Gordon Hart - Managing Director, Venture Group 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 25 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.
Chris Sabin - Senior Consultant
Chris Sabin has been a Senior Consultant with Venture Group Equities since November 2005. Chris brings with him extensive experience in the mining industry where he commenced his career as a geologist.
Following his MBA at London Business School, Chris joined Rio Tinto's Head Office in London and gained valuable corporate experience in mining projects in Canada, Brazil, Europe and Australasia.
He has now spent over 20 years in Australia in stockbroking as a senior analyst and resources manager and now in corporate finance with Venture Group. He has a thorough understanding of the Australian mining sector, its key players and its developments over this time frame.
Michael Shur - Senior Consultant
Michael joined the Venture 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 a past International Board Member. He is a Director of the national committee for the Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council.
Dirk Odendaal - Senior Consultant
Dirk is a consultant with the 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".
Selwyn D'Souza - Senior Adviser
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 seniour fellow at the Melbourne Business School where he completed his MBA with distinction andis 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.
Associates
Graham Libbesson
Graham Libbesson has commerce and law degrees. He has been a chartered accountant for almost 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 tax consulting division and 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 is 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).
Lance Coogan
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.
