We've got some great leaders at NAB in Rachel Slade, our group executive for personal banking, and also Suzana Ristevski, who’s my personal mentor – she’s our chief marketing officer. They’re two women I look up to at NAB,” Triandos says.
“The tribe and the people you surround yourself with are incredibly important inside and outside of work. You go to them to not only get advice but also to listen and hear about stories, so it works both ways.”
Educating others about the benefits of broking
Mentoring doesn’t need to involve formal meetings, says Triandos. “I think these days with mentors you can go for walks with them, have a coffee, Zoom, or just make a phone call.”
She urges aggregators to think about how they can create and foster more mentoring and networking opportunities for women, including events that will attract more women at more suitable times.
Chadwick says mentorship and networking are important parts of any successful career and can be especially beneficial to women working in male-dominated industries. “It’s about forging strong and supportive connections with peers who understand the unique personal and professional challenges women can encounter in an industry like broking."
She says women across the Mortgage Choice network are incredibly generous with their time, acting as mentors and paving the way for future generations of brokers. They come from various backgrounds – from teaching and strategy to banking and real estate – and bring this diversity of experience to the advice and perspectives they share.
“Many women in our network also act as mentors for women in their local communities,” Chadwick says. “Some of our franchise businesses have value propositions centred around supporting female customers to create financial security and wellbeing through smart property decisions.”
Sorrenti says the visible presence of strong female leaders is crucial to inspiring current and future generations of women. “For women looking to enter or progress in the industry, strong female mentors are an invaluable source of knowledge, insights and lived experience.”
Women are represented at all levels of Lendi Group, and the journeys of female brokers are guided by several strong female leaders in the sales team. Sorrenti says the group’s successful female brokers include Ann Phang, a top-performing Lendi home loan specialist, and Belinda Woodley, a franchise partner in its highest-performing store, Aussie Prospect.
“The ability to network with Ann, Belinda and the many other female brokers in our network provides other women the opportunity to gain insights into their success and benefit from their experience,” Sorrenti says.
Women at Lendi Group have access to regular networking and personal brand-building opportunities, along with the chance to take part in thought leadership and media features and speak at industry events. They have other opportunities to connect with successful brokers at company events such as its biannual conference, quarterly broker business forums and group training initiatives.
New Lendi Group brokers participate in an eight-week Graduate Program with sessions delivered to cohorts of brokers, giving them the chance to connect with their peers from the outset. More than 40% of new starters are female.
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Mortgage Choice wants to see broking become more widely considered as a career option for those leaving school or university, and for women returning to the workforce after a career break.
“One of the most powerful things we can talk about at an industry level is Australians’ increasing reliance on and trust in the broking industry, especially in challenging economic times,” Chadwick says.
It’s important to highlight the many unique benefits, opportunities and rewards that a career in broking offers women, she says. “Brokers have the opportunity to make a profound impact on customers’ lives and to help people achieve their dreams of homeownership.”
To improve gender balance, there is significant work to be done on minimising unconscious beliefs about the industry being more suited to males, Sorrenti says. “Customer marketing and campaign activity should showcase diverse faces to avoid reinforcing false perceptions of the finance industry being suited only to males.”
The focus needs to be on attracting women to the industry from a young age, to encourage them to enter the profession early and build a sustainable career, she says.
Sorrenti believes leaders and organisations need to showcase female success stories and emphasise the viability of the broking industry for women. She says they should highlight how broking empowers women to be their own boss and seek financial independence, as well as the flexibility of being a business owner
Sally Chadwick
Mortgage Choice
Charlene Batson
OnDeck Australia
Michelle Bannister
La Trobe Financial
Industry experts
Nicole Triandos
NAB
Karen Sorrenti
Lendi Group
Nicole Triandos was appointed head of strategic partnerships, broker distribution – NAB and Advantedge in July 2016. She has worked in banking and financial services for over 23 years across property, funds management and insurance. For the past 12 years at NAB, Triandos has specialised in mortgage broker distribution and has held a variety of leadership positions spanning sales, marketing and business development.
Triandos has led innovative strategies to drive business outcomes and build meaningful relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including brokers, key aggregation groups and industry bodies. She holds a Bachelor of Business, Marketing and Human Resource Management from La Trobe University and has completed the Strategic Leadership Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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Karen Sorrenti
Lendi Group
Nicole Triandos was appointed head of strategic partnerships, broker distribution – NAB and Advantedge in July 2016. She has worked in banking and financial services for over 23 years across property, funds management and insurance. For the past 12 years at NAB, Triandos has specialised in mortgage broker distribution and has held a variety of leadership positions spanning sales, marketing and business development.
Triandos has led innovative strategies to drive business outcomes and build meaningful relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including brokers, key aggregation groups and industry bodies. She holds a Bachelor of Business, Marketing and Human Resource Management from La Trobe University and has completed the Strategic Leadership Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
NAB
Nicole Triandos
Companies
People
Newsletter
About us
Authors
Privacy Policy
Conditions of Use
Terms & Conditions
Contact Us
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Copyright © 1996-2023 KM Business Information Australia Pty Ltd.
News
MORTGAGE INDUSTRY
BEST IN MORTGAGE
SPECIALTY
TV
Resources
US
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AU
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UK