Samantha Haines began her career in finance in 2011 with a clear intention. She did not enter the industry simply to work with numbers or policies. She entered with a deep desire to help people feel confident about money rather than intimidated by it. Growing up in regional Tasmania, she saw firsthand how important access to the right financial advice was for families and small businesses. In smaller communities, financial decisions are not abstract concepts.
Samantha Haines | Founder and Managing Director | Coastal Finance
They directly shape livelihoods, homes, and long-term security. Those early observations shaped her perspective and planted the foundation for what would later become her professional calling. At EliteX, we are proud to have Samantha Haines as Cover Story of the edition: Impactful Women in Finance, 2026.
What started as a career path quickly evolved into something much more meaningful. Samantha realised that finance, when handled responsibly, can transform lives. The ability to secure the right lending structure, to support a first home buyer, or to guide a business owner through expansion is not just transactional. It is generational. It impacts families for decades. That understanding became the core driver behind her work.
You do not need to prove you belong – you need to prepare and lead.
In 2020, during a period of global uncertainty and economic disruption, Samantha founded Coastal Finance in Tasmania. The decision to launch her own firm during such a challenging time was not accidental. It reflected her belief that strong leadership is often forged in uncertain environments. Coastal Finance was built on a simple yet powerful mission: to provide clear, ethical lending advice and to build genuine long-term relationships with clients. For Samantha, clarity and ethics were non-negotiable pillars from day one.
As Founder and Managing Director of Coastal Finance, Samantha leads a team made up entirely of women. The firm specialises in residential, commercial, asset, and SMSF lending. Her role is not limited to overseeing operations. She is deeply involved in strategic lending solutions, compliance integrity, and cultivating leadership within her team. She understands that a strong internal culture directly impacts client outcomes. By building a team that supports one another and shares aligned values, she ensures that service standards remain consistently high.
Her leadership approach combines technical excellence with emotional intelligence. She believes that lending professionals must understand credit policy, compliance frameworks, and regulatory obligations at a detailed level. At the same time, they must also understand people. Every loan application represents a life story, a risk taken, or a dream pursued. Samantha consistently reinforces that technical knowledge without empathy creates distance, while empathy without structure creates risk. The balance between both defines sustainable success.
One of the most defining milestones in her journey was the launch of Coastal Finance in 2020. Establishing a business from the ground up required resilience, strategic planning, and disciplined execution. She had to navigate regulatory obligations, market volatility, and the pressures that come with entrepreneurship. That experience strengthened her conviction that resilience is built through discomfort. The moments that challenge a leader most are often the moments that define them.
Another significant milestone came in 2024 when she received the Women in Finance Excellence Award at the CAFBA National Awards. This recognition validated the values-led approach she had embedded within her business. For Samantha, the award was not just personal recognition. It represented proof that ethical lending, strong compliance, and relationship-driven service can coexist with high performance. It reinforced her belief that growth and integrity are not opposing forces.
Empathy in finance is not weakness – it is strategic strength.
Building an all-female leadership team stands among her proudest achievements. Finance remains historically male-dominated, with women holding approximately 27 percent of the market share within the industry. Early in her career, Samantha often felt that she needed to prove herself twice as much as her peers. Rather than allowing that environment to discourage her, she focused on competence, preparation, and values. She committed herself to mastering policy, understanding credit frameworks, and approaching every client interaction with professionalism. Over time, consistency built credibility.
Her experience navigating gender imbalance shaped her commitment to representation. She believes that visibility matters. When women see other women leading in finance, managing teams, and building successful firms, the perception of what is possible shifts. Samantha actively mentors women within her team and across broader industry networks. Her mentoring style is practical and honest. She emphasises skill development, confidence building, and clear communication. She also creates space for open conversations about leadership challenges that are often left unspoken.
Beyond her work in lending, Samantha’s vision extends to broader financial confidence. She does not measure success purely by loan volumes or revenue growth. She measures it by empowerment. She wants clients to leave conversations feeling informed, capable, and secure in their decisions. Financial literacy and confidence are central outcomes of her service model.
In 2025, she expanded this vision further by launching The Fearless Code, her secondary company. This initiative focuses on helping women develop emotional strength and presence in business. Through structured programs, workshops, and leadership development sessions, The Fearless Code addresses the internal barriers that often hold capable women back. Samantha recognises that professional competence must be matched by internal resilience. Emotional strength, clarity of voice, and personal presence are skills that can be developed and refined.
Her philosophy around finance extends beyond individual transactions. She believes responsible lending fuels long-term economic growth and social progress. When lending is executed ethically and strategically, it supports business expansion, increases home ownership, and strengthens regional economies. In areas like Tasmania, where communities are closely connected, responsible finance contributes to stability and generational wealth creation. For Samantha, ethical lending is not only a compliance requirement. It is a social responsibility.
During periods of uncertainty or change, she returns to a core set of leadership values: clarity, responsibility, and integrity. She believes that emotion without structure can create chaos, while structure combined with empathy creates strength. In practical terms, this means relying on data, communicating transparently with clients and team members, and making decisions grounded in both evidence and principle. Her steady approach builds trust during volatile market conditions.
Ethical lending is not optional – it is the foundation of trust.
Balancing financial performance with ethics is central to her leadership. Within the lending industry, Best Interest Duty is a non-negotiable obligation. Samantha treats this duty not merely as regulatory compliance but as a moral baseline. Every recommendation must align with a client’s needs, objectives, and financial position. If a lending solution does not serve the client’s long-term interests, it is not pursued. She firmly believes that growth achieved without integrity is not true success.
Innovation and digital transformation also play an important role in her work. The finance sector has evolved rapidly, with digital tools enhancing efficiency and compliance processes. Coastal Finance utilises e-signing platforms, digital document management systems, and AI-supported tools to streamline operations. These systems reduce turnaround times and strengthen compliance oversight. However, Samantha maintains a clear boundary. Technology should enhance relationships, not replace them. Personal connection remains at the heart of her client service philosophy.
As she looks toward 2026 and beyond, Samantha’s priorities are focused on sustainable scaling. She aims to grow Coastal Finance strategically while maintaining compliance excellence. Expanding the loan book is important, but it must be aligned with rigorous governance standards. She is also committed to expanding The Fearless Code into structured workshops and facilitator programs that support women in leadership across industries.
For Samantha, future leaders in finance must cultivate specific skills and mindsets. Emotional intelligence stands at the top of the list. The ability to read a room, manage difficult conversations, and communicate clearly in uncertain environments distinguishes strong leaders from average ones. Financial literacy remains essential, as does adaptability. Regulatory environments shift, markets fluctuate, and technology evolves. Leaders must remain calm while thinking strategically and acting decisively.
Reflecting on her career, one defining lesson stands out. Resilience is built through discomfort. Growth rarely happens in comfort zones. Whether navigating early career challenges, launching a business during uncertain times, or leading through industry change, discomfort has been a teacher rather than an obstacle. Each difficult season strengthened her resolve and refined her leadership.
Her message to young women aspiring to enter finance is both direct and empowering. She firmly believes they belong in the industry, not because they need to prove anything, but because finance needs more women who lead with both strength and empathy. She encourages them to focus first on competence. Confidence does not appear automatically. It follows preparation and technical mastery. Understanding credit policy, compliance obligations, and regulatory frameworks builds unshakeable foundations.
She also urges women not to dilute themselves. Too often, capable professionals shrink their presence to make others comfortable. Samantha advocates for clarity of voice, steady posture, and firm alignment with personal values. Empathy, she emphasises, is not softness. It is strategic power. In financial conversations that impact homes, businesses, and families, emotional intelligence enhances decision-making rather than weakening it.
Finance, in her view, is not about ego. It is about responsibility. The industry is evolving, and there is space for leaders who combine discipline with compassion. Samantha Haines continues to build that space through Coastal Finance and The Fearless Code. Her work demonstrates that ethical lending, strong leadership, and female representation are not separate goals. They are interconnected pillars of a more responsible and inclusive financial future.
Confidence follows competence, and competence is built through discipline.
Through steady growth, values-driven decisions, and unwavering integrity, she is shaping not only her own business but also the broader narrative of women in finance. Her journey reflects a clear principle: when knowledge, structure, and empathy work together, financial confidence becomes achievable for everyone.
