Family Business Australia - Victoria

Michael is a member of a 2 nd generation family business committed to family business “best practice”. He is a major contributor to his family business strategy as a Director and member of their senior management team. Michael has served for two years on the Victoria Committee and has made a valuable and constructive contribution towards FBA activities locally and nationally.

Managing Director of Electrical Distribution & Transmission Pty Ltd (EDT), a prominent supplier of major capital equipment to the Australian electrical power and commercial sectors www.edt.com.au . Prior to the establishment of the company thirteen years ago, he held senior roles in electrical engineering with EDT competitors.

His formation of a dynamic, and well organized, business against the forces of large, international, corporate opposition, brings to FBA a sharp knowledge and awareness of modern commercial forces.

Mr. Mark Kagan - Scarpa Imports Pty Ltd

Mark has recently sold his family national warehousing and distribution business after working there for 28 years. He was a 3rd generation member together with his 4th generation cousins. The business commenced in 1950.

He now works with his wife in her 24 year old business, Scarpa Imports Pty Ltd -  an importer of fine quality cards, gift wrap and stationery items.

He has been a member of the  FBA Victorian committee since late 2005 and a member of an FBA Forum group since 2002.

Mark’s qualifications include degrees in Law and Economics from Monash University. He is married with three boys ranging in age from 9 to 19

Bernie is the Managing Director of Victorian Mortgage Management Group (VMMG), a leading private residential mortgage lender. A second generation business, Bernie has worked at VMMG for over 15 years and was recently appointed to his new role after successfully negotiating a succession planning process.

Bernie has been a member of FBA since 1997 and since that time has benefited enormously through the seminars and programs run by FBA, but most particularly through his involvement in a Forum Group. He is pleased to be in a position to advocate the benefits of membership of FBA and Forums in particular via his involvement in the State Committee.

Ed is a Senior Associate in the areas of Corporate & Commercial and Family Business & Wealth Management at Hall & Wilcox, focusing on private M&A, private equity and venture capital.

Ed was at Hall & Wilcox from 2002 for four years and, after 12 months at a national top tier firm, he retuned to Hall & Wilcox in May 2007. Prior to 2002, Ed was employed by another Melbourne mid-tier firm, where he worked on a range of banking and finance and corporate and commercial law matters.

Ed graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (1998) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons, 1995) from the University of Melbourne. Ed is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the CPA Australia Family Business Network Committee, the Law Institute of Victoria and its Commercial Law and Young Lawyers sections. He is a member of Family Business Australia’s adviser’s forum and a trustee of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Ed is also a non-executive director in a family owned manufacturing company.

Roulla Pavlou - Epoch Focus

Roulla Pavlou, Principle of Epoch Focus people and organisational development is passionate about the potential of positive psychology to achieve cultural and organisational change in 21 century organisations.

Roulla is an innovative organisational development consultant with a strong generalist background who has been a registered organisational psychologist executive for 15 years. She is experienced in working in urban and rural Australia with large, complex and geographically dispersed organisations. Roulla is an accredited FBA Family Business Adviser.

Graham Neil Henderson CPA - Mitchell Laminates

In 1967 Graham started his business career as a Commercial Cadet with the Repco Limited Group. Working in various finance, accounting and managerial roles. Later he joined Heine Brothers Australasia (international commodity traders) working in both their property/finance divisions and also their trading division in various accounting and finance roles.

Graham was appointed the Company Secretary of Kiwi Limited. Upon merger of Kiwi and Nicholas in 1981, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer for the Asia Region of Nicholas Kiwi Limited.

In 1989 he joined the Mitchell family business as Managing Director and shareholder of Mitchell Laminates Pty. Ltd. When new business, Mitchell Plastics was commenced in 2001, Graham was appointed Managing Director of that business and he is also a shareholder of Mitchell Plastics Pty. Ltd

Tom Tobin - Tobin Brothers

Tom is a 3rd generation member of the Tobin Brothers Funerals family business and as a Consultant and Conductor is committed to providing the highest quality service to client families at a most difficult time.

One of 14 family members currently working in the business he is extremely passionate about family business and proud of the company built by the previous generations.

Although Tom is a new member of FBA the Tobin family have been involved since 1997.

Angela Brown – Brown Brothers / All Saints Estate 

Angela is a one of the 4th generation Brown Brothers winemaking family of Milawa, Victoria who have been producing wine for over 100 years. The daughter of Peter Brown, one of the Brown Brothers, Angela is proud to be part of a family business and member of the FBA. 

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Graphic Design) from Monash University in 1996, Angela worked in the advertising industry as an Art Director and Finished Artist branding international products for five years before starting her own design business, Angela Brown Creative, in 2002. Following the sudden death of their father in late 2005, Angela and her siblings (Eliza and Nicholas) became directors of their fathers independent business, Peter R. Brown Family Vineyards (All Saints Estate and St Leonards Vineyards), whilst remaining partners in Brown Brothers. 

In 2007 Angela graduated with a Bachelor of Wine Marketing from Adelaide University and in December 2008, Angela took on the role as Sales & Marketing Manager for Peter R. Brown Family Vineyards. Angela is passionate about family business and brings not only a wealth of marketing knowledge but practical family experience to the FBA committee.