The broker association has elected two new board members and re-elected a third following its annual general meeting.
The Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) has unveiled its new board after electing two new board members and re-electing a third, while farewelling two directors.
Following its annual general meeting on Wednesday (19 November), the MFAA confirmed that commercial brokers – Melissa Ashcroft, broker and general manager at AAA Mortgages, and Sana Hosseini, senior broker and franchisee owner of Aussie South Yarra and Aussie Northern Rivers – have been elected to the board.
Rob McFadden, founder and CEO of Sydney-based brokerage Hypothéque, has also been re-elected to the MFAA board. He will continue as a member of the nominations, remuneration, and governance committee.
The appointments come following a board election, in which members voted on the three director positions.
Who are the new directors?
Ashcroft – who was recently crowned the Commercial Broker of the Year and the recipient of the Excellence Award at the Women in Finance Awards 2025 last week – has more than 10 years of experience as a broker at her family’s business, AAA Financial Group.
She is currently the deputy president of the MFAA’s National Mortgage Managers Forum and – as a new MFAA director – has now been appointed to the audit and risk management committee.
Hosseini has more than 23 years of experience in the broking industry and has a background as a tax and senior financial accountant. He is also a Justice of the Peace in both Victoria and NSW, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has previous governance experience as the treasurer and board member of the CASPA North Coast Children’s Home.
As MFAA director, Hosseini has been appointed to the audit and risk management committee.
Kerri Buurman from Vitality Finance (previously known as Buurman Finance Solutions) will continue as the chair of the MFAA board, and AFG’s Mark Hewitt (who has been on the board since 2022) has been named deputy chair.
The MFAA chair congratulated Ashcroft and Hosseini on their election to the board and McFadden’s re-election and stated: “We look forward to working with you.”
Outgoing directors
With the new board directors elected, Mortgage Choice broker Caroline Jean-Baptiste will now retire as a board director after serving two three-year terms (the maximum allowed). Having first been elected to the board in 2019, Jean-Baptiste had served as deputy chair since 2022. She was also chair of the nominations, remuneration, and governance committee.
Peter Clark, the principal at Beckmitch Consulting, will also be leaving the MFAA board. He was elected as a board director in 2022 and was a member of the audit and risk management committee.
The MFAA chair acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing directors and stated: “Caroline and Peter, it has been a pleasure to work with you both on the board. You have demonstrated a deep commitment to our members and our vision and purpose. You have individually made significant contributions to the progress of the association, and on behalf of the board and our entire community, we extend our gratitude for your leadership, insight and service.”
The new MFAA board
The MFAA board comprises five elected and two additional appointed directors, with elected directors voted on by members of the association.
The additional directors are appointed at the board’s discretion.
The MFAA board directors are now:
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Buurman (elected)
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Marissa Schulze (elected)
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McFadden (elected)
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Ashcroft (elected)
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Hosseini (elected)
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Vladimír Malčík (appointed) and
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Hewitt (appointed).
“I look forward to leading the board and working with the MFAA executive and wider team over the next 12 months to support our members by advocating for their interests and enhancing their ability to assist millions of Australian borrowers,” Buurman said.
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