Chairman of the Board:
Mr D.E. (David) Bird - LL.M, GAICD, Dip.SM, Grad.Cert.Bus.Comm.
Independent Chairman David Bird is a qualified lawyer. He practiced as such for 16 years in his own practice, in house counsel for statutory authorities and a major city law firm. During 1992-1993 he was a Senior Consultant (Legal and Institutional Strengthening) to the Asia Development Bank.
For the past sixteen years he has been coaching and consulting in the field of winning business presentations. His specialist consulting field includes that of competitive business bids.
David is a most experienced Director and Chairman and resides in Melbourne.
Deputy Chairman: Independent Director
Mr G (Greg) Bright - BEc.
Greg has been an investment journalist, publisher and conference producer for more than 30 years. Starting as the economics writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, he became assistant editor and business editor of the Australian Financial Review.
In 1983 he launched Trade News Corporation, including the leading superannuation magazine of its time, SuperReview. The company was acquired by Reed Elsevier in 1993. Subsequently Greg founded Investor Weekly, and built the business into a diversified media and events company which was publicly listed, as InvestorInfo Ltd, in 2000. In 2005 he launched Investment & Technology, and founded another company, Conexus Financial, which he also built into a successful media and events business, including international conferences. Greg also founded the Australian Custodial Services Association Conference, which has been produced for the past 17 years, and the Fiduciary Investors Symposium international events, the first of which was held in Beijing in 2011.
He was a foundation director of the Fund Executives Association Ltd (FEAL) and is an experienced director, with extensive contacts in the Funds Management Industry, a director of listed NZ diversified investment company Pyne Gould, and resides in Sydney.
Managing Director, President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO):
Mr G.K. (Greg) O'Neill - BEc., SF Fin(Life)
Greg O’Neill is a qualified economist whose previous experience involved positions as Account Manager with the American Computer company NCR Australia Limited (Manufacturing Systems – Financial Services Group), Trainee Company Secretary at Security Permanent Building Society in Victoria and Advance Bank (Australia) Ltd. Greg is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Life Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Banking and Finance, and a past member of the International Committee of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America.
Since joining La Trobe in 1984, he has participated directly in reporting to the Group’s Board of Directors and continues the most active Fund Raising activities of La Trobe Financial.
Greg resides in Melbourne.
Independent Director - B.Comm (UWA), CA, ITAA, AICM:
John Carrello
Mr John Carrello has over 25 years’ experience in business reconstruction and insolvency and is well regarded in the industry. Mr Carrello is a chartered accountant and Principal with BRI Ferrier. Experienced in corporate insolvency work across a variety of industries, and able to draw on this business reconstruction and strategic advice experience and skills.
John is a member of Insolvency Practitioners Association and a registered and official liquidator. Notable appointments managed by Carrello include Knightsbridge Finance Pty Ltd, Saxby Bridge Finance and Redmond Drilling. Knightsbridge was a private finance broker managing a loan book in excess of $100 million; this appointment was overseen by ASIC.
John resides in Perth.
Independent Director - LL.M:
Hung Fei Chan
Mr Hung Fei Chan, a director of La Trobe Financial is a lawyer qualified to practice law both in Australia and China. He has nearly 30 years’ experience in advising on cross border investment transactions to companies from China, Hong Kong, Australia and the United States. Mr Chan is also involved in the higher education sphere, he was appointed as a research fellow by Tsing Hua University, a leading University in China and manages continued education courses and research programs in Beijing and Hong Kong for the University.
Mr Chan’s work experience includes acting as a director and the company secretary of an ASX public listed company. Before this he was the corporate Advisory Director of a large Hong Kong publicly listed company, a director and general manager of Vision (Shenzhen) Business Park Co Ltd. in China, a property development company situated in Shenzhen High-Tech Industrial Park China which is controlled by the Fraser and Neave Group from Singapore.
From 1989 to 2002 Mr Chan held senior positions in a number of publicly listed companies and international law firms in Hong Kong, and Australia where he worked for top ten Australian law firms, including Minter Ellison Lawyers, Corrs Chambers Westgarth and the Corporation at United States as a director and senior lawyer. He received his Master of Law Degree from the University of Melbourne.
He is based in Hong Kong to assist the Company expand its network in the Greater China region.
Independent Director - SNF Fin:
John Marriott
John Marriott is a most experienced Senior Corporate and Commercial Banker having over 40 years experience with 3 of Australia’s major Banks, NAB, Westpac and the ANZ.
He was seconded to NAB’s Merchant Bank First National for 2.5 years and worked specifically on M&A transactions.
Whilst at NAB John experienced senior roles in Corporate and Institutional Banking, Credit, Project & Structured Finance and was Head of the largest Commercial Business District in Australia. He was also the Head of NAB’s Major Client Group in Victoria.
At Westpac John was appointed Head of Business Acquisition in Victoria and replicated the acquisition model in establishing businesses for the Bank in both NSW and QLD as major successes for the Bank. Following this he was appointed as State General Manager, Victoria for Premium Commercial Business which also included responsibility for the Bank’s Property Divisions in Victoria and West Australia and the Business Acquisition team in Victoria.
John is the past Director of Corporate Acquisitions in Corporate Banking in Victoria for the ANZ Banking Group.
John resides in Melbourne.