Chris Paterson and Rodney Cottam launch new endeavour

Cottam, who also started as a BDM at Homeloans, wraps up a 12-year career at the lender.

Moving forward, the duo will be leading the performance enhancement brand Run Rocket Run full time.

Cottam will continue as the founder and ultrarunner, while Paterson – who was an NRL player, including for Wests Tigers 2001–05, before joining the finance industry – will join the brand as general manager.

Given the departure of Paterson this week, Resimac has welcomed a new interim general manager for sales and distribution John Athanas.

What is Run Rocket Run?

Run Rocket Run first started as a brand in 2022, when Rodney “Rocket” Cottam (a military veteran who is paralysed in his left arm as a result of spinal nerve damage from a motorbike accident), committed to completing at least one endurance running challenge per year under the moniker.

The aim was to push his mental and physical limits while raising funds for veteran charity Invictus Australia.

In 2022, Cottam ran 350 kilometres over five days from NSW’s Southern Highlands to Mount Kosciuszko, raising over $41,000. In 2023, he completed a 500-kilometre run from Coffs Harbour to Sydney’s ANZAC Memorial, raising $50,000. Most recently, he ran 560 kilometres in seven days from Dubbo to Sydney, raising more than $56,000.

Now a private company, Run Rocket Run offers resilience and performance training (including at The Adviser’s upcoming New Broker Academy) and recently launched a podcast – The Enhanced Effort – focusing on peak performance.

Speaking to The Adviser, Cottam said: “Over the last few years competing in more ultra trail races, and the charity work we’ve been doing with Invictus Australia, the fulfilment and personal satisfaction have become something I wanted to pursue further.

“There are huge opportunities in working with individuals and businesses to help them achieve greater success. Both Chris and myself push each other daily and hold each other to account and we want to work with others in the same way.”

Paterson said the time was right for a new challenge.

“The timing is right for me personally; I’ve achieved all I can at Resimac and am looking for a new challenge,” he said.

“Rodney is someone who is driven and we share similar values and effort commitment to what we’re doing. If I’m not working to his expected standards, he lets me know very quickly!

“Both Rodney and I genuinely believe everyone can perform better, regardless of their backgrounds. Run Rocket Run helps businesses and people do this by providing a strong framework around the pillars of performance.

“We draw on our backgrounds; Rodney in the military and me in sport, as well as our experience in working at Resimac, to provide this.

“We’ve had great feedback so far where people have made changes as a result and our aim is to continue to do that across different industries.”

Cottam said: “Most people are only scraping the surface of their capabilities; we want people to see what’s inside them, what they’re capable of – putting aside fear and excuses.

“We believe that when individuals are performing personally, mentally and physically, this directly translates to their performance professionally; in their careers, their businesses and in their relationships.”

Reflecting on the Resimac legacy

Both leaders expressed pride in their career growth, personal development, and the relationships they built during their careers at Resimac.

Paterson said he was grateful for the mentorship, leadership, and dedicated teams that supported his journey. He highlighted the industry shifts they experienced, including regulatory changes and the rise of AI, as key milestones in their careers.

Cottam said: “I’m most proud of being part of the best sales team in the industry. Over the years, our BDMs have been constantly targeted by other lenders because they’re the best at what they do. There have also been some amazing brokers who I’ve seen go from starting out by themselves to building an impressive business.

“I’m also very grateful for the partnerships and friendships built and made along the way.”

Paterson said: “I’ve learnt plenty from working with like-minded people and others who are passionate about succeeding. I’ve worked with some great leaders and people who have had a strong influence on the value of culture and relationships. I’ve tried to instil that throughout the teams I’ve worked directly with, which has hopefully made a positive impact.”

Resimac’s incoming CEO Pete Lirantzis, said: “Chris Paterson and Rodney Cottam have worked in the distribution team at Resimac for many years. They have demonstrated their passion and commitment to the non-bank sector and shown strong support to our broker network, aggregator and wholesale partners during that time.

“We wish them every success in their next chapter.”

John Athanas appointed interim general manager for sales and distribution

To support the transition, Resimac has appointed John Athanas as interim general manager for sales and distribution. Athanas, who joined earlier this month, has over 30 years’ experience in banking and broking, most recently as a senior mortgage broker at Build Invest Grow.

Lirantzis said: “In my role as CEO, optimising the broker experience will be a top priority. As part of that commitment, John Athanas has joined Resimac on an interim basis as the general manager sales and distribution.

“John has over 30 years’ experience in banking and finance and has held various sales, operations and credit roles with lenders, aggregators and brokerage firms.

“Having been a mortgage broker and a manager of credit and sales teams, John brings a unique perspective that will assist Resimac to deliver on its commitment to develop an outstanding and reliable broker and customer experience.”

You can hear more from Rodney Cottam and Chris Paterson on how to reach peak performance and training hacks for mental resilience at the free-to-attend New Broker Academy 2025.

The New Broker Academy 2025 will take place in the following locations:

• Tuesday, 17 June 2025 at Waters Edge, Brisbane.

• Thursday, 19 June 2025 at Le Montage, Sydney.

• Thursday, 26 June 2025 at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.

Don’t miss the chance to set yourself up for success – click here to register now.

For more information about the conference, including the agenda and speakers, click here.

[Related: Resimac’s Rodney Cottam runs 560km in 7 days]