SOUTHMORE CAPITAL - Key Persons
For more than fifteen years, Roger has had primary responsibility for managing Southmore's investments and providing strategic advice to its entrepreneurs, investors and portfolio businesses. In many cases, he has lead efforts to establish overseas business activities for investee companies and attract finance from offshore sources. He also spent six years working with the South Australian Government fostering the development of local technology businesses and attracting investment to them. Prior to this, he was involved with patents, licensing and technology evaluation at the large Swiss biopharmaceutical company Serono SA, supporting major litigation and transactional activities including the eventual sale of the company to Merck KGaA. Roger holds a PhD and BSc (Hons I) in Biochemistry, has completed post-doctoral studies in immunology, and post-graduate studies in intellectual property law.
Job Titles:
- Technology Strategist and Business Analyst
- Venture Development Manager
Solmaz is a technology strategist and business analyst at Southmore. She applies her advanced data analysis and business modelling skills to assist clients in elaborating business concepts and gaining business insights. Her training and experience has focussed on machine learning, data mining and analytics, predictive modelling and project management. She has more than ten years of R&D management and industry experience in these fields in Australia, South East Asia and the Middle East. Solmaz holds a PhD in plasma physics and is a certified PRINCE2® project manager. She has also completed four years of post-doctoral studies in material science at the University of South Australia. As a strong believer in "innovation with application", Solmaz has been involved in many successful research commercialisation projects and secured funds and collaboration partners for projects, start-ups and established businesses both domestically and internationally.
Job Titles:
- Business Services Manager
Ahmed is responsible for managing and delivering business services at Southmore. He has extensive experience in international business, project management, and stakeholder relationship management across industries including energy and manufacturing. Ahmed has established relationships with key business partners from the Middle East and Asia. He has fifteen years' experience working with SMEs and international companies both in Australia and the Middle East. He also secured seed funding and sales revenue for his own green-tech entrepreneurial venture. Since then, he has secured grants and partnerships for local start-ups and SMEs.
Ahmed holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP®) and PRINCE2® project manager.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Finance & Governance Associate )
Alex holds postgraduate applied finance and undergraduate commerce and law qualifications. Alex is concurrently employed by a corporate advisory firm and has had significant exposure to fund raising and M&A transactions where his qualifications have been put to good use.
Alex currently has a focus on providing support to companies preparing for fund raisings and setting out their growth strategies. He also provides company secretarial and other legal support to investee companies. His prior exposure to M&A transactions is also proving valuable.
Christo is a pharmacy graduate with considerable small and family business experience as well as a keen interest in entrepreneurship. He is currently completing a Master of Business Administration and maintains his professional registrations in Pharmacy and Commercial Real Estate.
Christo is currently mainly involved in screening, researching and working up potential investment opportunities and is becoming involved in assisting portfolio companies in establishing their operations.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Corporate Finance
Di holds postgraduate finance and information technology and undergraduate economics and business qualifications. Through his education in China, the United States, and Australia and his exposure to a successful family business and several internships in financial services firms, Di has developed a solid understanding of the key attributes of successful venture capital investments.
Di is a highly capable researcher and financial analyst with a solid appreciation of the international markets that our portfolio companies are targeting.
Job Titles:
- Principal at Axant Corporate Advisory
In his role as Principal at Axant Corporate Advisory, Geoff focusses on assisting emerging businesses and their owners to expand, source funding and maximise business value. He has extensive experience in funds management and investing in private companies. He served as Managing Director of Paragon Private Equity (a buyout fund) and Chief Executive of Playford Capital (a start-up technology fund). Prior to this he was a Senior Executive at Vision Abell, a top ten high technology Defence company in Australia. Geoff has been a director of many public and private companies, and has broad experience in negotiation of contracts in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Geoff is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds multiple qualifications in business, science and engineering.
Jim has over thirty five years' experience in business development and sales and marketing, for scientific distribution, in-vitro diagnostics and medical devices companies. He cofounded three successful companies: Techlab Enterprises, Pacific Diagnostics (sold to Baxter International), and Panbio Ltd (sold to Inverness Medical Innovations). Jim has been involved in company merger and acquisitions and various capital raisings including an IPO with Panbio. He is presently a director of five companies and is also an advisor to and an active angel investor in others. He has been involved in a diversity of sectors including: manufacturing, medical technology, advanced materials, retail and horticulture.
Nigel is a Venture Partner at Southmore Capital and focussed on business transactions through two businesses, BuyGrowSell and BBFS. In these business he oversaw 36 transactions in FY2020. Prior to this he has worked in several start-up roles as interim CEO, as well as managing a business incubator in Queensland, attracting and developing growth-oriented start-up companies. Nigel has spent more than thirty years working with start-ups and investors in executive and advisory roles. After college Nigel joined Athur Young in Munich and was involved in six transactions across a variety of industries. After Arthur Young, Nigel joined Biosym Technologies Inc, a 3D molecular design software provider, which was purchased by Corning, Inc. He then focussed on the telecoms sector - co-founding Xpedite Systems Germany GmbH and selling it to Premiere Technologies Inc, then founding HighwayOne AG, which was sold to Telefonica SA. Nigel was Managing Director of Equator Investments in Cape Town, South Africa, prior to moving to Australia. Nigel is also an active angel investor.
Cynthia is an accounting graduate with finance and administration experience gained at several Australian SMEs. She is currently completing a post-graduate finance qualification and is accredited as a Mandarin-English interpreter and translator with the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. In addition to supporting the team by handling day-to-day accounting and administration, she has become involved with facilitating regular communication with our clients and partners.
Job Titles:
- Compliance and Administration Officer
Nicky is responsible for coordinating compliance and administrative activities within Southmore and in collaboration with external service providers. She has eight years of administration and compliance management experience in the superannuation industry and seven years in the private equity industry. Prior to that she spent sixteen years in administrative roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Mutual Community Insurance. She holds multiple certificates and diplomas in accounting, first line management, business practice, and financial services compliance.