Meet TEC Chairs

Name: Ian Neal Chair since: 2006 State: NSW TEC Group: TEC 11, KEY 105

Biography:

Career & Achievements: Ian Neal is the principal of Management Abroad. Major areas of expertise include planning and execution of ventures in both entrepreneurial and corporate settings, representation on behalf international clients,  mergers and acquisitions, business planning, strategy and execution with a particular focus on financial returns, directorship and corporate governance (member of ASX Corporate Governance Council on behalf of SIA).

He is a co-founder and was Managing Director of Nanyang Ventures Pty Limited, the manager of Nanyang Australia I & II and Nanyang Innovation Fund. Together these funds total $140 million and to date investments have been made in 27 high growth private companies across a range of industries from high technology to advanced manufacturing. The companies ranged from green-field start-ups to established profitable enterprises with revenues in excess of $50m, earning substantial sustainable profits.

Ian was responsible for leading a number of fund investments and was the fund director of Advanced Data Integration, Australian Aluminium Finishing, Amber Technology, In Totality and Pacsoft Limited.  He is a highly experienced financial markets executive with over 25 years experience in venture capital, equities investment, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions and business strategy.

Ian commenced his career in 1978 with Sydney stockbroking firm, John Sweeney Partners, as an equities analyst. In 1982 he moved into banking as a senior credit analyst in the energy and project finance group with The First National Bank of Chicago. Further banking experience was gained at Australian Bank Limited from 1983 - 1987.

This appointment involved an early emphasis on managing the recovery of many marginal corporate and commercial loans. This role led to various commercial lending positions, advising the bank's credit committee on policy and then into new product development. He was then attached to the bank's executive to assist in the development of group strategy. In 1987 Ian joined the private investment banking firm of McClintock Associates where he provided corporate resources to medium sized businesses and advised on recovery situations, acquisitions and divestment.

In 1989 he joined Niall Cairns in founding Nanyang Venture's predecessor, ACS Corporate Finance. ACS was a Corporate Advisory business which represented the interests of a number of International businesses in Australia, raised capital and conducted mergers and acquisitions on behalf of clients. This practise led directly to the formation of Nanyang in 1993. He was Managing Director of Nanyang until September 2004 when he sold his equity interest in Nanyang to one of his partners.

Ian is a Fellow of the Securities Institute of Australia and is the immediate past National President of the Institute. He has been Chairperson of the SIA's National Training Advisory Committee, and also of both its National and NSW Education committees, as well as having been Chairperson of the task force for Marketing in the Institutes Masters of Applied Finance. He has been intimately involved in the continuing evolution of the Institutes strategic planning initiatives.

Ian has been Chair of TEC 11 since 2006 and Chair of KEY 105 since 2010.

Education & Associations: Ian holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Merit from the University of NSW (double major in Business Finance and Accountancy) and the Diploma of the Securities Institute of Australia.