Our People

Management

Mike Avey, Managing Director

Prior to completing the University of Western Australia’s Graduate School of Management, Advanced Management Program in 1997 Mr. Avey had over 30 years in business management and commercialisation of innovations across a range of industries, including: micro-electronics; IT, communications, publishing, boat building, GIS/LIS, photogrammetry, and energy.

Mr. Avey has strong governance, finance and securities and investment experience.  He is accredited to act as RO to a National Stock Exchange Nominated Adviser (NOMAD) and, in 2009, was lead manager of the dual-listing of AgriNurture Inc. on that exchange.

His particular strength is business and financial strategy, backed by his extensive hands-on business and commercial experience and demonstrated by his capacity to be deployed, on short notice, into any number of roles from Chairman, CEO or management of sales, marketing and technical projects.

Upon moving to Brisbane in 2001, Mike worked within the Venture Capital industry at Septimus Capital Partners where he undertook investment banking, deal structuring, and investee management; actively contributing to the strategic planning and financial and operational governance of investee companies.

Mike’s international experience includes successfully commercialising an Australian photogrammetric invention for ADAM technology, setting up 25 distributors in 20 countries and producing a CAGR of well over 50% per year for five years.  His operational experience includes management of the sales, marketing, manufacturing, project management and R&D functions.

Team Members

Paul Wetton, Associate Director

Mr. Wetton holds a Bachelor of  Science degree from Flinders University of South Australia. Prior to forming his own IT Consultancy specialising in database design and system integration, Mr. Wetton worked for a National Training organisation as the manager of the Applications Development Group, and acted as a consultant and technical trainer.

Mr. Wetton previously held a position as a Director of QB Securities Limited, the company responsible for the Austalian Small Scale Offerings Board (ASSOB).

He has excelled in a range of business and corporate endeavours and has built an enviable reputation in a number of commercial and business sectors of the South Australian professional business community, including serveral of the State’s leading commercial groups and various associated Commonwealth Government Agencies.

Paul’s commercial astuteness, and expert IT skills saw his client list grow to include Price Waterhouse, Western Mining Company (WMC), Ord Minnett, The Deptartment of Treasury and Finance and The Department of Premier and Cabinet amongst others.

Paul has undertaken business process re-engineering projects, reducing activities that previously look four days to complete to two hours or less.

David Hunt, MAICD, AFAIM

Associate Director

David has had over 30 years of senior executive experience, most notably as CEO of an ASX listed company that invested in startups and commercialised Australian technology and successfully taking that technology to global markets. With experience spanning retail, publishing and commercialisation, David holds several directorships, imparting his expertise and experience to companies so they have a higher-than-average chance of being successful.

With insight to what it takes to take raise capital and progress companies to be a listed vehicle, David can advise on company structure, internal structure and quality management. Within the context of the global economy David has made representations to Prime Ministers, Senators, large corporations and equity partners.

An effective communicator at all levels he has overseen a major conglomerate consolidation of 700 retail stores, merging and controlling 7 different IP owners and raising capital for Australia’s Bionic Eye project while conducting management, market assessment, licensing, grant applications, and business modelling and planning. He has worked with companies such as Woolworths, Mitre 10, and Golden Press (a News Limited publishing company).

With a practical and commercial approach to business, his experience encompasses licensing, sales & distribution, production, Intellectual Property rights, through to royalties and branding and the ability to assess the potential commercial viability of new products and concepts.