Aussie has appointed Dino Pacella (pictured) — founder of National Finance Brokers Day and a widely recognised figure across the broking industry — to the newly created position of general manager, retail.
The role, effective 1 July, sits at the centre of Aussie's ambitions to grow and strengthen its national franchise footprint.
Pacella brings more than two decades of experience spanning banking, broking, and business development. Before joining Aussie, he led the third-party commercial referral business at Marketplace Finance, part of Simplicity Loans & Advisory Group, and began his career at Commonwealth Bank before transitioning into broking in 2015.
The GM retail position is a new one, and its creation signals deliberate intent. Pacella will take ownership of store performance, broker productivity, and franchise base expansion, as well as shaping the direction of Aussie's retail proposition.
The hire sits within a broader push by Aussie to expand its footprint well beyond mortgage broking — over the past 12 months, the brand has added conveyancing, buyer's agents, specialist lending, and Seller Assist to its offering, and most recently partnered with Foxtel's Selling Houses Australia to reach Australians at key property decision points across buying, selling, renovating, and refinancing.
Lendi Group chief distribution officer Brad Cramb said the hire reflected both that expanding ambition and the channel's existing scale.
"Aussie has one of the largest and most established retail broker networks in the country, and creating this role reflects both the scale of that network today and our ambitions for the future," Cramb said. "Just as importantly, he understands the role franchisees play in delivering great customer outcomes."
Pacella was candid about what drew him to the role, pointing to culture and leadership as much as brand profile.
"The conversations I had with the leadership team were centred on people, culture, performance and creating an environment where franchisees can genuinely thrive," he said.
Pacella’s stated priority is straightforward: back the existing channel before chasing new names.
"The strongest recruitment story any network can tell is the success of its existing franchisees," he said.
Aussie's retail footprint currently spans more than 1,350 brokers and 215 stores nationally.
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