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Michael Johnson
Managing Director |
Michael's experience is in leveraging customer insight to identify breakthrough opportunities and develop rapid growth and innovation strategies. He leverages this experience as part of the Melbourne team.
Michael has worked in senior management roles with some of the world's leading marketing and communication companies, financial services firms and management consulting groups. His industry experience extends across a range of industries including the Life Sciences, Retail, IT, Clean Tech, Energy and Water Utilities, Housing and Construction, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Automotive and Telecommunications.
Michael is a Director of Cogentum, a Melbourne based Innovation and Growth Advisory firm and holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Swinburne University of Technology and Bachelor of Business from Monash University. |
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Chris Siddons
Director |
Chris Siddons' background is in Economics and Management. His experience comes mainly from the manufacturing sector including roles as CEO of Ramset Fasteners international group, Director of the parent public company, a Management Consultant with Price Waterhouse Coopers in Strategy and Change Management, CEO of Small Business Victoria and private management consulting in the manufacturing sector mainly around strategy, change management & team engagement.
Chris also completed two turnaround assignments involving manufacturing businesses and is currently involved in commercializing a Heat Pump Water Heater manufacturing business.
Chris is passionate about technology commercialisation and specifically the opportunities that the sustainability sector provides. He works out of the Melbourne Athenaeum Capital office. |
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Neil Slonim
Director |
Neil's background is in banking and finance primarily in Melbourne's middle corporate sector and he forms part of Athenaeum Capital's Melbourne team.
In 2008 Neil left the NAB after a 23 year career during which he built and lead customer interfacing teams that delivered consistently superior outcomes for all stakeholders. The lessons learned between 1987 to 1991 when he headed up "workout" units dealing with distressed assets of both NAB and BNZ (a NAB subsidiary) are proving invaluable in the current times.
He has accumulated vast experience and built an extensive network which he now deploys as a business consultant. Slonim Consulting provides relationship and transactional support to a range of private and public companies which recognise and appreciate the unique insights he is able to provide.
Neil holds a Bachelor of Economics and an MBA from Monash University. He is a Certified Practicing Accountant and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. |
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John Whalley
Director |
John has held senior roles in commercial finance for over 32 years and has operated an accounting practice for over 20 years specialising in financial advisory and corporate services to private and publicly listed clients engaged in a wide variety of industry segments including major property developments in the commercial, retail, residential, hotel and resort sectors.
He has held directorships and senior management or advisory roles in home building and commercial construction, plant hire, transport, and heavy engineering, manufacturing, hotel and leisure operations, market research, professional services, live theatre, travel, aged care, and medical research.
His business interests have included commercial property development, restaurants, and vehicle rental. Recently he successfully sold a rental business based in North Queensland with a fleet exceeding 1000 vehicles. John is part of the Athenaeum Capital Melbourne team and is a Fellow CPA. |
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Jim Collier
Associate |
Jim's core expertise is in retail, consumer products, fast food and franchising.
Jim was CEO of NZX-listed Restaurant Brands, operator of 250 KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks Coffee outlets, a role which encompassed an IPO, M&A activity and international franchise deals.
Previously, Jim was Managing Director of Greater Union/BC&C cinemas, head of operations for KFC Australia, head of marketing for Pizza Hut International and held marketing roles at Nestle and S.C.Johnson. Recently, Jim has consulted to a wide range of organisations including a telecoms retailer, a cinema chain, a telco and a B2C online business. Jim is part of the Athenaeum Capital Melbourne Team. |
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John Duncan-Watt
Associate |
John's expertise is as a company and industry investment analyst working in large institutional investment groups, stock brokerage firms and local and international banks on mainly equity investment and valuation, but also debt analysis, strategic planning and corporate advisory.
John has been involved with most Australasian listed companies at a senior level at some part of his career and maintains a strong network of contacts.
John has had a specific interest in product supply chains of all retail groups. Recently John has been consulting to a number of food groups and has led successful mandates to buy and sell companies in this sector. He also has undertaken consulting work in commercial audit of retailers (to catch things missed by major accounting firms and legal advisers), in strategic planning for wholesale distributors and in new methods of direct marketing in developing as well as developed markets. |
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Geoff Harrington
Associate |
Geoff Harrington's extensive investment banking career includes equity raisings, divestments and acquisitions. He has operated in UK; Europe; USA; Indonesia; Thailand; New Zealand & Australia. Geoff returned from 4 years with Kleinwort Benson (then one of the world's largest and most successful investment banks) in London in 1980 to establish them in Australia.
1985 established a global M&A business for BNZ, initiating and completing what was then the largest successful hostile takeover in Australia's corporate history.
1990 commenced Geoff Harrington & Co www.geoffharrington.com.au - focussing on smaller transactions. His significant global network gives an important edge in sourcing suitable counterparties |
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Nigel Hennessy
Associate |
Nigel is an experienced CEO in high technology covering Defence, Telecommunications, Environmental Science, Transportation and Spatial Systems. He is part of the Athenaeum Sydney team.
He has held CEO and Director roles in AquaSpy Group, Inc (US based Water Management Company), CCN Ltd (Transport/Communications Company), BAE Systems Ltd (Major Defence Company), EASAMS Ltd(Systems Company), Simoco Pty Ltd (Communications Company).
His core capabilities are in turnarounds, M&A, business analysis and International sales and marketing. He has raised over $30M in venture capital and been involved in 2 IPO\'s, 2 Start-Up\'s and 6 M&A\'s. He is a Foundation Director of Water Australia, Fellow of AICD and a member of TMA. |
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Chris Trafford
Associate |
As part of the Melbourne team, Chris has a broad business background having worked in, and consulted to, Government, Corporate, small business and NFP sectors. His experience covers human resource and talent management, general management, consulting, mentoring and corporate governance.
Chris co-founded and led an organizational psychology consulting business which grew to employ 150 people, when sold in 2002. Currently, Chris has a number of Board roles in public, private and NFP organisations. He is an active investor in start-up and early stage businesses, with a particular focus on cleantech, sustainability and social responsibility.
Chris is a graduate from the University of Melbourne, holding a Bachelor of Commerce, and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. |
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