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Balaton Financial

Lending shaped around your goals.

We’re here to help clients make confident lending decisions that support their broader financial goals.

Whether buying your first home, growing a property portfolio, funding a business, navigating a complex financial structure or looking at your next opportunity in retirement, we take the time to understand what you’re trying to achieve and shape lending around that outcome.

As mortgage brokers and debt advisors, we believe good lending advice is about more than securing a loan. It’s about understanding your position, structuring debt effectively and helping you make informed decisions with confidence.

Our leadership team

Our leadership team brings together deep experience across residential, commercial and specialist lending, with expertise spanning lending strategy, credit analysis and client relationship management.

Their experience helps clients navigate complex lending decisions and structure solutions around their circumstances, priorities and longer-term goals.

Matt Pongrass, Managing director | Finance Broker

Matt Pongrass

Managing director | Finance Broker

Matt specialises in structuring lending solutions for clients with complex financial circumstances, investment ambitions and long-term wealth goals. Combining a background in business banking with deep lender relationships, he helps clients secure finance that supports both immediate opportunities and broader financial outcomes.

Kathleen Forrester, Relationship Manager | Finance Broker

Kathleen Forrester

Relationship Manager | Finance Broker

Kathleen takes a strategic, outcomes-focused approach to lending, helping clients align finance decisions with their property and financial goals. Drawing on experience across broking, property management and funding management, she helps clients navigate the lending process with confidence.

Piyush Handa, Head of Credit

Piyush Handa

Head of Credit

Piyush specialises in complex lending scenarios involving commercial finance, sophisticated investors, SMSFs and self-employed borrowers. With a background as a Chartered Accountant and CPA, he brings an analytical approach to structuring finance, helping clients navigate complexity and secure lending that supports their broader objectives.

Olivia Hirst, Head of Growth

Olivia Hirst

Head of Growth

Olivia brings more than 15 years of marketing and brand experience across financial services, including senior roles at Commonwealth Bank across digital, marketing operations, brand and creative services. At Balaton Financial, she leads brand and corporate partnerships, shaping how clients and partners experience and engage with the business.

Backed by a team of specialists, through settlement and beyond

Supporting our leadership team is a broader team of specialists, bringing the depth of experience needed to support clients across a wide range of lending scenarios.

From credit analysis and loan structuring through to application management and settlement, our team draws on expertise across banking, accounting and finance to help clients navigate even the most complex situations. We work together to provide clear advice, practical solutions and a lending experience that’s efficient, transparent and focused on your goals.

And our support doesn’t end at settlement. As circumstances evolve, opportunities emerge and financial goals shift, we stay involved, providing ongoing guidance and helping ensure your lending structure continues to support where you’re headed next.

Ready to talk through your options?

Get in touch, and we’ll walk you through what’s available, how to prepare and what happens next.

Get in touch