Mentorship can be one of the most pivotal aspects of acareer, offering guidance when the path ahead isn’t always clear. Today’s guest, Frank Danieli, knows the power of mentorship well. Throughout his career, he’s not only sought advice from industry veterans but has also become a mentor himself, guiding others through the intricacies of private credit and finance. Starting in audit and consulting, Frank’s journey led him to advisory roles and ultimately to heading the credit investments and lending platform at MA Financial.

Frank has worked on some of Australia’s most complexrestructures and mergers, like the Slater & Gordon deal, and brings a wealth of insight on navigating high-stakes transactions. He brings a unique perspective on the rise of private credit and helps us unpack the hype on today’s episode.

In today’s episode, we explore Frank’s journey and how this has shaped his approach to leadership and mentorship, we’ll discuss MA Financial’s strategic partnership with HummGroup and finally we will delve into MA Financial’s "war games" risk management method—a unique system that’s as innovative as it is rigorous.

We hope you enjoy

*On-Air at IMARC*

In this week's episode Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue, joins us to peel the curtain back on his lessonsfrom a career in the mining industry and to share what drives him every day in his current role.

Throughout the discussion we unpack some interesting discussion points with Dino including:His formative years as the son of migrants growing up in WA and how his passion for being on-site, amongst the action, has underpinned much of his time in the industry.
We get a strong appreciation for the conviction that Dino has in the "Real Zero" target that Fortescue has set for its mining operations and what actions the business is taking to get there.
We get an appreciation of why Dino believes that culture is so important to any organisation and how he works to inspire over 15,000 people within his organisations are binded by the "light on the hill".We would like to say a big thank you to Nicky Hamer from Fortescue as well as Sherene Asnasyous & the broader IMARC crew for the work that they did in pulling the interview together.
We hope you enjoy!

Alternative investments have gone from niche to nearlyessential in today’s portfolios, offering investors the chance to diversify and seek returns uncorrelated with traditional markets. Our guest today, Stephen Darke, has spent his career at the forefront of this shift. As the CEO of Navigator Global Investments, Stephen’s work is centered on providing growth capital to alternative asset managers, supporting the innovative strategies that are reshaping the industry.

Stephen’s career journey has been fascinating starting outas a lawyer at Allens before transitioning to asset management and working internationally primarily in New York for Macquarie. His role now is leading Navigator on the ASX, where he’s driven impressive growth as Navigator looks to continue to find and invest in impressive alternative investing strategies.

Hello and welcome back to The Business Of, I’m Will, and I’m Charlie. On today’s episode, we dive into Stephen’s unique perspective on the role of alternative investments in today’s market, his insights on managing uncorrelated strategies, and the trends shaping the future of asset management.

We have heard numerous times from guests of this podcast that no career is a straight line, but today’s guest, Brett Clark, truly embodies this mindset. From studying pharmacy at UQ to building a successful online business at the height of the dotcom era, Brett’s journey has been defined by his ability to seize opportunities, adapt, and thrive—even when the odds were stacked against him.

Brett’s career took off when he founded ePharmacy, a venture that defied the conventional wisdom of the time and emerged as a dotcom success story. With no business degree or computer skills at the outset, he built the company into a major player that eventually merged with Chemist Warehouse. Now, he’s at the forefront of one of Australia’s largest pharmacy retailers, managing its operations across Queensland and Northern NSW, and leading through periods of significant change and expansion.

Hello and welcome back to The Business Of, I’m Will, and I’m Charlie. On today’s episode, we trace Brett’s journey from his early days in pharmacy to becoming a key figure in the healthcare retail space.

We’ll discuss the strategic merger between ePharmacy and Chemist Warehouse, dive into the recent Chemist Warehouse-Sigma deal, and explore Brett’s unique involvement in the worlds of rugby and ballet—two seemingly unrelated passions where his leadership continues to make an impact.

Lastly, we’ll touch on his philanthropic efforts, his rolewith the Brisbane 2032 Olympics

We hope you enjoy.

Getting an Australian life sciences business through what’s often called the "valley of death"—the treacherous journey from idea to commercialization—is no small feat. Many groundbreaking innovations get stuck in this phase, often starved of the capital and support they need to reach the market. Today’s guest, Anthony Liveris, is one of the few who are boldly tackling this challenge. Through his work at Proto Axiom, Anthony is leading the charge to bring world-class Australian science to the global stage, navigating the risks and obstacles that many never overcome.

Anthony was no stranger to the world of innovation and leadership, his early entrepreneurial spirit saw him launching a data analytics company, Applecart, before even finishing university. Now, with Proto Axiom, he's focused on incubating life sciences startups, ensuring they have both the financial backing and advisory network needed to succeed in a highly competitive global landscape.

On today’s episode, we dive into Anthony’s journey—from his early days as an entrepreneur to his current leadership at Proto Axiom.

We explore how he’s helping to transform Australia’s biotech sector, tackling the “valley of death” that prevents so many innovations from seeing the light of day. We’ll also touch on his passion for Pickleball Australia, a fast-growing sport that has captured Anthony’s attention.

We have all heard stories of the investment banking industry and the high-octane environment in which its people operate. Our next guest took that very industry by the scruff of the neck and by the ripe old age of 28 was Managing Director of UBS. All I can say is that Will & I better get cracking.

Andrew Pridham, an ambitious and hardworking young man from Adelaide who had built a sound understanding of the Australian property market with scribbly handwriting has gone on to become one of Australia’s highest profile and most revered investment banking professionals having held positions as Global Head of Real Estate & Head of Investment Banking for Australasia at UBS including as a member of the UBS Global Investment Banking Committee. He played a leading role as former Executive Chairman of Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan Australia right through to his role as co-founder of MA Financial Group in what was initially a joint venture between New York Stock Exchange Listed Moelis & Company and its Australian executives.

If that wasn’t enough Andrew has also fielded roles in various community positions and philanthropic initiatives. He is a diehard supporter of the Sydney Swans where he holds the position of Chairman of the Board and he is also unfortunately a diehard supporter of the Norwood Redlegs but we will not hold that against him! In addition to his sporting interests, Andrew actively gives back via significant philanthropic contributions to educational institutions, Indigenous programs and other wellness and self-improvement initiatives such as the MA Academy.

On today’s podcast, we unpack with Andrew the origins of his career as an investment banker and how it was that he so quickly rose the ranks of one of Australia’s most successful investment banks.

We hear from Andrew about what drew him back into investment banking and financial markets after some time away from the industry.

And we also hear from Andrew about the vision that he and his trusted management team are executing and further building upon at MA Financial.

We hope you enjoy!

With a career that bridges the worlds of science, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, this week’s guest, Anne-Marie Birkill, has left an indelible mark on Australia’s innovation landscape. With a background rooted in science and ecology, Anne-Marie’s career is a testament to her passion for turning groundbreaking ideas into commercial success stories. From her early days leading companies without a formal background in finance to her pivotal role in building OneVentures into one of Australia’s premier venture capital firms, Anne-Marie’s journey is one of perseverance, strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to innovation.

Her work has not only fueled her own entrepreneurial pursuits but has also empowered countless other founders through her roles within the University of Queensland and beyond. Today, as a partner at OneVentures and a board member of several influential companies, Anne-Marie continues to shape the future of Australia’s innovation landscape.

On today’s podcast, we explore Anne-Marie’s early career and how her scientific background influenced her entrepreneurial journey.

We delve into the creation and growth of OneVentures, discussing the challenges and strategies involved in raising capital and driving successful investments.

And finally, we explore her approach to board roles and what it takes to make a meaningful impact as a director in today’s fast-paced business environment.