Profile
Roshan Bhattarai found his way into mortgage broking after migrating to Australia and completing a Bachelor of Commerce, taking on various jobs to support his studies while holding a long-standing interest in real estate, business and finance.
Broking drew those interests together, and it gave the mortgage broker and Sydney director of Derwent Finance something he had not anticipated: a genuine passion for helping families into home ownership. Bhattarai’s own experience of arriving in a new country shaped who he is best placed to help.
His primary focus is residential lending, working with first home buyers, healthcare professionals, self-employed clients, business owners and property investors, as well as many migrants and visa holders facing the same unfamiliar lending system he once had to learn. More recently, he has begun building experience in commercial lending to support his self-employed and business owner clients.
Ask Bhattarai about the biggest achievement of his career and he does not reach for a number. “For me, the biggest achievement of my career isn’t an award or a settlement figure. It’s the opportunity to make a genuine difference in people’s lives,” he says.
He points to a single mother with three dependents who could not buy when they first met. Rather than turning her away, he worked with her over six months, educating her on the process, clearing debts and building a plan to lift her borrowing capacity.
She eventually bought a home with a 5% deposit, and this experience stayed with him. “I’ll never forget the phone call we had on the day of settlement,” he recounts. “Hearing the excitement and relief in her voice, knowing she could finally provide a stable home for her children, was incredibly rewarding.”
The quality Bhattarai values most in himself is an attentiveness to each client’s individual circumstances. Sometimes it shows in small things, like asking a client who is driving to call back when it is safe, or meeting after hours so the process feels less stressful.
“I don’t think this is anything extraordinary – it’s simply the level of care and service I would hope to receive myself,” he adds.
Bhattarai frames the challenge of a fast-changing industry as an opportunity to work better. He embraces technology that makes the journey simpler and clearer, using tools like Quickli to gauge borrowing capacity on the first call so clients see what is achievable far earlier, and automated updates so clients know where things stand. The efficiency frees him to spend less time on administration and more on relationships, advice and getting families to their goals.
Bhattarai approaches his work with humility and a belief that you never stop learning. He is characteristically reluctant to say what sets him apart, suggesting that is better answered by his clients.
“If there’s one thing I hope clients remember is that I genuinely care,” he says. It is that care, more than any single deal, he hopes to be known for as he keeps helping families reach what they once thought was beyond them.
150 George Street, Parramatta, NSW, 2150
0450 145 345
roshan@derwentfinance.com.au
linkedin.com/in/roshan-bhattarai
derwentfinance.com.au/sydney/
Roshan Bhattarai
Sydney Director and Mortgage Broker Eliteway Finance T/AS Derwent Finance Sydney
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Milestones
2022
2023
2025
2026
2026
Completed a Certificate IV and Diploma in Finance and Mortgage Broking and began his journey as a mentee mortgage broker
2022
Commenced my career as a Mortgage Broker with Derwent Finance
2023
Awarded RateMyAgent Mortgage Broker of the Year – Tasmania
Named a Finalist of Better Business Awards’ New Broker of the Year Appointed Director and Mortgage Broker of Eliteway Finance, trading as Derwent Finance Sydney
2025
Recognised as RateMyAgent Mortgage Broker of the Year – Tasmania
Broker Innovations Awards’ Metro Broker and First Home Buyer Finalist
FBAA Finance Broker Finalist – NSW/ACT
Named Australian Mortgage Awards’ 5-Star Mortgage Broker
2026
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