Corporate Governance Network Package

Peter Towers

Professional organisations that I have been involved with:

• Fellow - Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants
• Fellow - Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Member - Institute of Management Consultants

Career includes twenty-three years as a principal of an accountancy practice, ten years in commerce (six years of which as Chief Financial Officer/Company Secretary of a listed public company) and twelve years as a Business Consultant (ten years of which performing a contract role as Business Adviser for the Australian government's COMET [Commercialising Emerging Technology] Programme from 2001 until May 2010, when the COMET Programme ceased).

Since December 1999:

• Managing Director - Enterprise Support Systems Pty Ltd - the developers of "ESS BIZTOOLS" which is a web-based "business of business" advice package for accountants/business advisers.
• Managing Director - Towers Business Development Pty Ltd - Management Consultants.

Mentoring Skills:

Peter performed a contract role as Business Adviser for the Australian government's COMET (Commercialising Emerging Technology) Programme.

This role required Peter to act in a mentoring advisory capacity for businesses which had developed new technologies and were seeking advice on getting their businesses "investment ready" so they could try to attract investment capital.

This entailed significant mentoring time being spent with each client in familiarising them with the types of services that external consultants can provide and continually steering them towards achievement of the items listed in their Action Plans, whilst at the same time, making them very aware of issues such as:

• Director's duties;
• Corporate governance;
• relationship with shareholders;
• accountability;
• leadership;
• interpretation of financial accounts;
• instigation of business systems;
• human resources management;
• understanding the role of business angels; and

a myriad of other business relationship activities relevant to fast growing emerging companies.

Civic Involvement:

• Alderman - Townsville City Council - 1982 to 1985
• Director and Treasurer - Townsville/Thuringowa Development Board (now Townsville Enterprise Limited) - 1988 to 1991
• Honorary Treasurer - Anglican Diocese of North Queensland (2002 to 2007)
• Chairperson - The Mission to Seafarers, Townsville (2001 to 2013)

Sporting Involvement:

• Foundation Secretary (1966 to 1970) and Life Member of the Townsville Junior Soccer Association (now called N.Q. Football Inc)
• President - Queensland Junior Soccer Federation - 1973
• Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Townsville Kern United (which played in the Queensland State Soccer League from 1978 to 1982)

Jordan Lowry

http://blackstonebusinessgroup.com/about/

Jordan has spent over 15 years in B2B, international and corporate sales.  Jordan's background includes working with brands such as Volvo, Century 21, Rio Tinto and BHP.

Jordan holds qualifications in Business, Leadership and Human Resources.

He is passionate about working with employers and organizations to identify their ways in which they can grow and expand their business.

The Blackstone Business Group is committed to offering tailored solutions to their clients.  They offer clients a one-stop shop for all workplace growth and compliance needs.
The Blackstone Business Group offers everything from:

• Employee Management
• HR and WHS Solutions
• Bullying and Harassment Training
• Employee Mental Health Awareness
• Culture Change Workshops
• In-House Consulting
• Sales Coaching
• Leadership Training
• Business and Strategic Planning
• Meeting Facilitation

Introduction Video

The goal is to help their clients maximise staff performance and increase profits.

Trevor Marchant

http://www.marchantdallas.com.au

• Performance Coach.
• Master Sales Trainer - featured in the Top 1% of Sales Trainers and Performance Coaches in Australia and New Zealand.
• Head of Training Education and Development at Westpac in the 80's.
• Held State and Regional Manager positions with Westpac, State Bank of NSW and Suncorp.
• Co-Founder and Director of L J Hooker Moneywise International (now L J Hooker Financial Services).
• Has helped 70 accounting firms up and down the East Coast of Australia grow their revenue, hold onto their clients and attract more of the same.
• Has helped 5,000+ business owners and managers achieve their goals, dreams and ambitions with his down-to-earth, practical coaching style.
• Best selling Author - The 5-Minute Sales Culture Strategy and the Road to Success.
• Developer - The Growth Factor - The Best Business Advice You'll Ever Get
• Developer - The Sales Factor - The Secret of Selling Anything.

Introduction Video

Jeff Pringle

https://www.couttsredington.com.au

More information comming soon.

David Birch

http://www.smartar.com

• Trained as a lawyer, experienced as a banker and a Lloyd's broker, but happiest as an entrepreneur.
• Considered to be a cashflow thought leader.
• Dave has worked with over 1,200 leading professional services firms across Australia and New Zealand.
• Dave's team manages over 4 million aged receivable items every year.
• Dave is a practical and down to earth specialist in helping businesses (especially accountants) to generate better cashflow from their growth.  How?  By ensuring they have the knowledge and systems to increase the velocity of cash into their business. 

Introduction Video

Paul Barnaby

https://www.planguru.com

• Chartered Accountant
• 16 years managing partner 2nd tier firm
• 20 years speciality in Predictive Accounting, Financial Analysis and Strategic Planning Budgeting and Forecasting
• CEO, Beyond Accounting Technologies Pty Ltd
• Regional Integration Consultant PlanGuru
• Consulted to, supported and trained, hundreds of CFOs, accountants and business executives

PlanGuru’s budgeting, forecasting and reporting tools will save you time and improve collaboration with your team.  No longer will you have to build complex Excel formulas or learn how to use other tedious, expensive solutions.

PlanGuru provides you with a flexible, easy-to-use interface that integrates all 3 financial statements.  With a more accurate forward-thinking analysis, you’ll make better business decisions and generate more profit.

• Operational Budget/Forecasting
• Strategic Planning
• External Estimate
• Decision Analysis

Budgeting & Forecasting Features:

• Import up to 5 years of historical data
• Build an unlimited number of projections per company
• Budget/Forecast for up to 10 years
• Pre-built integrated financial statement structure
• Automatically solved Cashflow Statement
• 20+ standard forecasting methods
• Ability to create custom methods
• Forecast using non-financial data• Notes payable and line of credit tools
• Consolidate unlimited number of projections

Financial Analytics & Analysis Tools

• PlanGuru Analytics is a fully cloud based reporting tool, where your clients can view and analyse both financial and non-financial data in dashboards, charts, graphs and scorecards.
• Advanced Reporting Excel Add-in will allow you to build advanced reports in Excel using your PlanGuru analyses as building blocks.  Integrate ratios, calculations, charts and other metrics into your reports, all of which can be refreshed with a single click.

PlanGuru Launch

• New to PlanGuru or need help getting an engagement off the ground?  Our team can help you build out your analysis (whether it’s a simple project or a multi-department consolidation) in a fraction of the time.

PlanGuru Analyst

A turn-key service, where our team can help be your back office.  We provide a non-value added tasks of verifying, setting up and maintaining your client’s data in PlanGuru.  Then we provide you with the ongoing reports you need to advise them.

"I help accountants and Chief Financial Officers look like Superstars!!"

INTRODUCTION VIDEO

Ross Contarino

https://www.aigroup.com.au

Business Facilitator – Entrepreneurs’ Programme, AusIndustry – Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, Australian Industry Group.

Ross, who is employed by the Australian Industry Group, currently delivers specialised Supply Chain facilitation services under the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme (EP).

He is based in Far North Queensland, but services across much of Regional Queensland. Ross started his working life as a farmer in the sugar farming industry. He then moved into Local Government as an elected member before taking on an economic development role for that Shire Council.

Ross has since worked in all three levels of government and in various economic development roles. He worked for the Australian government as the North Queensland Manager for AusIndustry for seven years before taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer for Advance Cairns and then General Manager, Economic Development and Corporate Services for sister organisation Townsville Enterprise Limited before joining AiGroup.

Ross has an MBA from James Cook University, is a born and bred North Queenslander with a passion for motorcycles and amateur theatre.

Entrepreneurs' Programme

The Entrepreneurs' Programme uses experienced advisers and facilitators, drawn from industry, to ensure businesses get the advice and support needed to improve their competitiveness, productivity and to seek growth opportunities. Practical support for businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs includes: advice from people with relevant private sector experience, co-funded grants to commercialise novel intellectual property in the form of new products, processes and services, funding to take advantage of growth opportunities and connection and collaboration opportunities.

(Click here) for a short video on the Entrepreneurs' Programme.

Andrew Geddes

• Director, Andrew Geddes Pty Ltd
  
• Non Executive Director – Greencross Limited (Chair 2005 to 2014)
  
• External Chair – 6 multi-discipline professional service firms
  
• Business Development Coach

Qualifications…

• B.Com. (Queensland)
  
• Dip.Fin.Mgnt. (New England)
  
• M.Ec. (New England)
  
• FCPA
  
• FAICD

Current positions…

• Director…Andrew Geddes Pty Ltd   
  
• External chairman…six  multi discipline professional service firms and some private companies
  
• Business development coach … selected (carefully!!!) firms
  
• Non-executive director…Greencross Limited (Chairman since listing in 2005 through to 2014)

Prior positions…

• Non-executive director…Count Financial Limited (now part of CBA) 2000 - 2011
  
• External Chairman…dozens of firms over the last three decades.

Andrew Geddes has been involved with business improvement work with professional service firms and smaller private companies for over thirty years. He created one of Australia’s most successful business consulting and training companies in the process (FMRC Pty Ltd in Armidale, NSW).

He was the inaugural chairman of Greencross Limited, a veterinary group that was listed in 2005. It is now in the top 200 ASX companies.

Andrew spent twelve months in the late 90’s working with accounting firms in the UK and North America. His material was enthusiastically received in these markets. He conducted practice development planning retreats, firm reviews, succession management and specialty service development sessions with firms of all sizes. He also spoke at conferences and seminars on a regular basis.

Andrew now specialises in assisting business owners create Senior Management Teams so that they can further develop their businesses and create succession solutions in time.

He has a unique knowledge of what makes the top businesses work based on his involvement with them and their customers . His material is pragmatic and tested . And his use of actual case history coupled with a great sense of humour  makes him one of the profession’s most effective teachers and external director.

Andrew Geddes delivers great value to those who wish to take their businesses from compliance dominance to profitable specialist service delivery. He has worked closely with some of the most successful firms for over twenty five years, being retained formally as part of their management team. 

Andrew Geddes Consulting Specialisation…

• Building a Senior Management Team in your company.
  
• Many privately owned businesses suffer from the owner doing too much operational work and not enough business improvement work. This includes involving the team in business improvement projects and regular communication.
  
• A business leader needs to craft an inspiring development vision, build alignment within their team to this vision, and then to execute a plan to achieve it.
  
• Andrew has specialized in assisting managing directors build senior management teams for fourty years.
  
• He was chairman of Greencross Limited when it was a private company through to its initial listing as a microcap stock then on to top 200 ASX company in 2014.
  
• He has access to specialize tools including “The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team” analysis based on the work of New York best-selling author Patrick Lencioni and Everything DiSC.

Email him directly on ag@andrewgeddes.com.au for details or call 0407 497 725   

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