Pepper Money, Bankwest clinch repeat wins at MFAA National Excellence Awards

Australia's mortgage and finance broking industry gathered at Crown Melbourne on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, for the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) National Excellence Awards, where 26 categories of brokers, aggregators, lenders and support businesses were recognised for their contribution to the sector over the past year.

The ceremony capped the MFAA's 2026 National Conference, ‘Built on Trust. Ready for Tomorrow’, which drew almost 1,000 brokers, lenders, policymakers and industry leaders to Melbourne to discuss the future of the profession.

Keynote sessions featured Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services the Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP, alongside Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Commissioner Alan Kirkland, who joined industry leaders in examining the challenges and opportunities shaping mortgage and finance broking heading into 2027.

MFAA chief executive Anja Pannek said the conference and the awards together reflected an industry that continues to raise its own standards.

"Trust is the foundation of our industry. It is earned every day through expertise, integrity and by consistently putting clients first," Pannek said. "Our National Excellence Awards recognise the people, businesses and organisations who exemplify those qualities. They celebrate not only outstanding mortgage and finance brokers, but also the aggregators, lenders, mentors and service providers who work together to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients."

MPA presented the Fintech Lender award to bridging finance specialists Bridgit.

"To be recognised on a national stage by one of our industry's leading bodies is a huge moment for us but it wouldn’t be possible without the people who believe in our product, our services and what we can deliver,” said Bridgit co-founder and chief executive Aaron Bassin (pictured left, top of page, with Bridgit team).

Bassin added: “Being classed as a fintech isn’t just something we say we do, it’s the fundamentals of what we built this business on. We’re investing in making our products better every single day and equipping our team on how to streamline the lending process for our brokers and customers. Thank you to our broker community, our customers, MFAA and the whole Bridgit team."

Individual broker awards:

• Commercial & Equipment Finance Broker Award: Jarrod Smith, Transact Finance (Western Australia)

• Residential Finance Broker Award: Katie Thomas, Focus Finance (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)

• Regional Finance Broker Award: Kirsty McKinnon, Flair Finance (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)

• Young Professional Award: Tara Rockett, Rockett Finance Solutions (Queensland)

• Newcomer Award: Danny Trajcevski, Traj Finance (Victoria and Tasmania)

• Customer Service Award – Individual: Amol Agrawal, Juice Finance (Western Australia)

• Loan Administrator Award: Sally Fox, Thompson Finance & Leasing (South Australia and the Northern Territory)

• Community Champion Award: Donna Campbell, Mortgage Choice South Morang (Victoria and Tasmania) and Louisa Sanghera, Zippy Financial (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)

Business awards:

• Customer Service Award – Business: Azura Financial (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)

• Finance Broker Business Award: Azura Financial (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)

• Diversified Business Award: HT Capital (South Australia and the Northern Territory)

Aggregator, mentor and support provider awards:

• Aggregator Award – Boutique Aggregator: Purple Circle Financial Services

• Aggregator Award – Large Aggregator: Lendi Group

• Mentor Program Award: Purple Circle Financial Services

• Mentor of the Year Award: Joseph Daoud, It's Simple

• Diversity and Inclusion Award: Brighten

• Mortgage Manager Award: Mortgage Ezy

• Professional Development Award: Smartmove

• Support Service Provider Award – Small Company: Accurateli

• Support Service Provider Award – Large Company: NextGen

• Business Development Manager Award – Aggregator: Holly Hammond, Loan Market (South Australia and the Northern Territory)

• Business Development Manager Award – Lender & Support Service Provider: Kelly Tietjen, National Australia Bank (NAB) (Queensland)

Lender awards:

• Major Lender Award: Macquarie Bank

• Non-Major Lender Award: Bankwest

• Specialty Lender Award: Pepper Money

• Mutual/Credit Union Lender Award: Beyond Bank Australia

• Fintech Lender Award: Bridgit

Lenders reflect on repeat wins

Pepper Money chief executive, mortgages and commercial lending, Barry Saoud said winning the Specialty Lender Award for a ninth consecutive year carried extra weight given the category is decided by broker and industry vote.

"Being named the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia's (MFAA's) National Specialty Lender Award winner for the ninth consecutive year is a proud moment for all of us at Pepper Money," Saoud said.

"The fact that it's broker and industry voted makes this recognition especially rewarding.

"It reflects the hard work, expertise, and commitment of our people, who show up every day focused on helping brokers and their customers to succeed. Every conversation, every application, and every outcome matters. It's our team's can-do mindset and genuine partnership with brokers that continues to be our X factor.

"Thank you to our broker partners for your continued trust – we're grateful to be part of your journey and success. We'd also like to thank the MFAA for recognising the important role specialty lending plays in helping more Australians to succeed."

Bankwest also extended its own award streak. General manager of home buying distribution Ian Rakhit (pictured, above, accepting award) said the ninth consecutive Non-Major Lender win reflected the bank's ongoing investment in broker and customer experience.

"We are extremely proud to continue our streak at the MFAA Excellence Awards after being recognised as the best Non-Major Lender at the national awards for the 9th consecutive year," Rakhit said. "The long-running success is a great honour and testament to our dedication to continuously improving home buying experiences for customers and brokers.

"It follows another year of strong momentum at Bankwest, including a near 20% increase in same day approvals and continued investment in the Broker Portal and digital experiences.

"We have built on practical policy settings, outstanding broker support and customer-first innovations to positively influence the experience of Australians making one of life's biggest financial decisions and the brokers who help many of them navigate that process.

"A special thanks to our hardworking colleagues and their commitment to getting brokers and customers the right outcomes and to all the MFAA award winners for their valuable contributions to our industry."