Mortgage franchise group Rate Money, which specialises in self-employed loans, has welcomed a new head of sales and distribution.
Gabrielle Aoun has joined self-employed home loan provider Rate Money as its new head of sales and distribution, tasked with driving the mortgage franchise’s network capability, building and managing the national sales team, and supporting Rate Money franchises nationally with product deployment, business planning, and channel expansion.
Aoun – who was most recently the head of partnerships at non-bank lender MA Money – commenced in her new role on Tuesday (2 December), taking over the position from Alan Fardon.
She has more than 15 years of experience in the finance industry and has spent the last 10 years in the broking industry. Indeed, Aoun was a broker between 2016 and 2019 before moving into the non-bank lending space as a business development manager (including at Resimac and ORDE Financial).
In her new position at Rate Money, Aoun will be building and leading a national sales team to drive portfolio growth and loan conversion, supporting Rate Money franchisees with growth initiatives, managing key funding partner relationships to maintain a competitive product suite, and championing market education for self-employed borrowers, among other responsibilities.
Speaking of the new appointment, Rate Money CEO Ryan Gair said: “I am extremely excited that Gabrielle has joined the Rate Money team and is taking on the head of sales and distribution role.
“With over 10 years’ experience, Gab has persevered to work her way up through the ranks.
“One of our values at Rate Money is ‘Grit’ and her dedication to the non-bank sector has shown a huge amount of this through her career. This has helped to evolve her into a true leader.
“With her deep understanding of the broker market and non-bank lending, she is the perfect fit for the next growth phase of Rate Money.
“I know the Rate Money franchisees and head office team look forward to working closely with her to grow their market share.
“With her drive and passion, she is perfect fit for us.
“I look forward to working closely with Gab and the wider leadership team in 2026 as Rate Money continues to evolve in being the leading self-employed lender in the non-bank space.”
Speaking of her new position, the new head of sales and distribution at Rate Money said she “was genuinely excited by the opportunity to join Rate Money” as she is “deeply passionate about the non-bank lending sector and the unique needs of self-employed borrowers”.
Aoun said: “The business has built a strong reputation for specialist lending, franchise growth and providing genuine solutions for borrowers who don’t fit the traditional bank profile.
“I believe there remains a significant, underserved segment of self-employed Australians who require flexible, well-designed lending structures, and Rate Money is uniquely positioned to continue leading that charge.
“I look forward to helping strengthen our distribution footprint, elevate the franchise network, and further enhance the Rate Money proposition with our funding partners.
“The potential for expansion is immense, and I’m thrilled to contribute to a model that empowers franchisees, delivers compelling outcomes, and provides more Australians with access to lending pathways that truly reflect the way they earn, build, and grow their businesses.”
Rate Money has been growing rapidly since it launched six years ago, having this year marked the milestone of writing more than $10 billion in loans.
Its growth in self-employed lending has accelerated in recent years, in particular, with the franchise group having settled $2.6 billion in 2024 alone.
Since 2019, the mortgage manager has supported more than 15,000 self-employed borrowers, expanded its franchise network to over 40 branches in multiple states, and built out its product offerings.
It recently launched a commercial lending offering and last year rolled out a construction loan offering.
[Related: Rate Money launches commercial property loans]
