Ariadne - Board of Directors

Board of Directors

David Hancock, BBA (Independent Non-Executive Chairman)

Mr David Hancock, was appointed as a Director and elected Chairman of Ariadne on 1 March 2023.

Mr Hancock is the Chairman of FinClear Ltd, Australia’s leading independent provider of technology, wholesale execution and clearing services as well as Chairman of Geometrica Funds Management Pty Ltd. Mr Hancock has over 30 years of broad experience in financial services. This experience includes being Group Head and an Executive Director of Afterpay Limited, Chief Executive Officer of listed Tower Limited, Executive General Manager at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, with a variety of roles including capital markets, fixed income and equities. Prior to that, he served in senior investment banking roles at JPMorgan where he was a Managing Director, and Citi (formerly County Natwest) where he was Managing Director and Co-Head of Investment Banking. Mr Hancock also serves on a number of mentoring programmes, has established an incubator and works with young start-up founders. He is actively involved in a number of investments across a variety of technology and industries both locally and globally. Together with his wife, he has established a Foundation focussed upon giving back to a variety of marginalised groups and causes. Mr Hancock holds a Bachelor of Business (Econ/Marketing) and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr Hancock was appointed as a member of the Ariadne Audit and Risk Management Committee on 26 April 2023.

Christopher Barter, BSc Phy, Msc Phy (Independent Non-Executive Director)

Mr Barter was appointed as a Director of Ariadne on 22 February 2018.

Mr Barter was appointed as a Director of Ariadne on 22 February 2018. Mr Barter is a Managing Partner of King River Capital, an Australian/US venture capital fund based in Sydney. King River invests in AI, fintech, blockchain and other disruptive software ventures. He was previously at Goldman Sachs for 19 years, based in Frankfurt, London and Moscow where he was the CEO of Russia and CIS from 2007 to 2012. He originally joined Goldman Sachs in Frankfurt in 1993, was named a Managing Director in 2000 and Partner in 2004, as well as serving on the Firmwide Growth Markets Operating Committee. Mr Barter is currently a Director of OfLoad Ltd, FinClear Ltd, Mindset Ltd, and Cici Environmental Trust. Mr Barter earned a BSc in Physics and a BA in Russian Literature from Brown University and an MSc in Physics from Harvard University.

Mr Barter was appointed as a member of the Ariadne Audit and Risk Management Committee on 22 March 2019.

John Murphy, B Com, M Com, CA, FCPA (Independent Non-Executive Director)

Mr Murphy, was appointed as a Director of Ariadne on 6 December 2006.

Mr Murphy was a partner in international accounting firm Arthur Andersen where he specialised in merger and acquisition and insolvency and reconstruction. He held management positions in that firm at the Australian, regional and global level. He has also spent twenty years as the founder and managing director of various private equity funds including Investec Wentworth Private Equity Limited and Adexum Capital limited. He was a Director of Investec Bank Australia Limited from 2004 until 2013. Mr Murphy has extensive public company experience having been a Director of listed companies Southcorp Limited, Specialty Fashion Group Limited, Vocus Communications Limited, Gale Pacific Limited, Redflex Limited, and Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited.

Mr Murphy was appointed to the Ariadne Audit and Risk Management Committee on 6 December 2006 and was elected Committee Chairman on 18 March 2008.

Benjamin Seymour, LLB (Hons), BBusMan, GDLP (Non-Executive Director)

Mr Seymour, was appointed as a Director of Ariadne on 1 March 2023.

Mr Seymour is an Associate Director of Seymour Group, one of Queensland’s most prominent privately-owned property development and investment companies established by his grandparents, Kevin and Kay in 1976. On completion of his university studies Mr Seymour spent time in QIC’s Global Real Estate business working throughout investment and funds management. He is admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia, and currently practices as a corporate lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills specialising in mergers and acquisitions. Mr Seymour’s business interests and activities extend into high-end residential and commercial property development through his directorship of Queensland Prime Investments, in conjunction with investments across private equity, venture capital and global equities through his family office, Seymour Private Capital. Mr Seymour obtained a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Business Management majoring in Property Development and Real Estate from the University of Queensland, and is currently undertaking a Masters of Science in Global Finance at New York University. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Urban Development Institute of Australia and the Queensland Law Society.

Kevin Seymour, AM (Non-Executive Alternate Director to Mr Ben Seymour)

Mr Seymour AM, was appointed as an Alternate Director of Ariadne on 1 March 2023.

Mr Seymour is the Executive Chairman of Seymour Group, one of the largest private and longest established property development and investment companies in Queensland and has substantial experience in the equities market in Australia and has extensive management and business experience including company restructuring. Mr Seymour holds board positions with several private companies in Australia.

Mr Seymour, having previously served as a Deputy Chairman of Ariadne for many years, was first appointed as a Director of Ariadne in December 1992 and served as Managing Director/Executive Chairman from 1997-2002. He oversaw many strategic investments and initiatives of the Group until stepping down from office in March 2023, at which time he was appointed an Alternate Director.

Mr Seymour was previously a Director of UNiTAB and then Tatts Group Limited. When the merger was completed between Tatts Group and Tabcorp Limited he completed his term as Director on 22 December 2017. Mr Seymour was also previously the Chairman of Watpac Limited, the Chairman of the RBH Herston Taskforce Redevelopment, Independent Chairman of the Queensland Government’s and Brisbane City Council's Brisbane Housing Company Limited and Chairman of Briz31 Community TV. He has also served on the Brisbane Lord Mayor's Drugs Taskforce and is an Honorary Ambassador for the City of Brisbane. In June 2003, Mr Seymour received the Centenary Medal for distinguished service to business and commerce through the construction industry, and in June 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his service to business, the racing industry, and the community.

Mr Dean Smorgon, BEc (Independent Non-Executive Director)

Mr Smorgon, was appointed as a Director of Ariadne on 1 March 2023.

Mr Smorgon is an Executive Director of Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management Australia, a full-service investment banking and financial services company specialising in wealth management and brokerage in capital markets. Through his extensive network, Mr Smorgon provides clients of Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management a variety of investment opportunities in equities, fixed interest, bonds and property. Mr Smorgon services a diverse client base of private clients, family offices and institutions. With over three decades of investment experience as an active investor and advisor in the stock market, as well as serving on the investment committee of the David Smorgon family office, which invests in equities, property, private equity, venture capital and private debt, Mr Smorgon has significant experience in corporate transactions, financial markets, and trends. Mr Smorgon graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Economics before commencing his stockbroking career with ANZ McCaughan Securities. Following this, he joined HSBC James Capel in 1996 where he continued to develop his industry knowledge base. He later took up the role of senior advisor at ABN AMRO in 1998 and then continued on as Associate Director until 2008 at ABN AMRO Morgans. Mr Smorgon currently serves on the Investment Committees of DBR Corporation & Generation Investments (Family Office) and Jewish Care Victoria.

Dr. Gary Weiss, AM, LLB (Hons), LLM, JSD (Executive Director)

Dr Weiss, was appointed as a Director of Ariadne on 28 November 1989.

Dr Weiss is Chairman of Ardent Leisure Limited (appointed 29 September 2017, having been appointed Director on 3 September 2017), Estia Health Ltd (appointed 1 January 2017, having been a Director since 24 February 2016), and Cromwell Property Group (appointed 17 March 2021, having been elected as a director on 18 September 2020) and a director of Hearts and Minds Investments Limited (appointed 12 September 2018), and Thorney Opportunities Ltd (appointed 21 November 2013). Dr Weiss was also appointed a Commissioner of the Australian Rugby League Commission on 30 August 2016.

During the past three years, Dr Weiss has also served as Chairman of Ridley Corporation Limited (appointed 1 July 2015, having been appointed Director on 21 June 2010 and resigned 26 August 2020), Director of Premier Investments Limited (appointed 11 March 1994 and resigned 28 July 2018) and, The Straits Trading Company Limited (appointed on 1 June 2014 and resigned on 30 September 2020).