Headquarters:
Level 12, 201 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Year founded:
2020
Number of employees:
81
Phone:
1300 375 745
Email:
contactus@freedominvestmentlending.com.au
Website:
freedominvestmentlending.com.au
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/freedom-investment-lending-au
Scott Kuru
Director and Co-Founder
Lianna Pan
Co-Founder
Jake Ziegler
Head of Investment Lending
Leadership
As director and co-founder of Freedom Investment Lending, Scott Kuru is driven by a desire to create a better and more secure future for his own family. He is passionate about helping everyday Australians build wealth and achieve financial freedom through property investment.
Under his leadership, Freedom has grown into one of Australia’s leading mortgage brokerages, helping thousands of clients create long-term financial security and achieve their financial goals.
Director and Co-Founder
Scott Kuru
Lianna Pan is co-founder of Freedom Investment Lending and a qualified actuary whose analytical expertise forms the foundation of the business’ lending strategy and operational excellence.
Combining a data-driven approach with a deep understanding of finance and risk, she has been instrumental in developing the systems, processes and frameworks that have helped Freedom scale into one of Australia’s leading mortgage brokerages while delivering exceptional client outcomes.
Co-Founder
Lianna Pan
Jake Ziegler is head of investment lending, overseeing Freedom’s growth, operations and team of mortgage brokers and support staff. Having joined Freedom more than five years ago as a broker, he progressed through the business to become a senior investment lending manager before stepping into his current leadership role.
Ziegler is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the business, overseeing multiple departments, driving performance across the organisation and ensuring exceptional outcomes for both clients and the business.
Head of Investment Lending
Jake Ziegler
Lamita Achy
Investment Lending Manager Team Leader
As an Investment Lending Manager Team Leader, Lamita plays a key role in leading and supporting our team of Investment Lending Managers. She provides ongoing coaching, guidance and quality oversight, helping brokers enhance their lending expertise, maintain high compliance standards and deliver a consistently exceptional experience for every client. Lamita helps drive continuous improvement across lending processes, supports broker development and promotes a collaborative culture that empowers brokers to perform at their best while delivering consistently outstanding outcomes for clients.
Investment Lending Manager Team Leader
Lamita Achy
Michael Shanahan
Lending Optimisation and Operations Manager
Responsible for operational excellence and business optimisation across Freedom Investment Lending, Michael Shanahan leads the systems, processes and strategic initiatives that enable the business to scale efficiently. From broker recruitment and onboarding through to workflow automation, reporting and CRM governance, his focus is on maximising productivity for the brokers and support teams, improving client outcomes and creating the operational foundations that support Freedom’s continued growth. He also leads a team dedicated to helping clients identify lending opportunities that can improve cash flow and strengthen their financial position.
Lending Optimisation and Operations Manager
Michael Shanahan
Arvind Tamilarasan
Broker Support Manager
Crisielle Manalastas
Loan Associate Team Leader
Nicholas Avramides
Investment Lending Manager Team Leader
David Sexton
Director Business Services
Leading Freedom Investment Lending’s Loan Associate and Settlements teams, Arvind Tamilarasan is responsible for the operational support functions that underpin the business’ success. Through strong leadership, process management and team development, he ensures brokers are supported by high-performing teams that enable them to focus on delivering exceptional outcomes for clients. His leadership plays a critical role in maintaining the efficiency, consistency and service standards that support Freedom’s continued growth.
Broker Support Manager
Arvind Tamilarasan
As loan associate team leader, Crisielle Manalastas leads the training, development and performance of Freedom Investment Lending’s Loan Associate team. Through her focus on coaching, mentoring and continuous improvement, she helps build high-performing support professionals who enable brokers to operate efficiently and deliver exceptional client outcomes. Her leadership plays an important role in maintaining the quality standards and consistency that underpin Freedom Investment Lending’s success.
Loan Associate Team Leader
Crisielle Manalastas
As an Investment Lending Manager Team Leader, Nick is responsible for leading, coaching and developing our team of Investment Lending Managers. He works directly with brokers to strengthen technical capability, lending strategy, compliance and overall performance, while driving consistent service standards and exceptional client outcomes across the organisation. Through regular coaching, performance reviews, and deal strategy workshopping, Nick plays a key role in building broker capability, embedding best practice and fostering a high-performing culture focused on delivering outstanding client outcomes.
Investment Lending Manager Team Leader
Nicholas Avramides
As Director of Business Services, David oversees the financial, operational and commercial aspects of the School. In this role, he contributes to shaping and implementing strategic initiatives, supports business sustainability and enables the next phase of campus development, including the 10-year Master Plan and Strategic Plan (2026–2028).
He is an accomplished executive leader with over 25 years of experience at C-Suite and Board level spanning diverse sectors including education, not-for-profit, disability, sport and professional services. He has extensive experience shaping and executing strategic plans, driving income growth and diversification, master planning and major capital projects, stakeholder engagement, leading high-performing teams and managing complex budgets.
Director Business Services
David Sexton
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Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
“Having close connections with our parents, staff and community, is integral to a rich learning environment. When we work together, we can achieve amazing things”
Karen Yager,
Hills Grammar
“I believe that students learn in a supportive environment with passionate and inspiring teachers and staff. We surround our students with positive creative and inspiring people, enthusiastic about their own learning and keen to immerse students in the spirit of life-long learning across the whole community”
Karen Yager,
Hills Grammar
Founded by Scott Kuru and Lianna Pan in 2020, Freedom Investment Lending has grown into one of Australia’s top mortgage brokerages, specialising in investment lending for brand-new properties and empowering Australians to build wealth and achieve financial freedom and happiness through property investment.
With extensive experience in new property lending, the Freedom team understands the unique requirements and complexities that can sometimes be associated with these purchases, helping investors secure finance solutions that support portfolio growth, safely maximise borrowing capacity and create a strong foundation for long-term wealth creation. Their mission is to empower Australians with the knowledge, strategy and finance solutions needed to build lasting wealth through property investment.
By combining specialist lending expertise, the right people and a client-first approach, Freedom has delivered a seamless experience from strategy through to settlement. Through education, guidance and long-term relationships, the firm has helped thousands of Australians progress towards their goals of financial freedom. This commitment to client success, operational excellence and continuous innovation has established Freedom Investment Lending as one of Australia’s most respected specialist mortgage brokerages.
Learning designed for educators
The centrepiece of Hills Grammar’s approach to staff development is its Professional Learning Model, led by director of professional learning Dr. Chris Furner. Grounded in adult learning pedagogies, aligned with the school’s strategic intent and staff profile and standards, the model deliberately moves away from compliance-driven professional development towards something more meaningful. This is delivered as learning that is authentic, research-based and tailored to where each educator is in their career journey.
Supporting this is the Learning Centre Staff Program, which creates structured opportunities for staff to share practice, reflect on their work and learn from one another. Mentoring, leadership development and action research opportunities are embedded throughout, making professional growth a continuous and collegial practice rather than a periodic obligation. It is a model that reflects Hills Grammar’s commitment to investing in the people responsible for delivering its educational vision.
Future-forward leadership
The school’s commitment to its team extends to how Hills Grammar approaches leadership. Working in partnership with the governing council, school leaders maintain a shared focus on developing what the school describes as a ‘future fit’ graduate and the workforce equipped to teach them. Innovation is encouraged, and the culture is one where academic ambition and professional development are seen as inseparable.
Wellbeing in a remarkable setting
Staff also benefit from complimentary wellbeing programs, a genuine commitment to work-life balance and access to an Employee Assistance Program. Additionally, for educators who value a workplace where the physical environment itself is part of the daily experience, Hills Grammar’s picturesque campus offers a setting that is as restorative as it is inspiring.
There is also a proactive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), such that employees are informed and educated through integrated professional learning frameworks. Hills Grammar is proud to be actively shaping bold thinkers, and in turn empowering the people who teach them.
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