Profile
For Belinda Wright, a career in financial services was never mapped out so much as built one relationship at a time. The general manager of partnerships and distribution at Thinktank Property Finance has never followed a rigid career plan, instead saying yes to opportunities that challenged her. Through all of them, the constant has been people. “Titles were never really the goal – making a positive impact was,” she says.
Mentors shaped her outlook early, challenging and backing her when it mattered. “Leadership is about bringing people with you rather than simply achieving individual success,” she says. The conviction still defines how she works across sales, credit, operations and broker partnerships.
Wright’s strength lies in the same territory. “I think my strongest quality professionally is my ability to build genuine, long-term relationships," she says. In an industry she describes as built on trust, she has tried to stay authentic, approachable and consistent. “Relationships aren’t built overnight – they’re built through open communication, reliability and following through on your commitments,” she says.
Listening sits at the heart of that approach. “No one has all the answers, which is why I believe the best leaders spend as much time listening as they do directing,” Wright says. She sees her role as creating an environment where people feel empowered to contribute and challenge thinking, rather than one built on hierarchy.
She measures a career in much the same terms. Rather than one defining milestone, she sees hers as a series of moments, whether seeing someone step into a leadership role or helping a broker grow their business. “Watching people grow in confidence, develop new skills and go on to achieve great things themselves has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey,” she says.
Wright is candid about the barriers women still face in a traditionally male-dominated field like mortgage broking, where she has at times had to work harder to establish credibility. She is clear about why change matters. “Representation matters because you can’t aspire to what you can’t see,” she adds. Her focus is commercial lending, which she believes remains underrepresented by women and perceived as less accessible than residential.
Greater visibility, mentorship and education, she argues, would challenge that and showcase the women already thriving. Wright also hopes that the perception that women must choose between a successful career and a fulfilling personal life will change. With the right support, flexibility and willingness to ask for help, she believes women can build a rewarding career while raising a family or pursuing other passions.
For Wright, the real value of being named an Elite Woman lies in what it might open for others. She hopes her legacy will be measured not in titles or results but in the leaders and partnerships she has built. If a woman looks at her journey and thinks, “If she can do it, maybe I can too,” she would consider that reward enough.
101 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060
0452 616 915
bwright@thinktank.au
linkedin.com/in/belinda-w-26078194
thinktank.au
Belinda Wright
General Manager, Sales
Thinktank Property Finance
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Bio
Milestones
2017
2019
2021
2024–2025
Present
Head of Customer Segments at Westpac
2017
Executive Manager, Performance and Partnerships at Westpac
2019
Head of Partnerships and Distribution Residential at Thinktank Property Finance
2021
2024: Head of Partnerships and Distribution at Thinktank Property Finance
2025: General Manager, Partnerships and Distribution at Thinktank Property Finance
2024–2025
General Manager, Sales at Thinktank Property Finance since 2025
Present
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
Empathy underpins that discipline. Prickett has struggled in the industry. She has felt what it is like when promised support does not materialize. Having worked across almost every function in the company, she understands operational detail and the pressure agents face. That shared experience shapes her leadership.
Structural barriers also shaped her path. As a woman and a mother, she encountered the assumption that serious business building required keeping priorities “out of order for a time.” She also experienced the double standard that frames firm women as difficult while praising similar behaviour in men.
“If you have a choice between being liked and doing the right thing, doing the right thing is always better, even if it’s the unpopular thing,” Prickett says.
She wants to dismantle the expectation that women must choose between career and family, or between strength and kindness. In her view, leadership demands both conviction and care.
Being named an Elite Woman carries weight. Prickett did not have female role models in the industry when she started. She hopes visibility changes that. “I hope I can be an example. Not of perfection, but of persistence. Of building from your values and staying true to who you are.”
The legacy Prickett is still defining centres on proof – proof that a large, profitable company can grow without sacrificing integrity; proof that agents can build real assets while keeping their priorities intact; and proof that leadership does not require abandoning who you are to succeed.
“If you have a choice between being liked and doing the right thing, doing the right thing is always better, even if it’s the unpopular thing”
Lee-Ann Prickett,
Experior Financial Group
“What I’ve learned is that when you build from your values, when you put people first, when you do the right thing even when it’s hard, that becomes your plan”
Lee-Ann Prickett,
Experior Financial Group