Profile
“XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX”
Simi Sethu,
Kripa Financial Solutions
Linda Eagleton has spent her working life in lending, rising through the ranks to management roles in branch and lending before stepping into advisory. That depth of experience through multiple economic cycles shapes how she stands beside borrowers across the life of their mortgage.
Named an Elite Woman 2026 by NZ Adviser, she is a mortgage adviser at Eagle Home Loans, trading as Loan Market, and describes a career built on perspective gained through each market turn.
Years inside banking gave her commercial grounding but eventually left her feeling constrained. Working within one lender meant one set of credit and pricing policies. She wanted to offer more than a single option and represent clients across a broader panel.
The hardest part of her role is the part that demands confrontation. “For me, it’s fighting banks,” she says. Eagleton will push back when service slips or an application stalls. In her view, an adviser’s duty is to the client, first and foremost.
Lenders that deliver reliable service receive the majority of her business. Consistency upstream allows her to deliver stronger outcomes and a smoother experience for clients.
Her biggest achievement is the stage the business has reached. Eagleton has just recorded her strongest year and has begun building the next generation within the firm. Over the past 18 months, she has employed both of her adult children as juniors, including a daughter just entering the industry.
She plans to teach them gradually so they can grow into capable advisers. Her husband has also joined the business, broadening the services available to clients. She describes the current moment as one she “could have only dreamt of being at”.
Service and empathy define her professional identity. She calls herself absolutely customer-centric and measures success by the quality of care clients receive. “I am not a transactional adviser and like to develop long-term relationships,” she says.
A fixed-rate review may not generate income, yet she values it as much as a first home loan because it reinforces trust and ongoing advice. She aims to guide clients through an increasingly complex lending environment and review their mortgage as circumstances change.
Communication underpins that model. She wants clients to understand the process and feel comfortable at every step. If a mistake occurs, she believes in owning it immediately and working through solutions with the client.
As a woman in the sector, Eagleton says operating her own business has reduced many of the structural barriers she once felt in corporate banking. Conferences can still feel male-dominated, yet she focuses on her team and her clients.
A trusted network of women in the industry provides perspective and support in what can be an isolating role. She hopes being recognised as an Elite Woman will inspire young people entering the field. When asked what sets her apart, she points to being genuine and authentic with clients, staff and peers.
Her legacy focus is practical. She wants to share what she learned through the GFC, the pandemic and other cycles, explaining how those events shaped responsible lending rules and interest rates. She hopes the next generation will carry that experience forward as they face the economic events still to come.
Unit 4/35 Allens Road, East Tāmaki, Auckland 2013
027 302 1125
linda.eagleton@loanmarket.co.nz
linkedin.com/in/linda-eagleton
adviser.loanmarket.co.nz/linda-eagleton
Linda Eagleton
Mortgage Adviser
Eagle Home Loans t/a Loan Market
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
Profile
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
“XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX”
Simi Sethu,
Kripa Financial Solutions
1988–2018
2019–2021
2022–2023
2024–2025
Present
Built extensive experience in banking across a range of roles, with a strong focus on mobile mortgage management positions
1988–2018
2019: Achieved Loan Market Elite status
2020: Platinum Elite status
2021: Achieved Loan Market Elite status
2019–2021
2022: Platinum Elite status; NZA’s Elite Woman
2023: Achieved Loan Market Elite status; NZA’s Top Adviser; NZA’s Elite Woman
2022-2023
2024: Achieved Loan Market Elite status; NZA’s Elite Woman
2025: NZA’s Top Adviser
2024–2025
Mortgage Adviser since 2018, consistently delivering outstanding results and industry recognition
NZA’s Elite Woman
Present
Milestones
Milestones
ELITE WOMEN 2024 JUDGE
Before founding Kripa, Sethu held key sales roles with global travel leaders Emirates and Travelport, where she sharpened her client relationship, communication and strategic sales skills. These experiences gave her a deep appreciation for diverse client needs and the importance of tailored, human-centred solutions.
Sethu is also a sought-after speaker on topics such as homeownership pathways, business funding, financial literacy and smart borrowing in evolving markets. Her engaging, down-to-earth style makes financial education accessible and actionable.
Driven by a genuine passion for community empowerment and financial wellbeing, Sethu is dedicated to helping people take control of their financial futures with clarity, confidence and long-term vision.