Dr Swee Mak, Director, CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing National Research Flagship (FMF).

The FMF is a multi-disciplinary research program with over 300 scientists and engineers. It was established to lead Australia’s development of cleaner advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to enable manufacturing companies to grow future productivity and prosperity. As Director, Swee provides scientific, strategic and commercial development leadership across a broad portfolio of research activities as well as developing partnerships and collaborations across industry and government.

Swee obtained both his undergraduate and PhD degrees in civil engineering from Monash University, an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne. His research career focussed on the development of environmentally sustainable materials and manufacturing processes. Swee also has extensive experience in innovation management, commercialisation and the transfer of technology to industry. Swee was a director of HySSIL P/L, an Australian technology company established to commercialise a range of advanced cellular and low carbon footprint materials developed by CSIRO. Swee has authored over 50 scientific and technical papers and also provided expert advice and R&D services to over 30 companies in Australia and overseas.

Swee was a Director of the Concrete Institute of Australia and ex-President of its Victorian Branch. He is currently a Director of the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (VCAMM).

Andrew Pickering, Managing Director, Cleantech Ventures
Andrew is an experienced venture investor who has completed many investments in clean technologies to date, with a particular focus on energy technologies (renewable energy, storage and energy efficiency).
Prior to founding Cleantech Ventures, Andrew held the investment management role at the Centre for Energy and Greenhouse Technologies, where he focused on seed and early stage energy investments. Previously he was a management consultant with Deloitte and has also held a variety of product development roles within cleantech start-ups both in Australia and the US.
Andrew holds an MBA with distinction from Melbourne Business School, a Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Melbourne, a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Melbourne, a B.Sc from the University of Melbourne and a Certificate in Foundation Tax from the Tax Institute. He has served on several investee boards.

Geoff Hoffman, Partner, Clayton Utz
Geoff Hoffman is a partner of Clayton Utz in the Corporate Advisory / M&A group based in Sydney.
Geoff has over 12 years of experience advising clients on commercial and corporate matters including mergers and acquisitions, equity fund raising, joint ventures, general corporate and intellectual property law advice. His clients include AMP, CHAMP, ING Group, Macquarie Bank, Woolworths, and Quantum Strategic Partners a private investment fund managed by Soros Funds Management.
He has had extensive involvement in the renewable energy sector both in the UK and in Australia. In 2010 he worked on the establishment of the Balbourne Wind Fund, now one of the UK's largest wind farm portfolio managers. In 2009 he was a member of the Australian Federal government consultative committee involved in the design of the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme.
Geoff has degrees in Economics and Law and holds an MBA (with Distinction) from the London Business School.

David Clark, Partner, Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick
David has 20 years of experience in patents & intellectual property (IP). In 2002 David joined the patent practice of a national law firm as a Partner to establish and develop its Sydney practice. He commenced at Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick in July 2009, and is a partner with the firm.
David’s expertise is in the physical sciences, with his practice including mechanical and chemical engineering, materials science, gaming technology and medical devices. He has particular experience & expertise in working with cleantech clients.
David advises local and international clients on patent procurement, validity, infringements, design protection, oppositions and portfolio management.

Paul van Bergen, Partner, KPMG
Paul is the practice leader of KPMG’s R&D tax concession team in Sydney.
The client base includes companies producing goods (manufacturing, agri-food, communications, property and infrastructure) and services (media, information technology, finance and new economy businesses). Innovation in Australian industry is crucial to the economic and social prosperity of Australia and the KPMG R&D incentives team dedicates its efforts assisting companies who develop better products and services to access tax savings and other government incentives.
Paul is the practice leader of KPMG’s R&D tax incentives team in Sydney with over 18 years experience in R&D tax claims. His client base and experience in services is extensive having currently provided R&D tax services to IBM, Fairfax, AMP, Macquarie Bank, Deutsche Bank and Westpac.

Andrew Stead, Director Business Development, ATP Innovations

Andrew is a business development professional who has first-hand experience of building businesses and attracting investors and buyers. He has 15 years experience in the information technology and telecommunications sector, in senior operational and strategic roles and served on several boards.
Andrew is the founder of Ignition Labs, a clean technology accelerator and co-founder of Sydney Angels, an early stage investment group. He is currently the Director Business Development at ATP Innovations, Australia’s largest community of technology entrepreneurs, a Startmate mentor and lectures in entrepreneurship at the University of Sydney.
Prior to his current role, Andrew was responsible for commercialising technologies at University of New South Wales. One of the key achievements was selling a search technology to Google. Previously he held roles at UXC, Telstra and started his career as an Officer in the British Army.

Ken MacLeod, Partner, Scotia Macleod

Ken has had a corporate career spanning 13 years and 3 continents with a number of leading investment banks and financial services organisations. Ken led teams of finance professionals to support and integrate dynamic and complex fixed income trading businesses. A significant proportion Ken’s brief was to pave the way for the sale of, purchase of or integration of businesses for Greenwich NatWest, Swiss Bank Corporation, Dresdner Kleinwort, in the UK, Japan and Australia. He was also was the Controller for GE Commercial in Australia and New Zealand where his focus was leading a team of 50 to integrate and consolidate five equipment leasing and other finance acquisitions.
Ken has been an investor in number of early stage ventures, primarily in the IT and digital space, but now spend most of his time now advising SMEs seeking to raise capital or otherwise seeking to exit their businesses. Kens Specialities lie in: Corporate and business strategy, business planning, capital raising, pitch coaching, business turnarounds, raising funds advice, due diligence, post-sale integration, operational and financial optimisation.