Meet The Team

Christine has over thirty-five years of experience in Australia and the UK in the investment management industry including property and mortgage trust portfolio management; strategic asset planning; investment analysis and research and project development.

Christine provides corporate advisory services as an authorised representative of VentureAxess Fund Managers Limited (AFSL 266712) including review of proposed companies for listing, and associated due diligence. She has also operated an independent consultancy since 1998 providing advice and expertise to both the private and public sectors.

Over the past twenty years, Christine has undertaken a number of strategic projects for NSW State Government; provided advice on the development of a high technology hospital with a construction and technology cost of $180m; and carried out analysis and investment rating of property funds and syndicates for Property Investment Research Pty Limited. Previously at Global Funds Management, Christine was involved in the reconstruction of the collapsed Estate Mortgage Group portfolio; recovery of property and mortgage assets and funds owed to the banks and over 56,000 investors; and the successful ASX listing of the portfolio as the Meridian Investment Trust.

Christine was also the Trust Manager – Property & Mortgages for Permanent Trustee Company Limited in the mid-nineties with trustee responsibility for a $3.5 billion portfolio of property, development and mortgage trusts, including Westpac, ANZ and BT Property Trusts.

Christine’s work with the NSW State Government has involved responsibility for the strategic direction and management of the circa $28 billion social housing portfolio in NSW and housing finance investment. Christine has participated in a number of state and local government initiatives, committees and task forces; NSW planning system reform; and provided advice on housing needs and analysis to maximise the provision of low cost and affordable housing to communities throughout NSW. Christine has also worked closely with the NSW Federation of Housing Associations and the broader community housing sector.

Christine’s experience has been gained with organisations such as NSW Government: Transport for NSW (NSW TrainLink and Sydney Trains), Department of Finance & Services, NSW Land & Housing Corporation, NSW Police, Department of Ageing & Disability, Australia Post, Global Funds Management, National Mutual (now AXA), Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Brick Securities Limited, Permanent Trustee Company Limited and the former State Bank of Victoria.

Christine is an Executive Director of VentureAxess Group Limited and VentureAxess Fund Managers Limited.She is also a Director of Credit Elect Pty Limited, Strategic Assets Solutions (Aust) Pty Limited and Direct World Capital Pty Limited.

David Hickie has over 43 years’ experience in banking, finance and funds management. His experience extends across the banking, building society, friendly society and credit union movement from 1969 to 1983 before entering funds management. Whilst at Global Funds Management, David managed the Global Monthly Income Fund; it was awarded the Mortgage Fund of the year 1994 and 1995 and runner-up in 1993 by Money Management Magazine. David was responsible for the establishment of the YWCA Ethical Fund, the first Ethical Fund in Australia and the management of the Fixed Interest and Mortgage part of the portfolio. David also set up and managed the Undervalued Property Fund of Australia for the indigenous Inuits of Canada.

David worked for the Queensland and Federal Governments in assisting the setting up of the Cape York Financial Projects Limited to provide banking services to the remote areas of Cape York for Indigenous people, David also helped introduce the Family Income Management Program to the women of Cape York, introducing budgeting systems and helping to generate a savings mentality, which ultimately resulted in an increase to the wealth of the community. He was instrumental in negotiating a settlement between Rio Tinto, the largest listed mining company in Australia, and the 17,000 indigenous people of Cape York that were affected by the company’s mining operation.

David has unique and extensive experience in debt and credit management in indigenous communities. David set up Credit Elect in March 2006 and has developed its business models and intellectual property, including the budgeting and family income management programs.

David has had extensive experience in the management of various listed and unlisted trusts, including Mortgage and Property Trusts, Mortgage Securitisation, Equity Funds, Healthcare/Hospital Funds and Master Superannuation Funds particularly through his previous directorships and his time at Oceanic and Global Funds Management Australia Limited.

For a period of approximately a decade, David was a non-executive director of the Societe Generale Australia Limited securitisation conduits, ACE Limited, ACE Funding Limited, AUSTRA Limited and HOMES Limited with over $7.8b under management and is now providing consulting for structured finance to a number of parties locally as well as offshore.

Internationally David has provided consulting services to the Bank of Russia on their introduction to real estate property ownership and mortgage finance. He spent 12 months negotiating and advising the Luso International Bank of Macau on securitisation of their mortgage portfolio. He also provided consulting services to a securities firm and the Trustees of a Superannuation scheme in Papua New Guinea on the introduction of a housing project and mortgage finance for their members.

David is a director of VentureAxess Group Limited, Credit Elect Pty Limited and Direct World Capital Pty Limited.

Peter has global experience in the finance, property, agricultural and industrial sectors with specific expertise in strategic advice, corporate finance and treasury, debt capital markets, IPO’s, capital restructuring, asset and structured finance.

Peter’s skills include financial analytics, due diligence, business strategy, financial modelling and reporting, project management, marketing strategy, business and wealth restructuring, company secretarial services, management of special purpose vehicles and unit trusts.

Peter’s previous roles have included:

• Founding Director/Secretary of:
  • Apothecare Compounding Pty Ltd
  • Ecloud Property Marketing Pty Ltd
  • AusBuying Pty Ltd.
• Corporate advisor & Consulting General Manager for a number of companies including full service accounting for Gateway Partners Pty Ltd (UK/Australia).
• CEO – Crest Capital Investments Pty Ltd - Management consultancy – financial services, property development, re-finance and unit trust management.
• Barrington Corporate Finance – financial and treasury strategic advisory services.
• Vice President at CitiGroup (financial services, rail sector, shipping, aircraft, property).
• Chief Manager, Head of Global Capital Markets at Westpac.
• HSBC Australia to establish its Capital Markets Division. Also Director of Wardley James Capel.
• Director, Capital Markets at Capel Court Investment Bank/ANZ Bank.
• Associate Director at CIBC Australia Ltd – capital markets and structured finance projects.
• Group Treasurer at Peko Wallsend Ltd – mining and industrial sector with responsibility for funding, FX, coal, gold hedging and strategic projects for the Board.
• Project Engineer New Ship Construction at TNT Pty Ltd with responsibility for feasibility design, contract negotiation and management of new ship construction worldwide.
• German & Milne Naval Architects – Montreal (Canada) – Project Manager and Supervisor of ship construction, together with marine construction and surveying in Canada, USA and Cameroon, as part of the Canadian Government’s CEDA aid program.
• Project Engineer at Conoship – Groningen (Holland) – project management for medium sized bulk carriers.
• Mechanical Engineer and Naval Architect at BHP Billiton in the Whyalla Shipbuilding & Engineering Works Division – Project management of ship and marine construction. Subsequently relocating to London, UK to work as a design engineer on civil construction projects.

Peter’s present and/or past Non-Executive Directorships and/or Company Secretary / Treasury roles include:

• Homebush Financial Services (a Bendigo Community Bank).
• AMM Pty Ltd (mortgage management company).
• Fincorp Pty Ltd (property and funds management).
• The Brandman Agency (New York based public relations company).
• Global Partners Australasia (a UK based recruitment business).

Peter holds an MBA (majoring in investment and financial analysis) from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering & Naval Architecture from the University of South Australia. Peter is a Justice of the Peace in NSW. He is also involved in a number of Associations including:

• Fellow of the Finance & Treasurers Association;
• Member Australian Institute of Company Directors;
• Member Royal Institute of Naval Architects, CEng, MIE Aust, CPEng. (ex);
• Councillor for Ku-ring-gai Little Athletics Association;
• Honorary Treasurer NSW Rod Fishers Society.

Brian is a qualified and experienced Project Manager and Town Planner. His expertise includes property acquisition (purchase/leasing); project scoping, feasibility and project team establishment and management; design, client/development approvals; meeting greenhouse and sustainability objectives; environmental site assessment, evaluation and restoration; risk and risk assessment; tender process, construction management and project evaluation; property management and property disposal.

Brian’s experience has been gained in various roles in Australia and South Africa:

• Australia Post – Development Manager with responsibility for numerous projects including:
  • Establishing large delivery facilities in response to operational consolidation due to mechanical sorting efficiencies. Budget per project $800K to $50M;
  • 5 major parcel delivery facilities Budget per project circa $2M;
  • 5 major Logistic B2B and B2C facilities;
  • Establishing new Retail Post Shops and converting traditional Post Offices to Retail Post Shops in high street locations and major shopping centre locations. Budget per project circa $180K.


• Angliss Group – Property Project Manager for International Beef & Pastoral Company with responsibility for numerous residential, industrial and hotel projects around Australia including:
  • Windsor Downs (NSW) – 350 lot rural residential subdivision;
  • Deer Park (Victoria) – 2,600 lot residential subdivision;
  • Annandale, Townsville (QLD) – 1,000 lot residential subdivision;
  • Angliss Industrial Estate (Melbourne) – 260 hectares;
  • Gateway Industrial (Brisbane) – 100 hectares;
  • Hotels in Darwin and Sydney.


• Venture Assessment Group Responsible for Environmental site assessment and evaluation; implementation sustainability; environment restoration; risk and risk assessment.


• Herbert Penny (Johannesburg) – Property Economics including real estate valuation and evaluation including Shopping Centre feasibilities.


• D & H Industrial Holdings (Johannesburg) - Property Manager role with responsibility for shopping centre management and quarry rehabilitation and re-development.


• Tongaat Hullet Group (Durban) – Town Planner for Sugar, Industrial, Brick making and Transport Company. Projects included residential development at Avoca, Mount Edgecombe; quarry rehabilitation and re-development; shopping centre developments.


• Durban Corporation – City Council as Town Planner in training. Main focus was housing including the design and development of Phoenix Stage 24 (1,200 homes).

Brian holds qualifications in Project Management from the Australian Institute of Project Management; and Town Planning from the University of Natal in South Africa.

Bill is an experienced stockbroker and has been involved in many successful capital raisings and IPO's, along with regular client broking services, over the last 18 years and holds an Authorised Representative Licence Number 000259642.

Bill also has a strong rural background and extensive contacts in the rural industry. Bill’s agricultural experience includes working on the premier Merino studs and cattle studs in the 1960's. In addition, Bill ran his own grazing property at Scone for 22 years, trading cattle and fattening them, prior to entering the stockbroking industry.

Bill’s family has been producing beef, wool and horses in Australia’s Hunter Valley since 1907. The family owns and runs a large Wagyu Beef enterprise at Scone and previously owned the Wootton Poll Hereford Stud, one of Australia's largest.

Bill is a graduate of Marcus Oldham Farm Management College and was on the Advisory Board of Hawkesbury Agricultural College, now University of Western Sydney, for 8 years.

Barry is a Senior Applied Economist offering extensive experience in both program and project based analysis, across the public and private sectors. Previously roles have included working for public agencies, consulting firms and private economics based organisations. Recent assignments include economic appraisal and strategic assessments of Bus Infrastructure Programs and Projects for Transport for NSW and Roads & Maritime Services.

Barry has extensive experience dealing with sustainable provision of infrastructure and services across a range of sectors including transport, waste management and recycling, water management and re-use, and social and residential housing. Areas of expertise include:

• Economic Evaluation, Financial Appraisal and Cost Benefit Analyses.
• Strategic Advisory/Planning and Business Case Review for Infrastructure Delivery.
• Project Prioritisation.
• Triple Bottom Line Analyses - Environmental, Social Impact & Economic.
• Stakeholder Consultation and Facilitation.

Barry is a developer and implementer of holistic cost benefit frameworks dealing with trade-offs between economic, financial, social, environment and strategic planning issues.

Barry’s qualifications and certifications include a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) both from Cambridge University, UK; Project Finance, Securities Institute, Australia; and Certified Associate - Project Management Institute. Barry is a member of the Economics Society of Australia (NSW); the NSW State Government Gateway Review Panel Member; and the Social Return on Investment Network, UK.

Jacques has over 30 years' experience in South Africa and other African countries in the engineering sector including project management; electrical and mechanical engineering, renewable energy and integration of multi-disciplinary projects. Jacques is a director in Rameses Investments as partners for the facilitation and implementation of renewable energy (Solar, PV, Wind, etc) and related projects.

Areas of expertise and specialised skills include contract management, design, tender, supervision and commissioning of complete electrical, mechanical and electronic installations of infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Jacques is also familiar with all aspects of multi-disciplinary projects including conceptualisation through to implementation. This also includes Construction Law (NEC, FIDIC) and Commercial Negotiations for Professionals and Legal Risk Management.

Specific recent projects include large utility scale solar farms (typically 75MW and 100MW) that are connected to the national grid in South Africa; large concentrated solar and Photo Voltaic facilities (75MW plus each). Other experience includes HV (132kV GIS SF6 substations), electrification, integration of renewable energy projects, process control, measurement, data acquisition analysis, water treatment installations and telemetry.

Jacques holds a B Eng (Elec), University of Stellenbosch and has Professional Registrations with Engineering Council of South African (ECSA); South African Council for Project and Construction Management Professionals (SACPCMP); Engineering Institute of Technology Certificate in Renewable Energy Technologies (EIT: Australia).

Jacques is fluent in English and Afrikaans.

Leo has expert Rough and Polished Diamond Grading and Valuation skills with in excess of forty years of experience in the diamond industry both in Australia and internationally. Leo’s experience has been gained with organisations such as Argyle Diamond Mines Australia; Rio Tinto Diamonds NV Antwerp, Van Blerck-Claes and Van Der Voort, Antwerp.

Since 2009, Leo has operated as a consultant to the diamond industry in Australia, Belgium and Zimbabwe including:

• Technical Advisor to Anjin PVT (LTD) to ensure quality of cleaning and sorting of rough diamonds mined by the company in Zimbabwe; managing the Royalty valuation process with the Ministry of Mines in Harare; and the Anjin Rough Diamond Tender process.
• Factory Director at De Saint Jewellery Company with responsibility for establishment of the first Diamond Polishing factory in the Anhui Province PRC.
• Lecturing at HRD in Antwerp on state of the art rough assessment systems as tools to optimise value of rough diamonds and advanced sorting and valuation skills.

Leo was the Manager Technical Projects for Rio Tinto Diamonds from April 2007 to October 2009 in Australia; and Technical Director Sorting & Valuations for Rio Tinto Diamonds NV Antwerp from September 2002 to March 2007, ensuring integrity of product from the countries of origin and, as a member of the Sales Team in Antwerp, selling up to 40 million carats per annum produced in Australia, Canada and Zimbabwe.

At Argyle Diamonds in Perth (WA) from January 1984 to September 2002, Leo established a permanent cutting & polishing facility which he grew into a global operation, including sub contracting in Asia, Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, Israel and Europe.

Leo speaks English, Dutch, French and German.