Newport Capital Group - Technology Investment Advisers

The Team

Lou Richard	Lou Richard Group Founder & Managing Director Newport Capital Group In 1987, Lou founded the Newport Capital Group. Initial engagements with Computer Power Group and ICL Pacific resulted in multiple acquisitions, new ventures (including the formation of Telepower as joint venture between Computer Power and OTC) and divestments. Lou joined IBM in the mid 1960’s, was trained as a programmer, systems analyst, and finally managed the entire Sydney Data Centre. He then spent 12 years with Computer Resources in sales, sales management, general management and start-up management roles. Lou was appointed Group CEO in 1976, managing over 300 staff, and became a shareholder. In 1979, Lou founded the Australian Technology and Computing Group (ATAC), which achieved rapid growth and sustained profitability, with a wide range of IT products and services activities. ATAC was sold to the UK based Field Engineering & Education Limited (“Fee”) in 1985, and Lou moved to London as Chairman of the Fee Group – until his return to Australia in 1987. Lou remains deeply involved in client projects, using his wide range of industry contacts and his deep knowledge of the global IT&T markets. Lou’s vision drives Newport’s development, with the goal of Newport becoming a leader in technology investment and advisory services in the Asia Pacific market.
Vic Whiteley	Vic Whiteley Director Vic has extensive senior management experience spanning forty years in the IT and Data Communications industries, both in Australia and internationally. During this time he has held executive roles with such companies as IBM, Control Data, General Electric, Concurrent Computer Corporation, Honeywell, Emulex Corporation and Nokia Internet Communications. Positions held by Vic include Managing Director, General Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing, Regional Sales Director and Regional Operations Manager/Asia Pacific. He has operated at senior executive level in Japan, India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Most recently, Vic was Managing Director of SecureServ, a company he established in 2005. SecureServ is a value-added distribution partner which provides market-leading solutions for Internet and Web security. Major SecureServ customers include Macquarie Bank, University of Technology Sydney, ABN Amro Morgans and ServCorp. In his various senior roles, Vic has provided consulting services in enterprise leadership, sales and marketing skills development, change management, negotiation skills, project management and financial & strategic planning. He is a graduate of the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, with an Accounting & Economics major. Vic is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a past National Treasurer of the Australian Computer Society.
	Suzanne Pence Director Suzanne Pence joins Newport Capital with specific responsibility for new business and client relationship management. She has more than 15 years experience in investment and financial services industries. Prior to joining Newport Capital, Suzanne was a Client Relationship Manager for State Street Investor Services covering a diverse range of fund managers. Prior to State Street, Ms Pence was employed by Perpetual Investments as Senior Portfolio Specialist for Global Shares and Multi-Sector funds and by Franklin Templeton as an Institutional Business Development Manager. She originally came to Australia 1996 with JPMorgan Investment Management Melbourne as a Client Portfolio Manager for Global Markets. Taking a break from investment management, Ms Pence was Managing Director of Data Solutions Australia, a privately-owned direct marketing company based in Sydney where she was responsible for finance, compliance, operations and sales. Prior to Australia, Ms Pence has had various roles in fixed income trading and risk management at JP Morgan and accounting/audit experience. Ms Pence graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in Mathematics and Economics. She earned her MBA in Finance and Accounting from New York University Stern School of Business. Ms Pence is the Chairperson of the Women in Super (NSW branch).
David Fulep	David Fulep Associate Director David has more than 5 years of experience in the field of M&A during which he worked on several buy-side, sell-side and capital markets transactions in a wide range of industries including telecommunications, IT, healthcare, printing and retail. Prior to joining Newport Capital in 2009, David was Senior Analyst in the M&A/financial advisory team of Concorde Securities, Hungary‘s leading independent investment banking group. At Concorde David was involved in a number of joint mandates with such Tier-1 international investment banks as UBS, Lehman Brother and JP Morgan. David holds a master’s degree from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences where he majored in Corporate Finance.
	Feroz Masood Khan Associate Feroz joined Newport Capital in 2009 with over 3 years experience in syndicate and investment banking. Currently, Feroz is an associate at Newport Capital with specific mandate to provide merger & acquisition, corporate financing and strategic advisory services to companies across a variety of IT related sectors. Prior to joining Newport, he worked for leading bank in Pakistan as Senior Credit Analyst in Credit Corporate, Syndicate and Investment Banking Department. One of his key responsibilities involved an in-depth knowledge of State Bank of Pakistan’s prudential regulations and legal framework. He was also part of first “Islamic Project Financing Transaction” executed in Pakistan. He holds Master of Commerce from Macquarie University with Distinction, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Greenwich University with Distinction, Diploma in Accounting and Diploma in Business Administration from Thames Business School in Singapore. He is also currently pursuing his second Master of Commerce in Finance & Accounting from Macquarie University.
	Steve Ingram Consultant Steve is an experienced executive with significant international achievements as a financial services executive, Chief Information Officer and technology consulting partner. His 30 year track record includes leading large scale transformational change working across the globe in the US, Asia, Australia and Europe. Most recently, for two years he led the Global Financial Services consulting practice for EDS, the technology outsourcing services company. Prior to EDS, for six years he was Chief Information Officer and Head of Global Technology and Operations for DBS, a pan-Asian Bank headquartered in Singapore. During his tenure at the Bank he was a member of the Bank’s Management Committee, a director of Network for Electronic Transfers (Singapore) Pte, a member of the IBM Global Board of Advisors and a member of the Advisory Board of FT Ventures, a US-based technology venture capital firm. He was also awarded the 2005 Technology in Banking Achievement Award by the Asian Banker magazine. Before joining the Bank, Steve was CIO at a consumer finance company and at a telecommunications company in Dallas Texas. Prior to becoming a CIO, he spent fifteen years at Ernst & Young’s consulting practice in both Australia and the US, the last eleven as a partner.
Denis Bignold	Denis Bignold Consultant Denis is a seasoned senior executive holding General Manager and CEO positions with various companies for the last twenty five years. He has been employed in the computer industry for thirty seven years and has extensive national and international business experience. For the past two years, he was employed by TrakHealth as CEO world wide. The company is a leader in the supply of systems to manage hospitals. In June 2005 after a very successful financial turnaround he resigned and moved back to his home on the East Coast of Tasmania Previously and for eleven years Denis was employed by System Software Associates, a world leading ERP computer software vendor and US public company. Denis commenced the Australian operation as Managing Director which was the first international branch for the company. He held senior executive positions in several roles and has lived in Japan, China, Singapore, USA and UK. His final position was Executive Vice President World Wide Operations responsible for a global revenue budget of AU$700 million and directly responsible for world wide operations across 147 locations and 54 direct branches. Prior to SSA he was General Manager with Computer Power, one of Australia’s leading IT companies. He is a Fellow of the Company Directors Association, Fellow and past National President of the Sales Executive Society of Australia, Member of the Australian Computer Society, a Justice of the Peace, and a Marriage Celebrant. His formal studies include a Diploma of Marketing, Graduate Diploma of Business Administration and in the final stage of an MBA (Marketing) from Berkeley University.
Sasha Richard	Sasha Richard Operations Co-ordinator Sasha joined Newport in 1997 as the Administration Manager. She has held a variety of roles within NCG and is currently working as Operations Co-ordinator. Whilst at NCG Sasha has obtained a thorough understanding of the TIMES and Venture Capital sectors within the investment banking industry. This has enabled her to carry out successful research and targeting on many client projects. Prior to joining NCG Sasha held roles as Payroll Administrator for Stylz Hair Design and Secretary for the Hip Dysplasia Scheme at the Australian Veterinary Association. This led to a similar role with the British Veterinary Association when Sasha resided in London.