Trends in Venture Capital and Merger & Acquisition Activity

Rod Hyslop

CFO | ADRAD

Rod is the CFO for recently listed Adrad Holdings Limited, a manufacturer and distributor of heat exchange and automotive products throughout Australia with operations both domestically and in Thailand. Previously he has been a CFO through a small cap IPO and has worked in the manufacturing industry for 10 years in privately owned food manufacturing and industrial product manufacturing of Original Equipment (OE). Prior to this he held senior finance and accounting roles in multi-national oil and gas as well as junior ASX listed resource exploration companies. Rod gained his Chartered Accountant designation with Arthur Andersen in Canada before moving to Australia 25 years ago.

Federico Tata-Nardini

CFO | Fleet Space Technologies

Federico was appointed Fleet Space as Executive Board member in 2019 and moved to Australia and joined the company in January 2022 as Chief Financial Officer/Strategy and Investment Officer. Federico has more than 16 years’ experience as a CFO working in one of the largest energy companies (Engie SA) gaining a worldwide experience in high-level financing, M & A, and sector transformation in the energy markets.

Federico backed is education by a University Degree in Business Economics, a master’s in international finance, and various Masters in IFRS.

His current role is focused on leading Fleet Space’ strategy in building its financial strength, leading the capital funding and its global investment expansion.

He is currently also board directors of Fleet Space Technologies subsidiaries leading its expansion overseas precisely: Fleet Investment Fund, Fleet Canada, Fleet Chile, Fleet Luxembourg and Fleet INC (USA).

He is also a shareholder and advisor of Alauda Aeronautics (Australian high tech startup which engineers the future of transportation by designing and building high-performance electric flying cars).

Nick Thomas

Group CFO | Thomas Foods International

Nick is a Chartered Accountant, who studied in Perth at Murdoch University. After completing his studies he returned to Adelaide, working for eight years in public practice.

In 2011 he began working for Thomas Foods International, joining the family business. Starting as a Financial Accountant, he’s watched first-hand the growth of the business both inside Australia and markets internationally. In recent years he’s stepped up into the Group CFO role.

Outside of work, Nick is a big family man who loves spending time with his wife, watching his kids play sport and tinkering around the house.

ANZ

ANZ’s purpose is to shape a world where people and communities thrive. As a leading financial institution in South Australia, ANZ is committed to making a positive difference by empowering individuals, businesses, and communities to achieve their aspirations. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility, ANZ strives to create meaningful impact through its banking and financial services. By fostering economic growth, promoting financial inclusion, and embracing diversity, ANZ aims to build a brighter and more inclusive future for all. With a customer-centric approach and a dedication to excellence, ANZ continues to drive positive change and contribute to the well-being of society.

The Hon. Stephen Mullighan MP

Treasurer of South Australia

Stephen was appointed Treasurer in the Labor Government in March 2022.

Stephen was first elected as the Member for Lee in the South Australian Parliament in 2014.

‍In 2014, he was appointed the Minister for Transport & Infrastructure, and in 2016 added the portfolios of Housing and Urban Development.

‍Prior to entering the Parliament, Stephen led Deloitte’s economics team in Adelaide between 2010-2013 providing economic advice to corporate clients, the non-profit sector and state and federal governments.

‍Stephen is a proud western suburb resident, is married to Antonia and they have three children Benjamin, Isaac and Olivia.

Along with his responsibility as Treasurer, his portfolio responsibilities include Finance.

Matthew King

Audit & Assurance Director, William Buck

Matthew believes that having an open mind is the key to being a good auditor. ‘Everyone has their own experiences and knowledge of a situation. As an auditor, you need to take into account different perspectives while objectively analysing the information at hand.’

With a combination of Big 4 experience and having worked ‘on the other side of the fence’ in a commercial role at Elders Ltd, Matthew understands the practical pressures his clients face. He seeks to make the audit process as valuable and smooth as possible while achieving a practical and commercial outcome.

Matthew has expertise with ASX listed companies, large proprietary companies, not for profits, co-operatives and trusts. In addition to statutory audits, he helps his clients to develop risk mitigation strategies, reviews their internal controls and operations and also provides financial reporting and corporate governance advice.

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND (CA ANZ)

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) represents more than 136,000 financial professionals, supporting them to make a difference to the businesses, organisations and communities in which they work and live. Chartered Accountants are known as Difference Makers. The depth and breadth of their expertise helps them to see the big picture and chart the best course of action.

Karen McWilliams

Sustainability and Business Reform Leader, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand 

Karen McWilliams is the Business Reform Leader in the Advocacy and Professional Standing team at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). She is responsible for shaping and influencing business reform issues of relevance to Chartered Accountants, including insolvency, corporate governance, anti-money laundering, corporations law, climate change and sustainability matters. Karen is also a non-executive director on the UN Global Compact Network Australia Board and was recently appointed to the Australian Government’s Nature Finance Council.

She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Oxford.

Prof. Göran Roos

Internationally renowned innovator and strategist

Dr Göran Roos is an advisor to companies and government agencies on strategic topics relating to the digital and green transformation. He holds positions on both governance boards and advisory boards at academic, government and commercial organisations and academic appointments at universities in Australia, UK and Norway. He is also a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA).

Khalil (Charlie) Shahin AO

Managing Directors, Peregrine Corporation

Prof. Khalil (Charlie) Shahin AO is one of the Managing Directors of Peregrine Corporation, South Australia’s largest privately-owned employer with more than 6500 staff generating more than $3.2 billion in revenue annually.

In April of 2023 it was announced the OTR Group will be acquired by Viva Energy.

Khalil (Charlie) currently serves as a non-executive director of Crescent Wealth, SPC Ltd and is the Chairman of Australian Jordanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also serves on many other charitable foundations and institutions, both as director and advisor.

Dr Olga Muzychenko

Associate Head of Adelaide Business School, The University of Adelaide

Dr Olga Muzychenko (PhD, MSc, BA(Hons)) is an award-winning management educator and researcher with a career spanning continents and industries. She is passionate about leadership development and influencing how individuals experience the world of work. Olga helps leaders grow by integrating their personal development journey with expanding professional skills and competencies. She is the Associate Head of the Adelaide Business School (University of Adelaide). In addition, she delivers “Mindfulness for Leaders” training and is a practicing coach.

Jamie Armfield

Senior Security Manager | Hannan & Partners

Jamie has over 20 years of experience in the Information Technology industry, with a focus on information security and identity management for the past 15 years.  Jamie has extensive experience in the design, assessment and implementation of information security management systems and technology.   He specialises in adapting security to meet the client’s risk profile and in communicating security issues across the business at all levels.

Cristina Paetsch

Director, Hannan & Partners

Cristina has over 17 years of experience in assessing and advising on ICT systems and processes. She helps organisations understand and manage their IT risk, putting risk into industry context and bringing a pragmatic lens to issues identified. Cristina has a passion for discovering how technology can improve our society, our lives and the way we do business. She enjoys bridging the gap between IT and business, helping organisations figure out what is important and what is possible, and then helping them achieve it. Cristina has extensive experience in IT risk and cybersecurity, having conducted assessments for various government departments in South Australia and New Zealand. Cristina has also evaluated cybersecurity in 150+ organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, using frameworks like NIST and ISO27001. She has provided recommendations for risk mitigation and collaborated with Chief Information Security Officers to develop cybersecurity strategies for organisations and has been involved in auditing IT risk areas including database and network security.

HANNAN & PARTNERS

Hannan & Partners, a 100% South Australian owned consultancy, specialises in business management and technology advisory services with an emphasis on cyber security expertise. Their team of over 20 professionals delivers IT advisory services to a diverse clientele, including South Australian Government agencies, critical infrastructure operators, not-for-profits, and private organisations. The firm excels in providing cyber security uplifts, digital transformation, and strategic advice tailored to sectors such as State & Federal Government, Health & Aged Care, Aviation, Defence, Education and more. Specific capabilities include ICT strategy development, digital transformation, cyber security advisory and risk management. Hannan & Partners’ extensive cyber security experience ensures a comprehensive approach to addressing the unique challenges of securing critical infrastructure and managing complex networks.