MEET YOUR TOP OF THE SOUTH & CENTRAL SOUTH ISLAND TEAM

Matt brings a wealth of experience to the UDC team, with over 10 years in the banking and finance industry. He understands the importance of standing with his clients through the good times and the tough times, having worked in ANZ’s business banking team assisting SMEs at the height of the Christchurch rebuild.

Since joining UDC in 2015, Matt has managed a diverse portfolio of clients across the aviation, agriculture, forestry and transport industries in Otago, Central Otago and Wanaka. Matt thrives on working with clients to achieve their financial goals, whether it’s buying their first asset, business expansion, succession or becoming debt free.

In his free time, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, watching sport, and getting down to the local field for a game or two of hockey at the Albany Hockey Club in Dunedin.

As a proud resident of the ‘top of the South’, Aaron works across a diverse range of industries in these regions, from aquaculture to viticulture (and everything in between), helping local businesses with their asset finance needs.

With over 25 years of finance experience, and more than 19 years at UDC, Aaron is passionate about working with his customers to help grow their businesses.  This includes being able to assist them when things don’t quite go according to plan – Aaron has been around the traps long enough to understand the ups and downs, and he sticks with his customers through it all.

In his spare time, Aaron is a very keen local fisherman and follower of basketball.  He is also an enthusiastic but sometimes average (according to his family) cook!

Jono has over 10 years of experience under his belt in the banking and finance industry, specialising in business banking and the property sector.  In his five years at UDC, he has been looking after the Christchurch and North Canterbury region with a diverse portfolio, mainly covering civil construction, transport, forestry and manufacturing.

What inspires Jono most in his role?  As a proud Cantabrian, he loves to see local businesses thrive.  The highlight of his role is being able to facilitate asset finance deals, both large and small, and work alongside the customer in whatever their need is.  Whether it’s helping with growth, an acquisition or a restructure, it is great to provide his expertise as well as access to connections if needed.

In his spare time, Jono enjoys travelling, socialising with family and friends, and watching and playing all kinds of sport – the quintessential Kiwi past time!

Nic ‘Macca’ McLennan has been with UDC for over four years, starting in the equipment dealer team before moving into the commercial team after two years.  He is also a qualified mechanic - so he certainly knows a thing or two about the types of machinery assets that UDC finances!

Macca enjoys working with the wide range of businesses that UDC services, particularly the civil construction space, across the Canterbury and West Coast regions.  He has a ‘get things done’ mentality, and prides himself on working quickly and effectively on deals for his customers so they can get on with growing their businesses.

Being a proud ex rugby player, Macca spends a lot of his spare time acting as President and supporting his old local rugby club High School Old Boys in Christchurch.

With more than a decade spent in the banking and finance world, particularly across retail and business banking, Joe has now spent over three years at UDC focused on growing small to medium businesses in the Canterbury region.

Joe’s main area of expertise is meeting with start-ups and small businesses and assisting them with their growth plans through funding income generating assets.   He particularly enjoys supporting owner drivers with their asset finance management.  Joe lists the highlights of being a UDC Relationship Associate as growing his network with industry partners and customers, seeing the assets UDC fund in action, and executing the correct finance structures for customers and watching their businesses grow.

When Joe’s not working hard for UDC, you’ll find him spending time with Friends, playing a bit of tennis and basketball, and fishing in the Marlborough sounds with a cold beer in hand.

Mark has 27 years’ experience in the banking and financial servicing sector. Mark’s career began in Bank of New Zealand and has been stationed around various South Island towns and locations which has allowed him to specialise in various industries such as horticulture, viticulture, tourism and transport & logistics. 

In the past 15 years Mark has been working in the insurance industry with a NZ mutual company as well as an international broking house. 

Mark is passionate about people realising and achieving their business dreams and goals through great relationships and problem solving and enjoys the challenges of finding unique solutions.

Hamish Bartholomew joined UDC Finance in 2025 as a Relationship Associate, bringing a strong foundation in business operations, finance, and asset management. Prior to UDC, Hamish successfully ran a deer farm specialising in elk and wapiti for over eight years, where his focus on financial management and business strategy led to the farms significant growth.

With deep expertise in stakeholder management, forecasting, and asset utilisation, Hamish now applies his practical and financial skills to support UDC’s clients across the Nelson region. Growing up on the land, he has a lifetime of hands-on experience with heavy machinery and rural business operations, giving him a unique understanding of the industries he works with. Hardworking, driven, and outcomes-focused, Hamish is committed to building strong client relationships and helping businesses succeed.

Outside of work, you will find Hamish mountain biking, fishing, playing golf and spending time with family and friends.