Women building momentum by design in broking

The finance sector is slowly waking up to the business case for gender diversity, but for women already in the industry, the real work is just getting started

NOBODY EVER told Jenny Ronald she couldn’t take on a senior role because she was a woman. She did that all on her own. “I was offered my first senior role and almost turned it down,” says Ronald, chief product officer at Bluestone Home Loans. “Not because anyone said I couldn’t, but because of a bias I’d quietly internalised.” In the end, she was inspired to rethink things after watching Sheryl Sandberg’s TED Talk. “Three ideas stuck: take a seat at the table, make your partner an equal partner, and don’t leave before you leave – don’t opt out of opportunities you haven’t even tried.” The experience now shapes how she thinks about building environments in which women can advance at Bluestone, not by chance but by design. And it informs a message she gives freely to women earlier in their careers: “Apply before you feel ready and grow with the role.”

For Ronald, the place to start is not at the edges of the industry but at its centre, in the boardrooms, credit committees and product development sessions where the rules are written. “We need more women in the rooms where credit, policy and product decisions get made to ensure these policies and products reflect the needs of the other half of the population,” she explains. “When that happens, the industry gets smarter and clients get better outcomes.” The argument is less about equity as an abstract principle and more about the business cost of leaving capability on the table. An industry that draws on a broader talent base and builds products for a fuller picture of the customer will simply perform better.

What top performers do In a period of sustained financial pressure for many borrowers, Mortimer sees women advisers as particularly well placed to support clients through uncertainty. “In the current economic climate, customers need clear guidance more than ever,” she says. “Women at all levels of lending are well placed to help clients slow down, understand their options and make informed decisions.” For Mortimer, that means helping borrowers compare practical trade-offs around rates, fees, flexibility, repayments and longer-term affordability rather than simply telling them what to do. Ronald’s observations about what separates strong performers have a distinctly practical edge. The brokers who stand out are doing something more than processing applications. “The brokers who stand out aren’t just getting deals approved,” she says. “They’re structuring solutions that hold up two or three years down the track, modelling scenarios, setting expectations early, staying close post-settlement. The result is cleaner applications, fewer surprises and lending that lasts.” This kind of long-horizon thinking, Ronald argues, is a strength that women in the profession are well positioned to bring. “The women I see thriving, including many brokers we work with at Bluestone, bring sharp commercial decision-making, strong risk calibration and long-term thinking.”

The AI question Mortimer takes a grounded view of where technology is heading. “AI needs to be used safely, with people still applying quality assurance, judgement and care,” she says. She sees the next five years creating significant opportunities for women across digital lending, green finance, SMSF lending and broker technology, with the common thread being the ability to combine technical understanding with sound judgement. Ronald sees the rise of AI as a structural opportunity rather than a threat, particularly for women considering a move into broking from adjacent fields. “AI will handle more of the admin. That’s a good thing; it pushes the profession towards better judgement, sharper advice and stronger client relationships,” she says.

Brisbane-based Firstmac Limited is an independently owned Australian financial services provider with more than 47 years’ experience in home and investment property loans. With its advances in technology, Firstmac provides brokers with streamlined business processes, an innovative product suite and a total commitment to service. Firstmac has written more than 210,000 home loans and has $21 billion in home loans under management. Firstmac also has a $1 billion auto finance portfolio. It is a premier sponsor and Charity Partner of the Brisbane Broncos.

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Marie Mortimer, chief commercial officer at Firstmac, has seen a similar pattern in her own trajectory. “I wouldn’t point to one single dramatic moment, but like many women in finance, I have had times where I needed to back my own judgement and make sure my contribution was heard,” she says. “The way through that is to be prepared, understand the detail and stay focused on the outcome rather than the obstacle.” That experience, she adds, shaped how she approaches leadership: giving people room to develop while ensuring they are supported, with clear expectations, practical feedback and real opportunities to prove what they can do. The room where it happens Many women have similar personal stories that lie behind their success, but the problems described are often structural. According to the MFAA’s most recent Industry Intelligence Service report, women make up just 26.8% of mortgage brokers in Australia, a figure that has barely shifted in three years. Of those joining the profession between April and September 2024, 68% were men and 32% were women, almost identical to where the industry stood in 2021. Mortimer frames the cost of that imbalance in direct terms. “This matters because the finance industry serves a broad range of Australians,” she says. “Leadership teams need a mix of perspectives when making decisions about risk, products, service and customer outcomes.” She argues that more women will move into leadership when development is treated as a real priority rather than a process, starting with identifying capability early, giving exposure to decision-making, and making leadership roles clearly attainable.

Jenny Ronald

Bluestone Home Loans

Industry experts

Marie Mortimer is chief commercial officer at Firstmac. Her role covers many responsibilities across the Firstmac Group of companies, including retail sales, third party sales, strategic partnerships, customer care, marketing and human resources. She is also responsible for launching Firstmac’s multi-award-winning Women, Children & Community Program. Mortimer started her career at Firstmac in 2000, working in hands-on roles in most areas of the business. In 2006, she left to work in the UK at the Royal Bank of Scotland. In 2010, she returned to Firstmac to head up the IT department and join the executive.

Firstmac

Marie Mortimer

Jenny Ronald is Bluestone’s chief product officer. With a proven history of driving rapid product-led transformation, Ronald has navigated the dynamic landscapes of both fast-growing fintech lenders and traditional banking institutions.

Bluestone Home Loans

Jenny Ronald

Ronald’s approach is equally direct. Curiosity matters, but it needs to be paired with deliberate skill building in the areas that earn credibility in a broker-facing environment. “Be curious, but deliberate,” she says. “Get close to the customer problem you want to solve, then build the technical skills that make you credible fast – credit, policy, how decisions actually get made.” She also highlights the value of working across different types of organisations. “Experience across big and small organisations helps too. Big businesses teach rigour; smaller ones teach ownership and instinct. In a broker-facing world like ours at Bluestone, that range becomes your confidence.” The same strategic thinking applies to progression into leadership. Ronald is blunt about what it requires. “Treat your career like a strategy, not a hope,” she says. “Put your hand up for work that challenges you, thinking of how you’ll solve commercial problems and build skills for the job you want to have in two or three years’ time. The best advice I ever got: Always plan for the role after the next one.” Mortimer points to flexibility as something that needs to be considered broadly. “It’s not just about how someone works today, but whether they can move into different roles over time and build a career with options,” she says. Organisations, she adds, have a shared responsibility for making that possible. Ronald agrees. “Organisations like Bluestone can accelerate this by being clear about what ‘ready’ looks like, sponsoring women into visible roles and building flexibility that supports long careers. When leadership is genuinely achievable, you unlock more talent and the whole sector wins.”

Treating a career like a strategy For women earlier in their careers, Mortimer’s prescription starts with gaining proximity to the core of the business. “The focus should be on getting exposure to the core parts of the business, such as credit, funding, compliance and customer outcomes, and understanding how decisions actually get made,” she says. “Sitting close to the work, rather than around the edges of it, makes a big difference.” She also makes the case for stepping into opportunities before feeling completely ready, noting that confidence tends to follow from doing the work and taking responsibility, not the other way around.

“The best adviceI ever got: Always plan for the role after the next one”

Jenny Ronald, Bluestone HOME LOANS

Published 01 Jun 2026

Marie Mortimer

Firstmac

Homeownership is a fundamental part of the Australian dream. However, the path can be challenging, especially when traditional lending can be strict and unforgiving. We’re here to change that. Since 2000, Bluestone Home Loans has been helping borrowers with complex or unique financial situations access the market with confidence, offering them a chance to purchase property – when others won’t – by providing tailored lending solutions. We empower brokers to serve a broader range of clients, from self-employed professionals to borrowers with past credit issues or those seeking niche lending options. With a 25-year legacy, Bluestone Home Loans has become a trusted leader in the Australian lending market, known for delivering innovative, flexible and straightforward solutions that break the mould of traditional lending.

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Little change in female broker numbers

Source: MFAA Industry Intelligence Service, 19th Edition

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Number of brokers

Source: MFAA Industry Intelligence Service, 19th Edition

Gender split among new brokers barely shifts

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“Progress comes from consistency. It’s not just about getting more women into the industry; it’s about making sure they stay, develop and take on leadership roles over time”

Marie Mortimer, Firstmac

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Proportion of men vs women entering mortgage broking

25.6%

25.5%

25.4%

26.9%

26.6%

26.7%

Proportion of female mortgage brokers overall

The reduced administrative load could also lower one of the practical barriers to entry. “AI will also help lower barriers for women coming from adjacent careers. Faster access to policy and lender knowledge means competing on capability, not on how long you’ve been in the industry.” What won’t be automated, Ronald suggests, is the human layer that clients increasingly value. “The brokers who win will pair efficiency with genuine human advocacy, trust, clarity and judgement when it matters most. Those are skills you build, not traits you’re born with.” The MFAA data suggests the industry has not yet found a way to move the needle. The proportion of women in mortgage broking has risen by just 1.2 percentage points over more than three years. The business case for change is well established. The question is whether the will is there to act on it. For Mortimer, the answer comes down to consistency. “Progress comes from consistency,” she says. “It’s not just about getting more women into the industry; it’s about making sure they stay, develop and take on leadership roles over time. That only happens when businesses are clear on standards, give people meaningful responsibility, and back capability with real opportunity.”