Global Reach

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Global Reach

In late 2009 our Chairman, Peter Church together with Rachel Sergeant from Romania and Cordell Berge from the US founded the Alliance of International Corporate Advisors (AICA) – https://aicanetwork.com/– and were immediately joined by some 25 mid-market M&A firms from around the globe. Since then, AICA has grown to 40 firms which are active across the Americas, Europe and Asia in developed economies as well as high growth markets such as China, India, Brazil and eastern Europe.

Peter was the inaugural Chairman of AICA and retired from the Board once his term of 2 years expired. Lindley Edwards, our CEO is an active member and until recently chaired the Membership Committee.

AICA’s member firms provide a full range of advisory services to assist clients with cross-border business sales and divestitures, mergers, acquisitions, capital raises, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions.

Clients of AICA member firms benefit from the personalized senior partner attention of the local firm that has been engaged, amplified by the expertise, relationships and resources of our global investment banker and advisor network.

Peter Church’s professional experience in Asia commenced in 1978 when he was the first Australian to practice law in Indonesia. Since then, he has continued to live and/or work throughout South East Asia and India as a lawyer and corporate adviser and has represented many of Australia and the world’s largest corporations in their activities in those markets.

Lindley Edwards has spent most of her professional career undertaking cross border transactions (debt, equity and M&A) with Asian based companies and individuals. For many years Lindley was a director of Asialink, which organisation also focuses on strengthening Australian and Asian ties and networks. Through these experiences Lindley has developed long term relationships throughout China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore.

Michael Fay, who heads our Education and Skills Training division, has over 30 years of experience of the education and training sector in Australia and South East Asia. He was the co-founder and managing director of Insearch Education at the University of Technology Sydney UTS. Michael has a particular focus on Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam and has provided strategic advice to a wide cross section of Australian education stakeholders from schools, English language, skills training, higher education and EdTech. Michael has convened the ASEAN Australia Education Dialogue since 2018 which is a highly regarded regional platform linking Australia and ASEAN www.aseanaustraliadialogue.com

Garry Hersey has had many years’ experience working in senior executive roles with both listed and private companies in relation to their Australian and Asian businesses. He has a particular focus on Vietnam and other countries within ASEAN. He has significant experience working with companies facing strategic and financial challenges, undergoing significant external corporate developments or requiring debt and equity funding.

Sherman Mak is a multi-disciplinary strategic advisor, investor and entrepreneur. He has over 25 years of strategy, investment, banking and advisory experience. He has held senior appointments in global strategy, marketing, human capital and products with a range of international brands, such as Citigroup, HSBC, J.P Morgan and Westpac. He personally advises a number of Asian private family wealth offices, governments, DeepTech investment groups, one of South East Asia’s largest telecommunications companies and one of the world’s largest vertically integrated multi segment agri-food conglomerates (Charoen Pokphand Group of Thailand).