ISCOVER
The former head of broker at Great Southern Bank has become the new franchise owner of an Aussie franchise in NSW.
Mathew Patterson, the former head of branches and broker at Great Southern Bank, has become a mortgage broker, aggregating under the Aussie brand (part of the Lendi Group).
He is now the franchise owner of an Aussie franchise in the Central Coast region of Erina, taking over from Chris Powell, an Aussie Signature Diamond franchisee who is retiring.
Patterson has spent his career in the banking industry with a large focus on mortgages and third-party distribution.
Over his career, he has worked closely with brokers, including in his most recent role as the head of branches and broker at Great Southern Bank, where he was responsible for managing broker partnerships and supporting national aggregation relationships.
He also has experience in managing broker partnerships from when he was the general manager of broker sales at ME Bank and from his time as a business development manager at both AMP Bank and Citibank.
For the past few months, he has been working in the Aussie Erina business as a store broker, learning the day-to-day operations, systems, and customer engagement required to run the franchise.
He officially commenced as franchise owner and business owner on Tuesday (1 July).
Taking to LinkedIn, Patterson revealed that he had begun discussing the move to becoming an Aussie broker in January 2025 and said: “Over the years, I’ve had a close connection with both the Aussie and Lendi brands. Aussie isn’t just one of the most iconic names in financial services – it’s one of the most recognised brands in the country.
“But truthfully, the brand was only part of what drew me in. The real reason was the people.”
Patterson noted that he had worked alongside “incredible leaders” from across the group while in his corporate roles, including Brad Cramb (CEO of distribution); Fiona Kelly (head of strategic partnerships); Matthew Whyte (general manager, Queensland); Glenn Edwards (state manager, Victoria/Tasmania); Karen Sorrenti (general manager NSW/ACT); and Mark Giddy (head of retail NSW/ACT), among others.
He continued: “But what always stood out to me was the strength of the broker network – how tight-knit, supportive, and connected the Aussie community is.
“Whether it was chats at conferences, workshops, or just connecting with franchisees around the country, I was constantly struck by the camaraderie and culture that exists within this business. It’s a community I’ve long respected, and one I’ve genuinely wanted to be part of.
“And now I am. [I] couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
Welcoming the former head of broker to Aussie, Sorrenti, general manager NSW/ACT, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Mat to the Aussie family as the new franchisee of Aussie Erina.
“We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with him in his previous role and have always valued his deep understanding of the broker channel, strategic thinking, and commitment to customer outcomes,” she said, noting that he participated in Lendi Group’s 2024 Manila Study Tour, which exposed him to Aussie’s operational infrastructure, broker support systems, and future vision for the network.
“Having someone of Mat’s calibre and background choose to partner with Aussie as a franchisee is a real validation of the strength of our broker value proposition.”
Speaking of the change in franchise ownership, Aussie paid tribute to former franchise owner Chris Powell and stated that he had “built a high-performing franchise with strong community and customer ties”.
“With his wealth of experience, strong local ties, and passion for the industry, we’re confident Mat will do great things at Aussie Erina,” Sorrenti concluded, noting that as a Central Coast local, Patterson brings regional knowledge and strong local relationships to the business.
Broking industry continues to grow at pace
Patterson’s move to the broking industry comes amid a growing trend of bankers becoming brokers, which was noted in a recent parliamentary review into Australia’s major banks.
In February, the House of Representatives’ standing committee on economics expressed “deep concern” over the reintroduction of high sales bonuses for bankers. In its report scrutinising the big four banks (ANZ, CBA, NAB, and Westpac), the committee highlighted that both CBA and NAB had increased these bonuses in an apparent bid to stem the flow of bankers becoming brokers, a move it labelled “troubling” and a “reversal of some of the hard-won gains from the royal commission”.
The parliamentary report chastised the banks for undermining past progress on remuneration practices, which five years ago were found to incentivise harmful sales and neglect customer welfare. The committee noted that if one bank backslides to gain a competitive advantage over mortgage brokers, others quickly follow suit.
Indeed, mortgage broking industry is experiencing unprecedented growth. According to the latest Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) report, there was a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in broker numbers, reaching a record 22,265 in September 2024.
The Adviser also saw a large number of new and prospective brokers register for its New Broker Academy 2025, run in partnership with Bendigo Bank. Over the three-state roadshow, more than 900 new and prospective brokers registered to attend.
[Related: In Focus: The evolution of Aussie]
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