Our Team

Craig McDermott is a highly proficient financial services and property development specialist with vast experience within the Australian and overseas industries. Previously involved in numerous capital raising for property developments, Craig’s most recent experience includes more than six years’ active engagement in several prestigious venture capital firms sourcing seed capital through his significant local and international network of contacts.

Prior to this, Craig was an international cricket professional at the highest level, leading and representing the Australian side for nearly 15 years. During this remarkable sporting career, Craig developed long-lasting friendships and important business networks throughout the world in locations including India, Dubai, United Kingdom, South Africa and Hong Kong. 

Throughout his long-spanning professional career, Craig has excelled at working across both sides of the table, as proven by his track record in forging lucrative alliances and joint venture partnerships with large companies in the building and development sector.

Craig is an expert in fund management and investor relations, demonstrating a rare and highly sought after ability in mediating investors with an elaborate asset of networks.

Guy is an experienced executive, corporate adviser, trainer and CFO with over 40 years’ experience. He has a proven track record in working with seed, start-ups and small and medium sized businesses, both as a consultant, corporate finance adviser and as a Virtual Chief Financial Officer.

He has worked in and been a principal of firms from the largest in the world to sole practice. During that time he worked in audit, tax and accounting and corporate advisory. He was a Registered Company Auditor and a Registered Tax Agent. He was involved with the ICAA/CAANZ as a Chairman of the Victorian Public Practice Committee and the Small Practice Conference Committee and was a Member of the National Small Business Committee. Guy’s client experiences included working on audits for companies such as National Australia Bank, HBA, Amcor, Dunlop, Mayne Nickless, Ansell, and others.

Beginning with his service with the VECCI Business Angels Service, Guy has also had a significant involvement in high growth technology companies and had success in developing strategy, business development, capital raising/funding, as well as mentoring/coaching. He has had several experiences of building networks both in Australia and internationally. He worked closely with the founder of the VECCI Angels, Bob Beaumont to establish and run the following institutions and programs:

1. VECCI Business Angels (Board Member & Venture Adviser) — brought together key stakeholders such as SME’s, service providers, investors and government.
2. Private Capital Council (Board Member) — organisation aimed at bringing together all key stakeholders in the then fledgling Business Angels industry.
3. Victorian Technology Angel Pitch days — the first pitch days aimed at pitching to industry and angel panels.
4. Victorian Investment Ready Grants program — input into program guidelines and Deliverables.

Guy has also acted as an investment analyst for a handful of HNW investors associated with the Vecci Angels Program. His primary role was to source, evaluate and present deals for investment. He would also assist with accessing Government grants. A part of his role was to advise and coach companies on market entry in the USA. He was involved in formal arrangements with UC Berkeley and UCLA management schools to train and assist Australian start-ups and early growth companies with market entry and capital raising.

From 2007 to 2009, Guy was a Venture Partner with Finistere Partners, a San Diego based venture firm that specialises in agritech and agribusiness. In 2012, Guy, together with James Demetriou and Craig Hill, founded the Australian Sports Technologies Network. The primary aim is to aggregate technology capability in the sports technology space. Together they have created an ecosystem that brings together research, supply chain, government (ASC/AIS) and SMEs. Since its formation the ASTN has delivered a wide range of services and facilitated a number of collaborative partnerships that facilitate linkages between stakeholders. Some examples include the following.

In 2014, Guy led the team that established the Head Start Sports Tech & IT Accelerator and has organised and delivered the Sports Manufacturing Export Development Programs. He has paid particular attention to establishing strong contacts in universities and research institutions such as CSIRO, Monash, Melbourne, RMIT, Deakin, Griffith, Victoria Universities and has assisted in building networks with UCLA and UC Berkeley along with Stanford University to facilitate market entry strategies for early stage and growth companies. An outcome of this was the creation of an Australian regional hub devised with James Demetriou (ASTN), Steve Blank (Stanford) and Professor Jerry Engel (Berkeley). This program was started under the ASTN Sports Export program and also involves spin-outs from five local universities and the CSIRO.

Guy also holds the following educational qualifications:

• Diploma of Business (Accounting), Swinburne College (1978)
• Fellow — Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
• Graduate Diploma of Law (Taxation), Monash University (1988)
• Global Access Program for High Technologies, Anderson Business School, University of California — Los Angeles, (2004) & (2006)
• Venture Capital Executive Program, Haas Business School, University of California Berkeley (2000)
• Advanced Lean Start Executive Program, Venturewell Inc. — San Francisco (2014)