Our Mates

Damien is an experienced investment manager, skilled in equity research, quantitative finance, asset allocation and a range of computer languages. He is currently Head of Investments at Nucleus Wealth, and has previously worked in quantitative research, asset allocation strategy, data management and as a financial services analyst among other roles.

Damien completed a Maths and Finance (Hons) degree at the University of Technology Sydney.

You can find out more about Damien or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damienklassen

Or visit his website here: http://www.damienklassen.com/ValuationDashboard/

Troy has more than 15 years investment and fund management experience, including management of hedge funds and multi-strategy funds. Troy has raised and managed over 300 million dollars in investments and has engaged and serviced over 150 high-net-worth clients for Non-Correlated Capital, the investment company which he serves as CEO and Portfolio Manager. Based out of Perth, Western Australia, Troy is one of the founders of SMSF Mate.

Troy’s educational qualifications include a Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Applied Finance, and Advanced Diploma, Financial Markets, completed at Charles Sturt University. Troy has also previously worked as a derivatives trader and the managing director of a civil engineering company.

You can find out more about Troy or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-burns-6652864/

Or visit his website here: https://noncorrelatedcapital.com

Gareth Lane is a successful entrepreneur, businessman, and owner of the digital marketing and web agency Concise Digital, based out of Perth, Western Australia. Concise Digital have solved over 60,000 digital / web problems for clients since 2005. Gareth is one of the founders of SMSF Mate.

Gareth is passionate about helping small businesses be more successful online by avoiding the pitfalls of digital marketing. He regularly runs live talks, workshops and meetups discussing Google, social media and all things digital marketing.

Gareth studied Business and Commerce at Curtin University, and has held board positions for a number of organisations, including serving as the President of the Western Suburbs Business Association and as a non-executive member of WA Business Assist. A true entrepreneur at heart, he started his first business at 13 and has created and run multiple successful businesses since.

Gareth enjoys good food, great wine and time in the sun when he’s not at his computer helping other businesses get ahead!

You can find out more about Gareth or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethconcise/

Or visit his websites here: https://www.concise.digital/ or https://www.garethlane.com/

Arjun helps property investors find high pressure markets, maximise capital growth and build impressive portfolios. He has completed over $700 million in property transactions. He is a two-time ‘Buyers Agent of the Year’ nominee, winner of the REB ‘Rising Star’ award, back to back finalist for Sydney Young Entrepreneur of the year, and most recently a 2022 Top 50 Small Business Leader in Australia. He is based in Sydney, NSW.

Arjun is the Director and Head of Research of InvestorKit, a leading buyer’s agency specialising in residential and commercial real estate investing. He is also the co-host of The Property Nerds podcast. Prior to InvestorKit, Arjun was Manager of Young Adult Engagement at Commonwealth Bank, and has also worked as a CBA branch manager.

Arjun completed a Graduate Diploma of Management and Master’s of Business Administration at the Australian Institute of Business, and has a number of other achievements and awards.

You can find out more about Arjun or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertybuyersagent/

Or visit his website here: http://www.investorkit.com.au/

David Gardner is the owner of People Before Profit Pty Ltd, a web and digital marketing company specialising in website development, search engine optimisation and pay per click advertising for a broad range of businesses. David particularly likes working with charities, non-profits and for-profit companies that actually care about their clients and product and are trying to make the world a better place through their services.

At the age of 18, David started his first small graphic design studio. With no real business experience, however, it never got beyond a few regular clients and was basically a hobby. After experimenting with different careers and spending 10 years working in the education sector, David decided to turn a side project building websites into a full-time career. From his beginnings in graphic and web design he became deeply interested in marketing psychology and saw just how lacking these skills are in many businesses. Beyond offering marketing services to clients, this interest / insight led him into many hours spent running free training programs in digital marketing, and other time offered freely, helping businesses to improve their marketing understanding and online presence.

David studied Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, and has held board positions for multiple not-for-profits.

You can find out more about People Before Profit Pty Ltd here: https://peoplebeforeprofit.co/

Tim is the co-founder and managing director of The Apollo Capital Fund. Apollo Capital is a portfolio of actively managed crypto assets that seeks to deliver exceptional, uncorrelated returns to investors. As well as running The Apollo Capital Fund, Tim helps to educate investors about crypto and blockchain technology and their groundbreaking implications.

Tim has also worked as part of a team of angel investors, as a consultant for a boutique capital raising and advisory firm, and as an investment analyst for the HESTA industry super fund among other positions.

Tim completed a Bachelor’s Degree, Law/Commerce at Deakin University.

You can find out more about Tim or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-johnston-au/

Or visit his website here: http://www.apollocap.io/

Ashwin is an accountant and educator based in Perth, Western Australia. He is passionate about helping family owned businesses and startups. He is one of the founders of SMSF Mate and you’ll regularly see him on our podcast!

Ashwin is a managing owner and director of Eventum Consulting, a multidisciplinary firm helping clients with finance, succession planning and their tax needs. He also served as a lecturer in taxation and small business at the Central Institute of Technology, and has worked as an accountant at a number of well-known tax specialists.

Ashwin studied a Diploma of Business Education and a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting and Corporate Finance, both at Curtin University, WA.

Ashwin is passionate about technology, and sees it as an enabler for his clients to grow truly sustainable and profitable businesses.

You can find out more about Ashwin or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwin-ramdas-72442919/

Or visit his website here: https://eventum.com.au

Steve is the Group Executive Financial Services & Chief Spokesperson at Canstar. He is based in the Greater Brisbane area. Prior to Canstar, he worked as the Head of Business Segmentation, and Strategy, Head of Small Business with the Suncorp Group, and in managerial roles at the National Australia Bank.

Steve studied a Bachelor of Economics at The University of Queensland, and a Masters of Business Administration at the Melbourne Business School.

You can find out more about Steve or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mickenbecker

Or visit his website here: https://www.canstar.com.au/

Sonny Rahim is a finance professional based out of the Greater Perth Area. He is the director and founder of Premia Private, a multi-faceted finance business with advisory divisions and expertise in the areas of Strategic Planning, Wealth Management, Investment Management, Debt and Personal Insurances. Sonny is one of the founders of SMSF Mate.

Sonny studied in the Private Markets Investment Programme at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and also participated in the Oxford Entrepreneurship Venture Finance. He also completed a Bachelor’s Degree, Commerce (Accounting and Finance) at Curtin University in Western Australia.

As well as being a founder and managing director of the Premia Financial Group, Sonny has worked as an investment fund manager and a chartered accountant. He sits on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities Western Australia.

You can find out more about Sonny or connect with him on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonny-r-rahim-28959333/

Or visit his website here: http://www.premiaprivate.com.au/