A Unique Network of Expertise and Experience
Our executives have spent most of their professional careers involved with the region, recognising many years ago the importance and potential of this area of the world. We believe that no other company brings together the same depth of multi-disciplinary expertise and practical business experience.
Our Directors, Advisors, Associates and Staff have varied commercial, technical, business, educational and real life experiences. All have worked in both large and small corporates and are committed to make a difference allowing our clients to change, expand and grow. The academic, business and financial backgrounds of the people assisting you, as well as their life and work experiences are provided as part of our services.
We have an independent 'Talent Pool' of additional recognised business people who add value to our organisation and who contribute further business accumen, contacts and skill sets to our clients.
Lindley Edwards - Group CEO
Lindley is a specialist adviser in merger, acquisition, divestments, fund raising, strategic consulting and licensing for growth public and private companies.
She has a track record of successful advising to private and public companies. Previously Lindley was a State Manager (Vice-President) with Citibank. Prior to this position she spent nine years with Macquarie bank and was an Associate Director with the Corporate Banking Division. Lindley has also worked on a secondment basis for Boston Consulting Group and for the Victorian State Government Project.
She is an accountant and a Fellow of FINSIA. Lindley holds two undergraduate degrees, one in Accounting and the other in Banking and Finance. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Governance of ASX Listed Companies. Lindley is a non-executive Director and Advisory Board member of various organisations.
Lindley has been a state finalist in the Telstra Businesswomen’s awards for Private Sector less than 100 employees. In the year 2000 Lindley was admitted to the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame. Her publications include:
- Building a Winning Team
- From Invention to Investment
- Becoming Investment Ready
- Risk, Risk Management and Closing the Deal
- Make the Right Connections
Karen Dado - Managing Director, Health and Life Sciences
Karen Dado has spent over twenty years providing management consulting and corporate advisory services in the health care and life sciences sectors. She spent 15 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers in their London and Sydney offices, advising health and biotech clients. Karen has extensive experience in undertaking: strategic reviews, commercial feasibility studies,
cost benefit analyses and risk management reviews in the life sciences sector. Clients have included private equity firms, universities and research institutes, rural research and development corporations, industry associations, pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies. Karen is a member of Merck's Science Alliance providing commercial advice on potential biopharmaceutical investments. Specific examples of her work are provided below:
- Analyse performance and understand key value drivers
- Develop strategies for differentiation to maximise value
- Achieve sustainability and effective commercialisation
- Benchmarking or audit to identify gap between strategic intent and delivery
- Redesign of business processes including time-to-market to improve their efficiency and effectiveness
- Best practice governance and reporting frameworks to sustain performance gains
- Independent experts reports, commercial due diligence and business planning to support commercialisation
- Capital raising, sale and acquisition and integration planning to identify the associated synergies and costs.
David Duckett - Managing Director, Structured Finance
David Duckett is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and spent over 10 years with Andersens during which he was involved with clients in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia as well as in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
In 1975 he commenced an 18 year involvement in the international food industry, including 7 years with Goodman Fielder. During this period he was Head of Taxation and later Head of Strategic Planning, both global roles.
Throughout his career David has had extensive involvement in Mergers & Acquisitions as well as capital raisings, structured finance and other areas of corporate advisory activities.
David is also a non executive director of a number of mid size private companies.
It is this experience and expertise he brings to AFG Venture Group.
Michael Fay - Managing Director, Education Services
Michael Fay is an international education specialist who has lived and worked between Asia and Australia for over 25 years. He continues to be a leading member of Australia's international education and training sector and was the co-founder and Managing Director of Insearch Language Centre at the University of Technology Sydney from 1987-1999. Insearch has been one of the major success stories of Australia's international education sector and was the first public private partnership in international education in Australia. In 1997 Insearch Language Centre won the Citibank award for “Best Australian Service Activity in Asia”. In 2000 Michael was made a Fellow of UTS for his contribution to the profile and reputation of the university. He advises a varied group of public and private sector educational and media organisations as well as government departments and peak industry bodies. His focus areas are on strategic marketing strategies, establishing and managing offshore education sector investments and building cross sector networks and linkages. He is active in M and A work in the education services sector.
Gordon Hart - Managing Director, Equities
Gordon Hart has been running Venture Group Equities as Managing Director since 2004. During this period he has raised in excess of $200 million. He brings to the role over 28 years experience in the stockbroking industry, having worked with stockbrokers Bridges Son & Shepherd, Paul Morgan & Co, BT Stockbroking, Bain and Co and for the past 10 years was co-owner of Shaw Stockbroking.
Through Venture Group Equities, Gordon provides a range of corporate advisory services including mergers and acquisitions, equity raisings, advice on restructures and path to market advice and implementation. Additionally he has experience in finance, IPO's, investor relations, project development and corporate strategy with listed and unlisted emerging companies.
Glen Robinson - Managing Director, Asia Advisory
Glen Robinson's experience and expertise lie in the manufacturing, processing and distribution areas, with specific emphasis on business management and strategic planning. Glen has more than 20 years' experience in management consultancy and has worked with a wide range of industries from agriculture through to manufacturing and distribution industries. He gained his South East Asian experience as chief executive officer for the Asian subsidiaries and joint ventures of a major International manufacturing and marketing organisation. Glen sits on the board of many Asian related business organisations and has for many years advised a number of Foreign Investment Boards in the ASEAN region.
Tony Hughes - Senior Consultant
Tony Hughes has worked in digital media consulting and international education for over 20 years.
He was a lead consultant in Europe for the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP) and on behalf of Austrade (The Australian Trade Commission) and the IDP he gave a series of seminars on Australian education at universities in Europe and provided digital media consultancy services for Australian private and public sector educational organizations recruiting students from the European market.
He was Director of Mondolingua, the international education conference and fair in Geneva from 1993 to 1995 and developed a number of mutli-media based English language courses for Swiss television as well as audio courses for the Institut Victor Ebner in Geneva. During this time he also provided consultancy services for a number of universities and colleges. In 1995 he co-founded The Digital Education Network Ltd and started one of the Internet's earliest and most successful international digitally-driven education portals, EduFind.
He has written extensively on digital media topics and has been published in leading journals including the International Journal of Education, written an award winning online English grammar and has been a speaker at such events as the BASELT Conference (UK), The International Education Marketing Conference (Geneva), and The ARELS Conference (UK). He has designed and delivered digital media development, communications, cross-cultural, and 'soft-skills' training programs to clients in Germany, the USA, Scotland, and England.
Since 1995 he has worked on digital media projects for e-learning and educational marketing and has provided leading organizations with consultancy regarding 'best use' of the Internet for marketing, online learning and training, delivery of courses, and online recruitment.
Through AFG Venture Group he is currently developing a global 'train the trainer' online learning platform for the International Award for Young People (formerly, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme).
He is also CEO of the Australian registered digital media and online learning company praxMatrix Pty Ltd (www.praxmatrix.com.au), and Executive Media Director of The Digital Education Network Pty Ltd in the UK.
Michael Shur - Senior Consultant
Michael joined the Group in 2006. His vision for building sustainable business enterprises has been a product of his years as a successful entrepreneur.
Michael founded the Dashing Printing Group in 1980 which grew from a start up to a group of 18 retail and outsourced outlets with 130 employees. It was sold to a listed company in 2000.
Michael serves on the board of many and varied organisations and has extensive expertise in Start Up Incubators. He has been the President of the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Information Industry Business Advisory Board for the NSW Department of State and Regional Development and an assessor for the Australian Technology Showcase.
He is the Regional Director for the World Presidents Organisation (WPO) and member of the International Board. He is a Director of the national committee for the Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council.
Mitchell Brown - Analyst & Adviser
Mitchell Brown has a degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Sydney where he majored in Economics, Finance and Agricultural Economics. He has also completed a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment at FINSIA.
Mitchell joined AFG in 2001 and his role includes managing and undertaking research for a variety of projects, including assisting in the management and execution of mandates.
Sunil Aranha - Associate
Sunil has over 28 years in Corporate Banking and Trade Finance and Entrepreneurial business experience holding senior management positions in Citibank (Asia and Australia), Commonwealth Bank and EFIC (Australia's Government Export Credit Agency). As well as acquiring and operating multiple small businesses in the early 2000's including an assignment as chief executive officer of a start up media technology Joint Venture in the late 90's.
Sunil transferred with Citibank from India to Australia in 1990 after having worked in Singapore and Hong kong and has continued to maintain an extensive network of decision maker contacts across banking, Government and Industry in Asia and Australia.
On an Associate basis he joined AFG Venture Group in 2011 to focus on assisting businesses that wanted to build regional operations to grow, particularly in the key areas of:
- Opportunity analysis and market entry/exit strategies
- Business implementation which includes assistance to develop distribution channels as well as identify, select and set up joint ventures and partnerships
- Procuring regulatory approvals in country
- Financing and structural advice
Andrew Bald - Associate
Andrew Bald brings over 25 years experience in merchant banking and corporate finance. He has advised and assisted a number of private and public (i.e. ASX listed) companies with their financing requirements (both debt and equity), over a variety of sectors including natural resources such as coal, gas and gold, IT and food/agribusiness.
Prior to operating within the corporate finance environment, Andrew gained 16 years experience with a range of international investment and merchant banks advising mainly ASX top 200 companies on managing their balance sheet and trading risks via the use of derivatives as well as working with the respective corporate finance departments on large project financing transactions.
Andrew has started a number of companies including the Pisces Group (founder and CEO), which was formed in August 1995 to commercialise marine aquaculture in NSW. The Pisces project, located on the east coast of NSW, north of Pt Stephens, ran for more than 8 years with a project budget in excess of $10M. The company successfully farmed Snapper and Mulloway and developed new markets for aquaculture product in Australia and overseas. Andrew was an inaugural member of the NSW Minister's Aquaculture Advisory Council.
Andrew was also the founding CEO of a vineyard and wine making operation located in Beechworth, Victoria, which is now successfully producing wines as the Indigo Wine Company.
He is currently an advisor to Sports Drug Testing International, a newly formed but rapidly growing drug testing company with contracts including the ICC (Cricket), IRB (Rugby), Cycling and AFL and works as a consultant to Indigenous Business Australia, a Federal Government body which provides funding assistance to business owned and managed by Indigenous Australians.
Selwyn D'Souza - Associate
Selwyn has over fifteen years experience in the managment consulting and investment advisory industries and ten years in shipping and transport. Specialising in strategy development and business planning, Selwyn has successfully started and exited two startup ventures in Hospitality and Technology.
Selwyn is a senior fellow at the Melbourne Business School where he completed his MBA with distinction and is currently an adjunct fellow teaching the Managing New Ventures and Integrative Projects MBA elective. He also holds a degree in Marine Engineering and a Chief Engineers License in Marine Engineering from the UK and Australia.
Graham Libbesson - Associate
Graham Libbesson has commerce and law degrees. He has been a chartered accountant for over 30 years, specialising in taxation, management, M & A restructuring, and funding (equity and debt). He was senior tax partner and managing partner at PKF Sydney.
Currently, he is involved on a part-time basis with Pitcher Partners, Sydney as leader of the ICT industry focus group; and is active in consulting regarding tax matters, particularly in relation to transactions, for the ICT industry.
Graham has significant practical experience in the ICT sector, by advisory and hands-on director roles with private and listed software and IT services companies. He advises in relation to transactions, management, valuations, due diligence and tax for the sector.
He was a director of two international software companies, eServGlobal Limited (ASX and AIM) and ComOps Limited (ASX). He is Chairman of Each Coast Minerals NL (ASX) and Artemis Resources Limited (ASX). He is a director of various private IT companies.
Dirk Odendaal - Associate
Dirk is a consultant with AFG Venture Group and is a specialist in Information Technology and software. With a background in advisory services, turnarounds and venture creations and exits, Dirk founded Cresta Homes, a successful business developing land and building homes in and around Johannesburg in his native South Africa.
Since then, Dirk has gone on to co-found Medinet, a supplier of e-commerce services to medical doctors in South Africa. The company went on to claim an industry leading position and in December of 1996 it was sold. In 1997 Dirk founded Integrated Technology Holdings Ltd, which developed leading healthcare technologies in South Africa and was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in February 1998. In 2000 Dirk founded X/procureTM Software SA. X/procureTM allows pharmacies and other healthcare providers to procure any of their pharmaceutical and other stock requirements making use of a software exchange or "portal".
John Weste - Associate
John Weste is a seasoned international business executive, having held executive positions at Andersen, Gartner, Tata Consultancy Services, and Korda Mentha, with over 25 years "hands-on" expertise in executing major change programs at a variety of global and local business entities. John brings to an organization strong leadership capacity and capability coupled with deep functional expertise in strategy development, articulation and execution, operational design and process streamlining, technology design and application, change management program development and implementation, and performance management and control. John has an extensive background of experience across a number of industries including Banking and Financial Services, Professional Services, Retailing, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Higher Education, Process Industries, Oil and Gas, ICT, and FMCG. John is also a regular presenter/ contributor on strategic management and technology issues across the globe to individual companies, at external conferences, and in the general media.
John has an enviable track record of execution success with notable achievements including:
- Building a highly profitable management consulting practice as Lead Partner for Andersen in Central Europe;
- Executing a business transformation program at a global banking group head-quartered in India;
- Executing a complex post-acquisition integration program across 7 European countries for a global FMCG group;
- Re-building a core international business within a major global IT firm;
- Re-structuring a major European pulp and paper business in order to avoid potential liquidation; and
- Building a "start-up" manufacturer into a major European heating systems business.
Mohan Krishna Reddy - Chairman, AFG Venture Group, India
Throughout his career Mohan has been involved in a number of IPOs which raised more than USD 1 billion and participated in the syndication of a number of debt transactions for both the Government and private sectors where the total debt raised exceeds USD 2 billion. Prior to joining AFG Venture Group, Mohan was a CFO of Applabs, and prior to that, the CFO of Infotech Enterprises. Earlier in his career Mohan was the Senior Vice-President of JM Morgan Stanley, a leading Investment bank in India and also held various positions with ANZ Grindlays Bank, Unit Trust of India and Indian Bank.
Suresh Iyer - Managing Director, AFG Venture Group, India
Suresh Iyer has twelve years hands-on experience in the financial sector. During this period he has combined his operational and technical skills towards financial and business research. He has a formal background in both theoretical economics and finance and his skills have been honed in real markets, not "simulated" environments. Suresh has had an opportunity to prove himself in competitive environments during his tenure with global companies such as GE Capital.
Ganesh Jagdishen - Senior Analyst
Ganesh has over 16 years work experience in diverse areas within the financial services industry namely as a financial journalist, Equity Analyst, Equity Dealer and now in Investment Banking. He started his career as a financial journalist with India's leading financial journal Outlook Money (formerly Intelligent Investor). Prior to joining AFG Venture Group and after his stint in journalism, Ganesh was an equity research analyst and dealer for a couple of small to large broking and research outfits including MF Global.
Sudhakar Jayaram - Senior Vice President, AFG Venture Group, India
Sudhakar's key areas of expertise and experience are in strategy, marketing and brand development and he has worked in and currently provides advice across a range of sectors including education, hospitality, healthcare, media and IT. Prior to his current position with AFG VG India he was CEO of a popular regional satellite TV station in India. There he built a strong media brand which has been recognized as one of the finest in India and reflected in the more than 40 State awards for excellence in programming, innovation and path-breaking experimentation. He was also at that time concurrently leading the administration and outreach efforts of a 1300 bed tertiary healthcare facility. Sudhakar is passionate about education and is currently providing strategic advice and support for The Samhita Academy (www.thesamhitaacademy.com) in Bangalore, a unique community school implementing an inclusive education model. Sudhakar has a B.E (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from NIT, Jaipur, an M.B.A from F.M.S, Delhi and continues to be a student of "behavioral economics." Sudhakar is based in Mumbai.
Dev Chandrasekhar - Adviser
Dev Chandrasekhar is among India's leading reputation strategists, helping businesses build reputation capital with influential stakeholder groups. A BSc Engg (Electrical) from Jamial Millia Islamia, Dev has worked with global newswires Bridge News and AFX, and India's largest business daily. The Economic Times and has extensive networks through India's financial and corporate worlds.
Faisal Badroen - President Commissioner, PT AFG Venture Group Indonesia
Faisal Badroen has over 20 years experience in senior leadership positions at a number of Indonesia's most prestigious financial institutions and education facilities, including the role of Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the State Islamic University. More recently Faisal has focused on corporate advisory activities relating to financial and corporate restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. These activities have allowed Faisal to utilise his extensive network of contacts throughout the government, financial services and education sectors.
Faisal is also involved in a number of charitable organisations such as the International Award for Young People as well as prominent socio religious organistions such as Muhammadiyah. Faisal is Chairman of the the Board of Commissioners of AFG Venture Group Indonesia.
Erwin Budiharto - Managing Director, Resources
Erwin Budiharto has extensive investment banking experience in a wide range of industries including time with Merril Lynch in the US but his principal area of expertise and interest for a number of years has been the Indonesian mining and resources sector (with a recent focus on iron ore, coal and manganese). In the past he has been Export Director for the publicly listed Ades Alfindo Tbk, CFO of Setdco Oil and Gas Company, Founder and CEO PT Windu Bentalanusa - an Iron ore mining company in Flores NTB, Financial Controller for P.T. Swakarya Sinarjaya and Business Development Director for PT. Surya Semesta Internusa. It is this experience and expertise that Erwin brings to AFG Venture Group Indonesia.
Poernomo Widjaja - Analyst
Poernomo Widjaja brings to AFG Venture Group his expertise and experience in Indonesia in "turnaround" situations and in handling distressed assets for banks through his role as President Director of P.T. Cakrawala Investama. He gained his experience for this role through his time spent previously as a sales and marketing manager specialising in developing and implementing strategies for market penetration in Indonesia, including the need to diversify product ranges and expand distribution channels.
Loy Chansavat - Senior Representative
Loy joined the Lao Patriotic Front in 1972 and started his career in the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 1975. He was appointed Economic and Commercial Counsellor in Moscow (1980-1988), Vice Minister, Ministry of External Relations (1988-1993) and Vice Governor of Louang Namtha Province (1991-1993). In 1993 he established a successful consultancy and has worked with a number of Australian and regional companies. He is fluent in Lao, Thai, French and English.
Rosebud Soe Win - Managing Director, Myanmar Asean Focus Group Limited
Rosebud has recently taken over the role of representing Myanmar Asean Focus Group (MAFG) following the recent death of her husband, Harry who was founding Managing Director of MAFG. Rosebud brings to AFG Venture Group her strong ethical beliefs and practices and her wide network in Myanmar, including a deep knowledge of the Myanmar education system.
Val del Rosario - Chairman, Asian Focus Group Inc.
Valeriano del Rosario is a partner in the law firm of VERALAW (Del Rosario Bagamasbad & Raboca). He is a Philippine national, but he also has extensive education and business experience in the U.S. and Europe. He was educated at Georgetown Preparatory School and New York University. He returned to the Philippines and obtained his law degree at the Ateneo College of Law with honors. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1982.
He obtained a masters degree in maritime law from the University of Wales, Institute of Science & Technology, United Kingdom, followed by three years work experience at a prestigious commercial law firm in the city of London.
He is an associate professor in Transportation Law at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. He has 25 years of business law experience in the Philippines with emphasis on transportation and foreign investments.
Peter Church, OAM - Group Chairman
Peter Church is an international lawyer and business adviser who has lived and worked in the South East Asian region for more than 30 years. Peter advises a varied group of major Australian and international companies in relation to their Asian investment and trading activities. He was for many years President of the Australia Indonesia Business Council and sat on numerous Australian Federal Government Boards such as the Trade Policy Advisory Committee.
Peter was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994 for his services to the promotion of business relations between Australia and the South East Asian region. He has written a number of books including A Short History of South East Asia which has recently gone into its 5th edition and his most recent book, Added Value - The Life Stories of Indian Business Leaders was published by Roli Books in April 2010.
Christopher Franck - Managing Director, Singapore Advisory
Christopher is a founding member of AFG Venture Group's India operations. He is responsible to originate and execute cross-border mandates. Prior to this, Christopher has worked in the IT and Finance industries throughout Asia. His IT experience spans start-ups to MNCs running project and product groups. His finance experience is in alternative investments, responsible for due diligence and fund raising efforts. Christopher has been based in Asia continuously since 1990 and has worked for the Swire Group, Migg Systems, LibertyOne Group, Bridge and Reuters.
Christopher is a co-founder of the Yayasan Bali Purnati, a center for the arts focusing on collaborative productions, workshops, yoga and publications.
Christopher is fluent in French and conversant in Italian and German.
Choo Lye Heng - Senior Adviser
Lye Heng has more than 20 years experience in the financial services industry, and in his last institutional appointment was the Managing Director of Carr Indosuez Asia (S) Ltd, the Singapore merchant-banking subsidiary of Banque Indosuez. He served as Chairman of the Standing Committee for Banking Practices and Regulations of the Singapore Merchant Bankers’ Association (SMBA) from 1992 to 1997 and was Treasurer of SMBA from 1994 to 1996. Lye Heng holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Singapore.
Sumet Grachangnetara, Chief Executive Officer, AFG Venture Group (Thailand) Co. Ltd.
Sumet has over 35 years of business advisory/management experience and expertise having worked for various multinational corporations in Thailand and the UK focusing on marketing management, business development, corporate strategic planning and value-adding organisational improvement activities in several industry/business sectors.
Sumet has held various senior management positions at a number of Fortune 500 firms and was a senior-level management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Thailand, where he gained extensive business advisory experience and valuable insight in dealing with a wide variety of industry sectors and their specifically unique business issues. Most recently Sumet has been an independent Management Consultant and Business Advisor (since 2000), undertaking projects for various multinational corporations and local companies.
Sumet was educated in both the UK and the USA, graduating from Boston University, USA (in June, 1970) and Ashridge Management Development College, UK (in 1982). He has completed a Good Corporate Governance practices course (in 2001) as well as a Chartered Directors Course (in 2007) with the Thai Institute of Directors (Thai-IOD).
In 2009, Sumet was appointed an honorary Advisor to the Thai Parliaments' House Standing Committee for Money & Banking Affairs and Financial Institutions Activities.
Ronachai Krisadaolarn (Ron Cristal) - Managing Director, Bangkok Focus Limited
Ronachai is the Managing Partner of Bangkok International Associates, a well established Thai law firm in which Asean Focus Group is a shareholder. He is also Managing Director of Asean Focus Group’s advisory affiliate, Bangkok Focus Group. Ronachai has over 30 years of professional practice as a lawyer and adviser; almost all of which have been spent in Thailand where he has specialised in Thai taxation, joint ventures, corporate matters and loan documentation. He was formerly a Judge Advocate of the US Air Force and the Head of the US Foreign Claims Commission in Thailand. Ronachai is also a part-time professor at the Bangkok University and has published numerous articles on Thai law, coins and medals. He has been decorated by the King of Thailand for his contributions to Thai culture and became a Thai citizen in 1998.
Stephen Frost - Non Executive Director, Bangkok Focus Limited
Stephen Frost is a lawyer and business consultant who has spent the past 12 years working in Thailand. He has advised many foreign companies in takeover transactions or setting up joint ventures in Thailand. He has written extensively on the aspects of Thai law that are of concern to foreign companies investing in Thailand. In addition, he has also worked in the Business Development Division of a listed Thai company and in market research for an export-import company. He has built up a strong and detailed knowledge of the Thai economy, its business sectors and major private and listed Thai companies.
David P. Lewis - UK Principal
David has over 25 years experience in international business as an attorney, in software licensing, corporate advisory and business strategy, Asian market expansion, change management and corporate responsibility.
He is the CEO of The DLA Group, an IT consulting, software distribution and development company and a partner in Santa Clara Group with experience in management consulting, M&A and venture capital markets.
David is a serial entrepreneur having assisted in and built several startups in Australia, the US and Hong Kong.
David has a legal background in IT and Intellectual Property protection. He is an experienced adviser on intellectual property negotiations, agreements, licensing with local and multinational groups. David sits on several other international advisory boards, as well as serving on the Boards of several Australian based charities.
Lance Coogan - Associate
An experienced corporate advisor, with over 18 years in the financial markets industry.
Lance provides financial and strategic assistance to emerging and growth companies, ranging from corporate advice, acting as venture catalyst, commercialisation, advisory and consulting services.
Through his work with business incubators including CSIR, Lance has been instrumental in identifying and developing products and emerging technologies and progressing viable projects from concept through to commercialisation.
Prior to becoming a Director of UBS, Lance successfully took Lorenzani and Coogan Inc, a stockbroking firm, ranked number one derivatives research and trading house by Financial Mail, from pre-seed capital to exit in 4 years. During this time, Lance was involved with the full spectrum of client transactions from retail through to creating sophisticated wholesale institutional investment products.
Lance holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental & Geographical Sciences from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
James Clad - Member, Advisory Board
With a background as a lawyer and diplomat and now a Distinguished Research Fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, James Clad was U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia Pacific Security Affairs from 2007-09.
Earlier he was Professor of South and Southeast Asian Studies at Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service and, concurrently, Director for Asia-Pacific Energy at Cambridge Energy Research Associates.
He has also held positions at the Far Eastern Economic Review; at St. Antonys College, Oxford; the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Harvards Center for International Affairs. His 1991 book, Business, Money and Power in Southeast Asia (Harper Collins, 1991) critiqued highly leveraged Asian capitalism; a later book, After the Crusade (Madison, 1996), delivered a realist critique of US foreign policy during the 1990s. More recent publications include book chapters analyzing Sino-Indian relations, Chinese influence in Asia, and US-India strategic convergence.
Professor Clad will be focused on providing advice to AFG Venture Group in the area of the Asian energy sector.
Rawdon Dalrymple, AO - Member, Advisory Board
Rawdon Dalrymple graduated with first class honours from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and following a period lecturing at Sydney University, joined Australia's diplomatic service from which he retired in 1994. He was one of the architects of the Asian Development Bank and served on its Board. He spent a total of seven years in Indonesia where he was Australian Ambassador from 1981 to 1985. He was Ambassador to the United States from 1985 to 1989 and his last assignment was as Ambassador to Japan. In addition to various business and governmental appointments Rawdon was a Visiting Professor at the University of Sydney from 1995 to 2002 where he taught courses in International Relations. He recently published a book, Continental Drift: Australia's Search for a Regional Identity (Ashgate Publishing). Rawdon brings to AFG Venture Group his extensive network and insight into major Asian issues.
Ron Davenport - Member, Advisory Board
Ron Davenport has had more than 20 years experience in Canberra working in various Australian Government Departments and with the then Confederation of Australian Industry (CAI), the major employer association. Ron initially spent a number of years with the Departmentof Trade and was involved at a senior level in negotiations of trade policy with the ASEAN Governments. During his time with CAI, he was the Executive Director of the ASEAN Australia Business Council and the bilateral Business Councils with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Over the years Ron has built up an impressive network of contacts throughout ASEAN.
Michael Givoni - Member, Advisory Board
Michael is currently Group General Manager for Spotless Group Ltd. The group has a turnover of AU$1.7billion. His principal role is to look at growth options and business priorities for each of the operating divisions within the group. Prior to this Michael ran the Tourism and Leisure group for four years and previous to this he was the inhouse corporate counsel for the group. He has also been a lawyer in private practice.
Harjono Kartohadiprodjo - Member, Advisory Board
S.H. Harjono Kartohadiprodjo is the President Director of the Asean Focus Group’s Indonesian operations. Harjono is a well respected Indonesian businessman with significant experience in shipping and trading. He is also a shareholder in a number of major Indonesian joint ventures including some associated with BHP and ACI from Australia and the international shipping and leisure group P&O. Harjono brings to AFG Venture Group a particular insight into the workings of the Indonesian business community.
Dr Simon Longstaff - Member, Advisory Board
Dr Simon Longstaff is the Executive Director of the St James Ethics Centre. Established in 1989, the Centre is an independent forum, based in Sydney and Melbourne, for the promotion of business and professional ethics. Operating both in Australia and abroad, the Centre provides a neutral, confidential setting in which ethical questions can be raised, ethical problems explored, and ethical dilemmas resolved. One of the Executive Director's roles is to encourage the process of integrating ethical considerations into the strategic thinking of the management community and those who advise and regulate them.
Dr Longstaff was inaugural President of The Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics and is a Director of a number of companies. He is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Foreign Policy Association, based in New York. His first book, Hard Cases, Tough Choices was published in 1997. He is currently preparing a second on the role of conscience. Simon Longstaff is a columnist for The Australian.
Dr Longstaff serves on a number of committees, some of which include:
- Accountants Superannuation Fund Nominees Pty Ltd
- Advertising Federation of Australia (AFA) Ethics Working Party, Chairman
- Professional Standards Council, NSW and WA
- Australian Commercial Disputes Centre Limited: Mediator Accreditation Board, Chairman
- BHP, Global Conduct Committee
- Energy Australia, Ethics Committee
- MLC Life, Code of Conduct Committee, Independent Chairman
- National Professional Engineers Registration Board
