Wholesale Forum Sydney 2026

Charlie Viola is the Executive Chair, Adviser and Founding Partner at Viola Private Wealth, with over 24 years of experience in investment management. He specialises in advising high-net-worth individuals, family offices and institutional investors, as well as managing significant portfolios with a focus on delivering tailored and high-touch services. Prior to founding Viola Private Wealth, Charlie was a Partner and Managing Director at Pitcher Partners Sydney Wealth Management, where he was instrumental in growing the business from less than $50 million in AUM in 2001 to over $3.5 billion by 2022, personally managing over $2 billion in AUM.

At Viola Private Wealth, he ensures clients benefit from exclusive investment opportunities and strategic, long-term wealth planning. His client-centric approach emphasises education and trust, key elements in achieving exceptional outcomes.

Recognised as a leader in the industry, Charlie is consistently ranked on Barron’s Top 100 Australian advisers list. Under Charlie’s leadership, Viola Private Wealth sets the standard for excellence in servicing high-net-worth clients and families.

Richard is also the co-Founder at Belay Advisory; a boutique wealth-management and tax advisory business that provides services to ultra high net worth families.

The Belay team is 20-people strong and based across Sydney and Melbourne. Belay applies a whole of balance sheet approach to their clients, with a focus on governance and private market opportunities.  Richard maintains a number of family board and investment committee roles amongst his clients, which often include multi-generational family members.

Richard spends his time with his family including 3 young kids and in the local community, also as the Treasurer of his local soccer club!

James has delivered investment solutions for high net worth individuals for over 16 years.

He is responsible for the ongoing management of Koda’s PDS-orientated solution including manager selection, as well the oversight of one of the firm’s direct Australian equity portfolios.  In addition, James works closely with the Chief Investment Officer and Head of Core & Opportunistic Portfolios in the management of the Koda’s suite of private market investments.

Prior to joining Koda Capital, James led Perth-based Redwood Wealth’s investment function as the Head of Investment Management.  In this role he conducted detailed investment analysis on both direct and managed opportunities across a diverse range of asset classes and geographies.  His advice also included asset allocation and other portfolio construction activities.

James holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Corporate Finance & Investment Finance) from the University of Western Australia.  He is a CFA® Charterholder and a member of the CFA Society Australia.

Lydia Kav (nee Serafim) is an experienced investment leader and capital steward with 30 years in financial markets, including two decades supporting Boards and Investment Committees. Lydia is currently a Non-Executive Director for BilaEmpower Ltd, member of the St Joseph’s College Foundation Board, and on the Economic Council of the De La Salle Brothers ANZPPNG District.

Her career spans senior leadership roles at AMP Capital Investors and Perpetual Ltd, as a Head of teams focusing on portfolio management and manager research across diversified and single-sector portfolios. She has deep expertise in multi-asset, multi-manager investing across public and private markets, including traditional and responsible (ESG) strategies, serving clients in superannuation, philanthropy, insurance, and wealth management. Lydia is recognised for her empowering leadership, and rigorous approach to asset allocation, risk oversight, and valuation governance.

She has been a standing and voting member of multiple Investment Committees and fund manager LPACs — Multi-Asset, Equities, Fixed Income, Unlisted Assets Valuations, and chairing Alternatives committees — and regularly reports to Boards on strategy, asset allocation, performance, and risk. Lydia also has been instrumental in improving the quality of governance reporting and excels at stakeholder management.

Lydia is a First-Class Honours Economics graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Overall, Lydia combines strong contemporary and practical commercial acumen, independent ethical judgement, rigorous curiosity, broad strategic insight, and a commitment to long-term value creation in governance or advisory roles.

David is responsible for overseeing the firm’s management and investment activities across the two countries. His role encompasses capital transactions, asset management, and the delivery of refurbishment and development projects.

David joined Hines in July 2008, beginning his tenure in the firm’s Abu Dhabi office before returning to his native Sydney to establish Hines’ Australia office in 2012. With extensive experience in the commercial real estate industry, he has been instrumental in the development, acquisition, and management of a diverse portfolio across the office, retail, living, and logistics sectors for Hines in Australia.

David holds a Bachelor of Building (Construction Management), Honours Second Class, from the University of New South Wales, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA.

Aris leads the firm’s operations and expansion within the Australian market. With an extensive background in investment banking and fintech, Aris previously held leadership roles at Moula, a pioneering Australian non-bank lender, and directed teams at leading international banks including Credit Suisse, Nomura, and Dresdner Kleinwort across Asia and Europe. He holds an MBA from London Business School and dual degrees in Law and Commerce from Monash University, and is well-regarded for driving growth and innovation in financial services throughout his career. 

Jehan oversees client assets across the Opportunistic Capital Solutions Strategy and the Insurance-Related Investments Strategy.  Since joining MLC in 2003 as a Research Analyst, he has played a key role in managing fixed income and currency portfolios. In 2005, his responsibilities expanded to include alternative strategies and commodities, and by 2010, he transitioned to focus exclusively on Alternative Strategies.   Jehan holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Technology Sydney, is a CFA Charterholder, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Sam is a vice president in the Singapore office, focusing on PIMCO’s alternative investment strategies. He joined PIMCO in 2018. He has seven years of investment experience and holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Bath. He is a CFA charterholder. 

Danielle is a Non-Executive Director.  Currently, she is Chair of Insignia Financial Superannuation Trustees, Chair of the Customer Owner Banking Association Code Compliance Committee and a Director of Income Asset Management. Danielle is a former Commissioner of ASIC and seasoned financial services professional. Her leadership experience includes being CEO of the Myer Family Company and Equip Super. Prior to that Danielle worked at UBS for 17 years in a range of roles focused on investment, risk management and client solutions in Australia, Singapore and Chicago. She is also the founder of Loki’s Lodge, a sanctuary based in Central Victoria dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of animals.   

Michael leads JANA Wealth, managing sector engagement, including Family Offices. Michael is also chair of the JANA’s Wealth Asset Allocation Committee. 

He has a total of more than 36 years of industry experience. Prior to joining JANA, Michael was a Head of Private Investment Consulting at NAB. He previously held the role of Head of Asset Allocation at UBS Global Asset Management in Australia and Global Head of Asset Allocation and Investment Strategy at Aberdeen Asset Managers in London. He graduated with a BEc from the University of Adelaide, and subsequently joined the Department of Treasury in Canberra.

Douglas Isles is an Investment Director with day-to-day responsibility for the workflow and professional development of the analysts and portfolio managers in the GCQ investment team. Douglas also works closely with the Distribution team.

Prior to joining GCQ Funds Management in 2026, Douglas was most recently Head of Investment at Platinum Asset Management where he worked closely with its founders for two decades. He previously built out their Investment Specialist capability for domestic advisers, introduced the firm to US-based investors and spent time as an analyst.

Douglas started his investment career in Scotland, where he qualified as an actuary, and has also worked in Singapore. He holds an MA in Mathematics from Trinity College, Cambridge and is a Graduate of the AICD.  

Dave is an equity portfolio manager and leader of the firm’s Opportunistic Value Team. Drawing on research from Wellington Management’s global industry analysts, equity portfolio managers, and team analysts, he manages the Opportunistic Value, Global Opportunistic Value, and International Opportunistic Value approaches. He works in our Radnor, Pennsylvania office. 

Prior to joining Wellington Management in 1998, David worked in equity sales, trading, and research at Cantor Fitzgerald, Ltd. in London (1993 – 1996).  

David earned his MBA in finance, with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton, 1998) and his BA in English, with distinction, from Stanford University (1993). He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia. 

Andrew Lockhart is a founder and one of the four Managing Partners who form the Investment Committee at Metrics Credit Partners. Andrew has 36 years’ banking, funds management and financial markets experience specialising in leverage and acquisition finance as well as corporate and institutional lending. Andrew’s considerable experience includes being responsible for the origination and portfolio risk management of large, diversified, and complex loan portfolios including corporate restructurings. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business and Masters of Business Administration from the Queensland University of Technology.

Frank is also a Managing Director and Group Executive at MA Financial Group, having joined the firm in 2013.

He is responsible for MA Financial’s Global Credit Solutions platform, which invests across asset backed lending, corporate debt and specialty credit verticals. Frank also collaborates on the strategic direction of the firm’s Lending businesses, which include non-bank lending and financial technology platforms, and its principal credit initiatives.

Frank’s background includes substantial experience in corporate advisory, where he focused on special situations, M&A and financial services transactions.

Frank previously worked as a corporate strategy consultant at Pottinger and in funds management at Challenger. He holds a Commerce / Law (First Class Honours) degree from Sydney University.

The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO is Partner and Chair of The Asia Group’s Australia Practice and a leading expert on Australian public policy and politics who brings a wealth of public and private sector experience spanning national security, industry innovation, economic policy, and banking. 

Ambassador Sinodinos most recently served as Australian Ambassador to the United States, where he was closely involved in Australia’s negotiations related to AUKUS, the Quad, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.  Ambassador Sinodinos previously worked as Australia’s Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and was a Senator for New South Wales in the Australian Parliament from 2011 to 2019. During his parliamentary career, he also held other key roles in and outside Cabinet, including Cabinet Secretary and Assistant Treasurer.

Over a career spanning four decades, Ambassador Sinodinos has held a number of influential positions in public service. On the election of the Hon. John Howard AC as Prime Minister of Australia in 1996, Ambassador Sinodinos was appointed the Prime Minister’s Senior Economic Adviser and in 1997, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, a position he held for nine years. Between 1987-1989 and 1995-1996 Ambassador Sinodinos also served as Senior Economic Adviser to Mr Howard while in opposition. He started his Australian Public Service career in 1979, rising to the Senior Executive Service in the Department of the Treasury.

In 2006, Ambassador Sinodinos left government to work with Goldman Sachs JBWere, followed by the National Australia Bank and various corporate appointments.