Meet Our Expert Team – Your Dedicated Mortgage Advisers for Home Ownership
Meet the team dedicated to helping you achieve your home ownership and financial goals. While we’re expert mortgage brokers, we’re also locals, homeowners, and investors who understand the importance of personalised and prompt service.
Nathan Aird
Director & Finance Broker
Nathan Aird is the Founder and Managing Director of Universal Mortgage Experts (UME). After a challenging first home-buying experience at 21, Nathan was inspired to provide a better, more supportive service for homebuyers. With over a decade of industry experience, he launched UME in 2013 to be the Central Coast’s broker of choice.
Nathan is passionate about delivering personalised, client-focused service and clear, honest advice. He has grown UME through a commitment to excellence, technology investment, and continuous learning, ensuring the team always provides the best outcomes for clients.
Recognised as an “elite/diamond” status broker (a designation provided by banks based on quality metrics), Nathan’s leadership has earned UME numerous accolades, including multiple NSW Champion Broker titles. His expert insights are sought out by industry leaders, and his team offers clients priority lender service with quick turnaround times, setting UME apart in the industry.
Outside work, Nathan enjoys dirt bike riding, travel, and spending quality time with his family.
Kristel Aird
General Manager of Operations & Co-founder
Kristel Aird is the dynamic General Manager of Operations and Co-Founder of Universal Mortgage Experts (UME). With a background in graphic design and a flair for creative problem-solving, Kristel wears many hats and makes it look effortless. From driving business growth and streamlining operations to managing marketing, HR, and team culture, Kristel is the glue that bonds the UME team.
Kristel’s approach combines creativity with strategy, ensuring UME remains an industry leader while creating a positive and engaged workplace. UME’s continued success reflects her dedication to enhancing the client experience and championing the team’s achievements.
Outside work, Kristel is a mum of three, and you’ll either find her cheering from the sidelines of their sporting events, or diving headfirst into her next creative project. Whatever she’s doing, Kristel does it with heart, hustle, and a smile.
Steph Catley
Compliance Manager
Steph is a dedicated Compliance Manager at Universal Mortgage Experts (UME), known for her attention to detail and passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals. Joining UME in 2019 as a high school graduate, Steph has built a strong foundation in finance, progressing from Administration Trainee to her current role. Alongside her industry experience, Steph holds a Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management and Certificates III and IV in Business Administration.
With a long-standing interest in real estate and a natural affinity for numbers, Steph pursued a career in finance to gain deeper industry insight and support clients in realising their property dreams. In 2024, she was honoured with AFG’s NSW Loan Administrator of the Year award, recognising her exceptional client service and dedication to mortgage broking.
Outside work, Steph enjoys live music and weekend getaways, as well as spending time in her garden with her pet chickens.
Monique Telfer
With a keen eye for detail, and natural affinity for numbers, and a genuine passion for helping others, Monique is dedicated to guiding clients through significant financial milestones, as she strives to make the mortgage process clear and seamless. Monique began her career as a trainee after earning her Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking, and quickly discovered the fulfilment that comes from helping clients achieve goals like purchasing their first homes.
Her experience tutoring young students revealed the profound impact of guiding others through important life decisions, inspiring her to build a career focused on empowering clients in their financial journeys. Outside of work, Monique loves beach walks with her Staffy puppy and exploring hiking trails along the Central Coast and Newcastle.
Megan Heginbotham
Para Broker
After a 15-year career as a paramedic, Megan brings a wealth of care, dedication, and precision to her role as a Para Broker at Universal Mortgage Experts. Transitioning into finance, Megan combines her natural empathy with a long-standing passion for the property market and financial planning. Her healthcare background shapes her approach to client support, ensuring a seamless and supportive experience throughout the mortgage process.
A passionate advocate for financial independence, Megan enjoys helping clients navigate major financial decisions with clarity and compassion. Outside of work, she is a busy mum. She loves coordinating her youngest daughter’s dance commitments and being creative—building stage props, making costumes and more—and enjoys every opportunity to go camping and fishing with family.
Tiffany Ballard
Administration Officer
With a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, Tiffany’s career has been shaped by her strong analytical skills and passion for client-focused work. She began her career in the financial industry, gaining valuable experience in customer service and administration within Funds Management, and later as a Business Analyst, focusing on process improvements and data migrations.
Tiffany enjoys client interaction and the opportunity to learn new concepts in the mortgage industry. Inspired by her father’s career in finance, she developed a keen interest in the financial sector and now thrives in her role as Administrator Officer at Universal Mortgage Experts.
Outside work, you’ll find Tiffany supporting her children at their ice hockey, netball, and dance events, or enjoying her downtime reading, sewing, and spending time with her family, including her sweet cavoodle, Daisy.
