Our People

Adrian is the founder of Merricks Capital and is responsible for investment strategy, investors, and portfolio across all Merricks Capital products.

During the last decade Adrian has leveraged his 25+ years of market experience to drive the creation and strategic market timing for Merricks Capital’s entry into various investment strategies including credit & private lending, Asian long/short equity, commodity trading and direct investments in hard assets.

Prior to founding Merricks Capital in 2007, Adrian worked at Citadel Investment Group (Chicago) from 2005 to 2007, as the Head of Quantitative Alpha Generation, Global Equities. The Alpha Generation team was primarily responsible for the evolution and refinement of the investment process of Citadel’s Global Equities & Derivative Portfolio. The global equities group ran the world’s largest fundamental long/short market neutral portfolio.

Between 2000 and 2005, Adrian was a Director at Merrill Lynch (New York & Hong Kong), where he was Head of the Global Valuation and Analytics Group. Adrian also held the position as the Head of Pension and Endowment Strategy & Research. The Pension and Endowment Strategy team focussed on asset allocation, liability hedging, portable alpha strategies and other investment strategies primarily for US based pension plans and endowments.

Prior to this, Adrian was a Vice President at Merrill Lynch (Melbourne) where he worked initially as a commodities and mining analyst and then an equity market strategist from 1993 to 2000.

Adrian holds a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University (1994). He also completed the Quantum Financial Services (Australia) Diploma of Financial Services (2007) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (USA) Series 3, & 7.

David joined Merricks Capital in 2020, initially as an Independent Non-Executive Director. In February 2022 David’s was appointed as the Group’s Chief Executive Officer, with responsibility for the overall running of the business and remains an Executive Director of the Group. David is also a member of the Group’s Credit Committee and Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee. David brings a strong C-suite track record to Merricks Capital, previously holding roles such as inaugural Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of MLC Life Insurance and Executive General Manager Insurance for NAB’s wealth management business along with being voted CEO of the Year in 2019.

Prior to Merricks Capital, from 2016 till early 2020 David was the inaugural Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of MLC Life Insurance as the business moved to become a stand-alone Australian Life Insurance company under the majority ownership of Nippon Life Insurance.

Prior to joining MLC Life Insurance, David was Executive General Manager Insurance for NAB’s wealth management business: responsible for managing distribution, product, claims, operations and the actuarial function for the Life Insurance business which serviced Retail, Bancassurance, Direct and Group Insurance customers across NAB and MLC Wealth. He was Executive General Manager of Retail Wealth Products from 2013-2016, CFO Products and Markets in 2013 and CFO Wholesale Banking from 2010-2013.

Prior to joining NAB, David ran a consultancy business for 2 years upon returning from Japan, with Cerberus Capital as his major client. David spent 10 years in Japan culminating in 4 years as CFO of Aozora Bank Ltd (formerly Nippon Credit Bank), where the major shareholder was Cerberus, the US based private equity fund. During this time, he led the project to re-list the bank on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2006, culminating in Japan’s second largest IPO: he remains the only ever Australian CFO of a listed Japanese Bank. He spent 5 years at Nikko Citigroup Japan as a Managing Director of Finance and was CFO of UBS Japan, after establishing a regional Program Office based in Singapore for SBC Warburg.

David’s also Chair of Campaign Agent Pty Ltd, on the school council of Lauriston Girls School in Melbourne and served for 5 years on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia. He holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.

As Chief Financial Officer, Sandra is responsible for the finance and operations function including investment operations, loan administration, business finance, taxation and information technology.

Sandra is a Chartered Accountant with 14 years of finance and corporate service experience. Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Sandra held the Group CFO role at a large workforce and training solutions group, IntoWork Australia, where she was responsible for finance, IT, property, risk, insurance, health and safety, procurement and payroll. Prior to IntoWork, Sandra was CFO at Australia Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in a landscape of global energy transformation. Sandra also spent 5 years at Pitcher Partners within Audit and Assurance with an industry portfolio of clients in financial services, agriculture, legal, and consumer goods. Sandra has international experience working in Toronto, Canada with Pitchers affiliated network firm, in financial services.

Sandra holds a Graduate diploma of Chartered Accounting (CA), is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and Bachelor of Computing from Monash University.

Sandra is passionate about contributing back to the community, and is a Non-executive director and Chair of the Finance Committee for Glen Eira Kindergarten Association (GEKA). Sandra also mentors young Chartered Accountants completing their diplomas.

As Merricks Capital’s General Counsel and Company Secretary, Anne has oversight of the internal legal function and corporate governance of the business. Her legal role encompasses a full spectrum of legal, risk and compliance services and provides advice and support to ensure good governance. As a Board member, Anne works within the Merricks Capital leadership team to implement sound legal practices to ensure the operations of the organisation comply with the laws in which the firm has interests.

Anne returned to Melbourne in 2018 after 20 years in London, and brings a wealth of international financial services experience. As a Partner of international law firms, Conyers Dill & Pearman and Walkers, Anne’s most recent roles in London saw her advising predominantly on Cayman Islands matters relevant to investment funds, from the inception of hedge and private equity fund structures to advising on their corporate transactions and financings, corporate governance issues as well as restructuring and distressed and liquidation scenarios. She also assisted clients with shareholder and investor communications and relations generally.

Prior to the development of her investment funds practice, Anne gained extensive experience of a wide range of asset finance and structured finance, from her time at Clifford Chance in London, as well as corporate and commercial matters, including debt listings, corporate restructuring, share sale and purchase transactions, corporate migrations and mergers. Anne’s clients in London were leading financial institutions, asset managers, private equity houses, family offices and multi-national corporations.

Prior to her time in London, Anne lived and studied in Melbourne, and holds a Bachelor of Laws and Arts (BA LLB) from The University of Melbourne.

Paul is Managing Director, Investment Specialist and New Strategies and a member of the senior management team. 

Paul has a 25-year career across investment banking, capital markets and asset management. Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Paul was the co-founding partner of Vantage Point Asset Management, a Singapore-based macro hedge fund where he was responsible for the business strategy, product, investment and operations teams.

Prior to Vantage Point, Paul was a director of Prime Services distribution at Barclays Singapore from 2010 to 2015. He was also a Director at Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong and Sydney, where he was Co-Head responsible for Prime Services distribution and relationship management across Asia Pacific. In both roles, Paul was responsible for growing the securitised lending for cross asset product, capital introductions, Asian investors, electronic trading/execution platforms, trading, operations, legal requirements and regulatory obligations.

Paul has also had significant roles at UBS in Sydney where he was responsible for platform development and account management, institutional operations and other prime services functions and commenced his career at Ernst & Young.

Dan is responsible for deal origination, deal negotiation and the ongoing management of key client relationships within our investment portfolio.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Dan co-founded an agribusiness investment advisory firm, Black Range Capital where he was responsible for organisational leadership, strategy and execution across a broad range of investments.

Dan was previously a Senior Director at FTI Consulting, a global management consulting firm that focuses on corporate finance advisory and business restructuring. Prior to FTI, Dan spent five years at McGrathNicol post GFC, managing debt restructuring projects on behalf of banking clients.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting and a Masters of Agribusiness from Melbourne University.

Matthew Kearney, Director, Head of Distribution (Australia & New Zealand)

As Head of Distribution, Matthew manages, develops, and implements the distribution strategy for the Merricks Capital Funds globally.

Matt joins Merricks Capital with over 10 years of experience in financial services in Australia and Ireland.

Most recently, Matt was at alternative asset managers, Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), as principal, responsible for driving sales growth and revenue across Private banks, High Net Worth and Family offices nationally.

Before this, he spent time at Pendal Group and PineBridge Investments.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Political Science and Government from the University of Cork, Ireland. Matt also holds a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and a certificate in Alternative Investments from Harvard Business School.

As Head of Distribution, Camelia is responsible for managing, developing, and implementing the distribution strategy for Merricks Capital Funds across wealth management platforms and high net worth clients across Australia and New Zealand.

Camelia joined Merricks Capital in January 2022 with over 14 years’ experience within financial services in Australia and New Zealand.  

Most recently Camelia spent 10 years at Bennelong Funds Management as a Director Distribution where she was responsible for distributing and driving profitable growth in funds under management for their 9 affiliated boutiques.  Her focus was predominantly through the high net worth, broker, private bank and retail advisory channels within New South Wales, Canberra, and New Zealand.

Camelia holds a Bachelor of Business in Finance and Business Economics from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

Kristine holds the role of Associate Director, Investor Relations at Merricks Capital. She is responsible for the support and management of all existing investor relationships across wealth management groups, private clients, family offices and research houses.

Kristine has a ten-year career in financial services, with experience extending from personal banking, financial planning, and funds management. Prior to commencing at Merricks Capital, Kristine worked within the wholesale distribution team at Pendal Group, with a focus on growth of funds under management (FUM) across multiple asset classes. This was primarily through independently licensed wealth management firms nationally. In addition, Kristine was also responsible for the growth of FUM within Responsible Investments, as well as strategy, operations, and support for the broader sales team.

Kristine holds a Diploma of Financial Planning and a Bachelor of Business (Law & Banking and Finance) from Monash University.

Geoff is responsible for the management and execution of investments across our private credit strategy.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Geoff co-founded an agribusiness investment advisory firm, Black Range Capital where he originated and led M&A transactions along with structuring investment products for agribusiness.

Geoff previously worked for FTI Consulting, a global management consulting firm that focuses on corporate finance advisory and business restructuring. Geoff was a Senior Consultant at FTI who led and managed complex projects, both in Australia and internationally. Geoff has also worked in investment banking and has experience in M&A law.

Geoff holds a Bachelor of Commerce & Laws (Honours) from Monash University and a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting.

Richard is responsible for the management and execution of investments across our private credit strategy.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Richard was a Senior Manager at ANZ Property Risk for over 7 years. Working primarily with the Institutional Property Group, he was actively involved in the execution and management of commercial property loans of between $5 million to $100 million plus.

Prior to this Richard was a Certified Commercial Property Valuer for over 5 years with Knight Frank and later M3 Property.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University and Graduate Diploma in Property Valuations from RMIT. He is also a Certified Practising Valuer (CPV).

Angela is responsible for the management and execution of investments under our private credit strategy with a focus on the commercial real estate sector.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Angela worked at CVS Lane Capital Partners where she was responsible for the structuring, execution and management of large and complex CRE debt transactions across the capital structure and real estate sectors. She has also held roles with AustralianSuper where she was responsible for performing valuation due diligence on the Fund’s offshore property acquisitions.

Angela holds a Master of Applied Finance from Monash University and a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Melbourne, double majoring in Finance and Accounting. She was also a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) of Australia.

Adam is the Portfolio Manager for the Merricks Capital Commodities Master Fund and heads Merricks Capital’s broader soft commodities research and trading activities.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital in 2008, Adam held senior roles in commodity management and trading at major Australian food companies including Peerless Foods, Goodman Fielder and George Weston Foods. In these roles, Adam was responsible for the management of physical commodity trading, commodity risk management, foreign exchange trading and bulk shipping logistics.

Adam has 20 years’ experience in commodity markets, with specialised knowledge of commodities logistical arbitrages; quality spreads, processing margins and crop cycles.
Adam holds a Bachelor of Business (Finance) from Charles Sturt University.

Warren is responsible for the management of investments within our MC Power portfolio.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Warren was COO at Three Sixty Property Group, a leading project marketing business operating across the eastern seaboard of Australia. Prior to this, Warren held senior roles with Bilfinger Project Investments Australia as an equity sponsor and consortium leader across social and economic PPPs in Australia and New Zealand, as well as origination and execution roles with Macquarie Group in structured finance, corporate advisory and venture capital. He began his career as a graduate in the corporate tax division with PriceWaterhouse (now PwC).

Warren holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne, a GradDIPCA from the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and an MBA from Melbourne Business School (University of Melbourne).

Jen holds the role of Director, Private Credit and is responsible for deal structuring and execution, in addition to managing key client relationships within the investment portfolio.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Jen worked at MaxCap Group where she held the role of Investment Director, responsible for the origination, structuring, and negotiation of large and complex CRE debt transactions. She was also responsible for the execution of the transactions and management of the key client relationships. She has also held roles with NAB Business Bank and CBA Corporate Bank where her responsibilities included leading a team of business bankers and managing her own portfolio of corporate clients.

Jen holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Commerce (MoC), major in Accounting from Deakin University. She was also a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) of Australia.

James is responsible for deal structuring and execution, in additional to managing key client relationships within the investment portfolio.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, James worked at Black Range Capital, an agribusiness investment advisory firm, working with institutional clients to assess investment opportunities.

James was previously working in the United Kingdom (UK) as a Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Manager across a variety of different sectors with a particular focus on Private Equity transactions. Prior to moving to the UK, James was a Manager for PwC in their Food & Agribusiness Advisory team based in Melbourne.

James holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting.

Terence is responsible for managing investment and treasury functions across private credit and commodity trading strategies in Merricks Capital.

Terence has over 12 years’ experience in the area of trading and portfolio management and played a key role in managing hedging solutions across commodities, forex and credit risk. Prior to joining Merricks Capital in 2009, Terence was a SAP solution designer and master data team lead for the global leaf sourcing project with British American Tobacco based in United Kingdom.

Terence holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) and a Master of Finance from RMIT University.

Alex is responsible for the origination, structuring and execution of investments and brings a unique skill set to our investment team.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Alex was an Associate and Maxcap Group where she was responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with a portfolio of clients, with high standards of client service and a balanced focus on the commercial priorities. Alex was also selected to participate in the Property Council of Australia (PCA) ‘500 Women in Property’ program. Prior to this Alex spent 4 years with Westpac and Bank of Melbourne in corporate and property finance.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of International Relations from The University of Melbourne and a Graduate Certificate in Finance from Macquarie University.

Avi is responsible for overseeing the firm’s Enterprise Risk Framework and Compliance function, which includes the development of models and plans to manage strategic, operational and regulatory risks as well as providing assurance that the business’ internal controls are appropriately designed, implemented and operating efficiently to ensure the firm’s continued compliance with its operational and regulatory obligations.

Avi has over 20 years of experience in global financial services having worked with fund managers, trustees, responsible entities, custodians, depositaries, administrators, private equity investors and diversified wealth management firms in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Australia.

Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Avi was Chief Operating Officer and Director – Group Operational Risk at Qualitas where he had oversight and responsibility for the firm’s corporate and investment operations functions, including operational risk and fiduciary governance. Prior to this Avi worked in Deloitte’s financial services assurance and advisory practices, focusing primarily on wealth and investment management.

Avi holds a Bachelor of Business Science from the University of Cape Town, is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

As Director, Operations at Merricks Capital, Laurie is primarily responsible for the investment operations and fund accounting functions within the business. His remit includes portfolio valuation, trade processing, settlements and reconciliations, treasury and investor reporting.

Laurie brings 15 years’ experience in finance from both London and Melbourne. Most recently he held the role of Director at Deloitte, advising investment managers on their processes and controls. Prior to Deloitte, Laurie held roles including Head of Operations and Head of Treasury at hedge funds in London. His responsibilities included Operations, Treasury, Fund Accounting, Risk, Compliance and Investor Reporting.

Laurie holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Bachelor of Science from Monash University. On graduation, he moved to Canberra to produce economic forecasting, reporting and analysis for the Australian Treasury.

As Associate Director, Marketing and Communications at Merricks Capital, Olivia is responsible for the overall development and execution of all core marketing and communications functions.

Olivia brings over 8 years’ experience across the marketing and communications mix including branding, marketing, PR, internal communications, and stakeholder relations. Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Olivia was working in the commercial construction industry across a range of marketing & communications roles. Most recently as, Marketing Manager at ABD Group & Marcus Group.

As Financial Controller, Anthea is responsible for leading the day-to-day finance function, including preparation of monthly Board reporting, budgeting, forecasting, statutory financial statements, and external audits.

Anthea is a Qualified Chartered Accountant with 10 years’ experience across professional services and industries in Australia and the UK. Prior to joining Merricks Capital, Anthea was Financial Controller for the London based subsidiaries of Lion Australia, a leading beverages company in Australasia. Prior to Lion UK, Anthea was Group Reporting Manager at Just Eat plc, a UK based tech company. Anthea has also spent 7 years at KPMG in both Melbourne and London, within Audit and Assurance with a particular focus on the FMCG industry.

Anthea holds a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting (CA) and a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from RMIT.