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The History of Connective

November 19th, 2018

To celebrate our 15^th birthday, we’d like to share a brief history of Connective and everything we have achieved in partnership with you over that time. Thanks for your ongoing support – without you we wouldn’t be where we are today. For those of you who have only recently joined Connective, you may have missed an exciting journey, but there’s still plenty more to come

2003

Disillusioned by pre-historic commission split models and unfair and restrictive contracts for mortgage brokers, Murray and Glenn Lees took it upon themselves to drive the industry change they wanted to see. They officially launched Connective in October 2003.

2004

Murray and Glenn also recognised that in future, all business would be driven by IT. They recruited expert IT Developers Tim Britton and Ben Cook, and our multi-award-winning IT Platform Mercury was born.

2005

Connective’s campaign for industry change was met with an overwhelming response from brokers. Steady growth was achieved throughout 2004 and 2005 as more and more brokers joined the rebellion.

2006

Mark Haron joined as the third Connective Director, followed by General Manager Ron Smith and then Business Development Manager, Fiona Brown.

2007

Growth continued, prompting a move from our humble beginnings at the Knox City Shopping Centre to larger, centrally located offices in Collins Street, Melbourne.

2008

The Global Financial Crisis hit, leaving brokers exposed to industry-wide commission cuts. Our fair flat fee business model became key to broker profitability and more brokers flocked to Connective. As a result, Barry Jannese joined and opened the Brisbane office.

2009

Connective’s continuing growth and success in the face of adversity was recognised by the wider business community. Connective achieved 24th place on the prestigious BRW Fast 100 List. We also opened an office in WA.

2010

The National Consumer Credit Protection Act (NCCP) was passed into law in 2009 and came into effect for brokers on 1 July 2010. Connective Learning focused on introducing the new compliance process.

2011

Steady growth across 2011 prompted us to open a new SA office headed up by Justine Hockley. Connective won the MFAA Excellence Awards 2011 Aggregator of the Year, as well as Best IT Platform and Best Learning Program at the inaugural Australian Broking Awards (ABAs).

2012

Connective Home Loans began to gain more traction and was a Finalist for Innovative Mortgage Products at the 2012 Asia Pacific Banking & Finance Awards.

2013

We formed a strategic partnership with Macquarie. Connective Wiki launched giving brokers access to support information 24/7. We won many industry awards, as well as Best Medium Business at the Telstra Business Awards in Victoria.

2014

Connective Conference set sail on a spectacular Voyage of Discovery in Fiji. We also took the innovative step of creating a dedicated Broker Support Manager role and put these resources on the ground in each state.

2015

In another big year, diversification was the new industry buzzword. Connective Plant & Equipment went into a rapid growth phase with settlement volumes tripling, and 65% of all members were accredited for Connective Home Loans with volumes exceeding 3% of total settlements.

2016

Connective officially launched iConnect Financial – a retail aggregation model providing full marketing support – as an alternative option for our brokers. We also released Mercury 5, which introduced a host of new features.

2017

Scrutiny from ASIC, APRA and the upcoming Royal Commission enquiry brought uncertainty to the industry and prompted many more brokers to join Connective. Mercury development moved into a new phase under IT GM Jon Meadows. Brent Starrenburg became Head of Connective Asset Finance following a re-brand, and BOLT was introduced.

2018

The Royal Commission has created a difficult year for brokers – but Connective Group Legal Counsel, Dan Oh and Director, Mark Haron have stepped up to champion broker’s interests with great success. Mark Haron became Deputy Chair of the Combined Industry Forum to help the industry proactively institute positive reforms.