Profile
Adrian Severino is founder and director of First Light Finance, an award-winning mortgage brokerage recognised in Australian Broker’s Fast Brokerages 2024 for exceptional growth, innovation and client service.
With a passion for helping Australians achieve their property and business goals, Adrian has built his business on relationships, referrals and a commitment to making the lending process as straightforward as possible. He works closely with first home buyers, investors, self-employed clients, business owners and commercial borrowers, helping them navigate residential and commercial finance with confidence.
Known for his approachable style and strong community connections, Adrian is an active networker and business advocate who believes trust, communication and long-term relationships are the foundation of great outcomes.
Under his leadership, First Light Finance has experienced significant growth while maintaining a highly personalised client experience. Adrian and his team are committed to connecting clients with tailored lending solutions across residential, commercial and business finance, delivering exceptional service from application through to settlement and beyond.
150 George Street, Parramatta, NSW, 2150
0450 145 345
adrian@firstlightfinance.com
linkedin.com/in/adriano-severino-87500b20/
firstlightfinance.com
Adrian Severino
Founder and Director First Light Finance
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Bio
Milestones
2021
2022
2024
2025
2026
First year as mortgage broker
2021
Started First Light Finance
2022
Winner of Australian Broker’s Fastest-Growing Brokerage Award
2024
Winner of Australian Broker’s 5-Star Broker Award
2025
Expanded Money Lounge into a team of four while increasing settled loan volumes
2025–2026
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
Empathy underpins that discipline. Prickett has struggled in the industry. She has felt what it is like when promised support does not materialize. Having worked across almost every function in the company, she understands operational detail and the pressure agents face. That shared experience shapes her leadership.
Structural barriers also shaped her path. As a woman and a mother, she encountered the assumption that serious business building required keeping priorities “out of order for a time.” She also experienced the double standard that frames firm women as difficult while praising similar behaviour in men.
“If you have a choice between being liked and doing the right thing, doing the right thing is always better, even if it’s the unpopular thing,” Prickett says.
She wants to dismantle the expectation that women must choose between career and family, or between strength and kindness. In her view, leadership demands both conviction and care.
Being named an Elite Woman carries weight. Prickett did not have female role models in the industry when she started. She hopes visibility changes that. “I hope I can be an example. Not of perfection, but of persistence. Of building from your values and staying true to who you are.”
The legacy Prickett is still defining centres on proof – proof that a large, profitable company can grow without sacrificing integrity; proof that agents can build real assets while keeping their priorities intact; and proof that leadership does not require abandoning who you are to succeed.
“If you have a choice between being liked and doing the right thing, doing the right thing is always better, even if it’s the unpopular thing”
Lee-Ann Prickett,
Experior Financial Group
“What I’ve learned is that when you build from your values, when you put people first, when you do the right thing even when it’s hard, that becomes your plan”
Lee-Ann Prickett,
Experior Financial Group