John Sikkema

Non-Executive Chairman

During his 30 years in the Financial Services Industry, John gained extensive experience in strategic planning, vision, leadership and expertise in people management. John has also built a successful distribution network. At the age of 49, John was the CEO and largest shareholder of Garrisons Financial Planning Group (later called Genesys) and Funds Management Company, Synergy Capital Management Ltd. He had transformed the small company he started in Tasmania into a thriving franchise business with 65 offices across Australia. This business was then successfully sold to Packer-backed listed company, Challenger. From 2007 to 2014 John was appointed independent Non-Executive Director for Sterihealth Limited, an ASX listed company. During this time, he was Chairman of their Audit Committee and member of the Remuneration and Compliance Committee. John sits on various boards, including Not-For-Profit organization Empart Empower, an overseas aid organisation where he is actively involved. In addition John has privately completed several property developments including planning and building a retirement village. For the last 8 years he has been CEO and more recently Chairman of Halftime Australia, a values-based executive coaching organization. John is the author of the book Enriched re-defining wealth.

Edwin Chia

Non Executive Director

Edwin is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and is founder and director Corpfin Consulting specialising in mergers and acquisitions.  He has led and advised on transactions in the mid-market, with deal values ranging from $10m to $100m. Over the years he has been involved in transactions with a cumulative value of $1 bil across sectors of technology, food and beverage, manufacturing, and financial services.

Prior to founding Corpfin, he was a Director at Grant Thornton, as well as having held roles at KPMG, Kidder Williams and private equity firm NorthEdge Capital in the UK. He continues to be involved as a non-executive director across a number of not-for-profit and commercial organisations, and in an executive capacity as an outsourced CFO for technology start-ups.  He has lived and worked across Asia, Europe and now Australia bringing diversity of thought and understanding of cultural subtleties.

Yak Yong Quek

CEO and Executive Director

Yong co-founded Prime Value in early 1998. As CEO and director, Yong has responsibility for overall business strategy and investment outcomes. Yong is also Managing Director & CIO of Shakespeare Property Group, managing a portfolio of commercial properties. Prior to founding Prime Value and Shakespeare Property Group, Yong was the Assistant Treasurer of Western Mining Corporation (WMC) Limited and a director of the WMC Superannuation Fund. Yong has held various senior finance and treasury positions with Shell Australia Limited and the Australian Wheat Board. Yong is a director of a number of private companies. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants. Yong has more than 25 years of investment and risk management experience.

Catherine Law

Executive Director and Company Secretary

Catherine is the Executive Director and Company Secretary of Prime Value, and assists in legal matters and business development. Prior to joining Prime Value in 2002, she was an associate of a legal firm in Melbourne. She is a director of Shakespeare Property Group and a number of private companies. Catherine has more than 20 years of investment experience.

Yak Yong Quek

CEO and Executive Director

Yong co-founded Prime Value in early 1998. As CEO and director, Yong has responsibility for overall business strategy and investment outcomes. Yong is also Managing Director & CIO of Shakespeare Property Group, managing a portfolio of commercial properties. Prior to founding Prime Value and Shakespeare Property Group, Yong was the Assistant Treasurer of Western Mining Corporation (WMC) Limited and a director of the WMC Superannuation Fund. Yong has held various senior finance and treasury positions with Shell Australia Limited and the Australian Wheat Board. Yong is a director of a number of private companies. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants. Yong has more than 25 years of investment and risk management experience.

Lachlan Baird

Chief Financial Officer

Lachlan Baird is the Chief Financial Officer for Prime Value Asset Management and is responsible for overseeing the financial operations and the broader business operations.

Lachlan will play a key role in driving strategic initiatives, financial and risk management leadership, and a culture of continuous improvement to strengthen the structures, processes, systems and infrastructure of the company.  Lachlan brings a wealth of experience from within the financial services industry, with his most recent position as CEO of Prime Super, an independent profit to members superannuation fund where Lachlan drove the strategic direction of Prime Super to deliver significant growth via two fund mergers and strong investment returns for its members, successfully navigating the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, market downturn in 2015, and the overall business challenges faced during the COVID-19 period.

As Director and Board Member for ACRE (Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship), Lachlan is an active supporter of this for-purpose social enterprise whose mission it is to deliver transformational impact to rural communities and foster enterprising and thriving new economies.

Lachlan holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical), a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Chartered Accountant.

Wayne Morrissey

Financial Controller and Compliance Officer

Wayne joined Prime Value in 2005 and his responsibilities include financial and management accounting, administration and compliance for the Group. He oversees a team that is responsible for unit pricing, unit registry, trade processing, accounting and taxation. Wayne has more than 20 years of operational experience in the funds management industry. Prior to joining Prime Value, he was investment administration manager at HSBC Asset Management (Australia) Limited, responsible for trade processing, accounting and reporting for all the managed funds. His previous roles include operations manager of Norwich Trusts Limited and the accounting and taxation manager at Portfolio Partners.

Joelle Blackburn

General Manager – Talent and Culture

Joelle is an experienced Senior People & Culture Leader with over 25 years HR generalist experience across multiple industries in both local and global organisations.

Sam Matarazzo

Head of Investor Relations & Distribution, Global

Sam has over 39 years experience in the financial services industry and over 15 years experience in leadership.

Sam has been the head of a major regional Private Bank on two separate occasions.

Sam has a passion for customer service and has a strong record of superior performance.

MBA qualified, Sam has also won the prestigious Australian  Private Bank Awards for “Outstanding Relationship Manager “ in 2014.

Simon Hu

Manager, Investments and Risk Management

Simon joined Prime Value in 2015, graduating with First Class Honours in Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from The University of Melbourne.

As a Manager of Investments and Risk Management, Simon is responsible for analytical, quantitative analysis of financial models, risk monitoring, equity research and fundamental research of various investment projects across the group, predominantly for Equities and Alternative Assets. He is also involved with attribution analysis and equity research. Simon also supports the CEO in identifying, quantifying and managing the risk for each of the investments across the asset classes under management.

Simon also manages the Diversified High Income Plus since its inception.

Prior to this, Simon supported the operations team for unit pricing and performance reporting.

Simon was a former academic tutor at The University of Melbourne and is currently a mentor at the University of Melbourne and other Non-for-profit organisations.

During his honours year he researched on the relation between IPO under-pricing and media coverage for his thesis and had also analysed indexes and commodity prices using numerical techniques.

Matthew Lemke

Portfolio Manager – Income Securities

Matthew has over 15 years of experience working in portfolio management and over 30 years in global investment markets in London, New York, Singapore Hong Kong and Australia. He is the Portfolio Manager for the Prime Value Enhanced Income Fund. Matthew previously has worked for JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He has a law degree, and his experience working for a law firm in the area of securities, provides insights necessary to understand the legal aspects of securities in the Fund portfolio. Matthew was instrumental in setting the Enhanced Income Fund up in 2014.

Shih Thin Wong

CIO and Portfolio Manager – Equities

Shih Thin is the CIO and Portfolio Manager, responsible for the formulation of investment policy and process development, portfolio strategy and construction, and fundamental research. Shih Thin’s most recent experience includes Head of Investments at Xantias Financial Management, a boutique wealth management firm. Prior to this, he was Equity Fund Manager at AIG Investments/American International Group and was responsible for a broad range of sectors. Shih Thin was also Senior Research Analyst at Daiwa Securities and has also held senior analyst positions with RHB Research Institute and BZW. He has almost 25 years of experience years of investment experience.

Richard Ivers

Portfolio Manager – Equities

Richard is a Portfolio Manager in the Australian Equities team. He has over 16 years experience covering Australian equities in both portfolio management and research analyst roles. Most recently he was at Contango for two years and portfolio manager of the small companies fund which registered top quartile performance over all periods up to two years. He also worked as a portfolio manager at River Capital where the fund outperformed and senior research analyst at Ord Minnett where he was highly ranked.

Richard has also gained an understanding of business strategy and finance through his roles in industry where he worked for a number of companies in the IT and finance sectors in Europe.

Mike Younger

Portfolio Manager – Equities

Mike is a Portfolio Manager in the Australian Equities team. Mike has over 20 years of Australian equity market experience at Rest, Goldman Sachs and Citi.

Leanne Pan

Portfolio Manager – Equities

Leanne is a Portfolio Manager in the Australian Equities team. She is responsible for the formulation of investment policy and process development, portfolio strategy and construction, and fundamental company research. She has over 25 years’ experience in the investment industry, with a successful track record. Prior to joining Prime Value in 2004, Leanne was Portfolio Manager for the Orica Superannuation Fund, responsible for the active management of the $400 million Australian equity portfolio. Previously she was Portfolio Manager for the Shell Australia Superannuation Fund and managed the successful and sizeable Australian equity component of this fund in the 1990s.

Benjamin Mellody

Equities Analyst

Benjamin joined Prime Value in 2020 as an equities analyst and is responsible for providing analytical support and fundamental research to the equities investment team.

Prior to Prime Value, Benjamin was a Manager in KPMG’s Corporate Finance team, specialising in business and asset valuations. Benjamin has over 6 years of corporate advisory experience across corporate finance, financial modelling, valuations, legal and tax.

Benjamin graduated in 2014 with double degrees, being Bachelors of Commerce (majoring in Finance) and Law (Hons.) from Monash University.

Benjamin is a CFA charterholder and has been admitted as an Australian lawyer by the Victoria Supreme Court.

Simon Hu

Manager – Investments and Risk Management

Simon joined Prime Value in 2015, graduating with First Class Honours in Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from The University of Melbourne.

As a Manager of Investments and Risk Management, Simon is responsible for analytical, quantitative analysis of financial models, risk monitoring, equity research and fundamental research of various investment projects across the group, predominantly for Equities and Alternative Assets. He is also involved with attribution analysis and equity research. Simon also supports the CEO in identifying, quantifying and managing the risk for each of the investments across the asset classes under management.

Simon also manages the Diversified High Income Plus since its inception.

Prior to this, Simon supported the operations team for unit pricing and performance reporting.

Simon was a former academic tutor at The University of Melbourne and is currently a mentor at the University of Melbourne and other Non-for-profit organisations.

During his honours year he researched on the relation between IPO under-pricing and media coverage for his thesis and had also analysed indexes and commodity prices using numerical techniques.

James Everist

Portfolio Manager - Alternative Assets

James is one of Prime Value’s joint Portfolio Managers for Alternative Assets. He is responsible for investment strategy, portfolio construction, analysis and research. James has 30 years experience in resources and financial markets across corporate treasury, investment banking and private wealth management. James is based in Bendigo (central Victoria) allowing easy access to our citrus portfolio located in the Sunraysia region. James has held Treasury positions with Normandy Mining and WMC Ltd and senior investment banking roles with Standard Chartered Bank (Mocatta) and Morgan Stanley (Singapore) specialising in commodities sales and trading. His most recent experience was as Chief Investment Officer of the Ottomin Investment Group, a Sydney based Family Office, and as a Non-executive Director of ASX listed hay and agricultural product exporter, Wingara Ag Ltd.

Elizabeth Blackhurst

Portfolio Manager - Alternative Assets

Elizabeth is one of Prime Value’s joint Portfolio Managers for Alternative Assets. She is responsible for investment strategy, portfolio construction, analysis and research. Elizabeth’s career has spanned 25 years in financial markets across banking, commodities, corporate advisory, private debt and private wealth portfolio management. She has worked both domestically and internationally and has held senior roles within the commodity divisions of the Commonwealth Bank, Mitsui, Bank of Nova Scotia and Dresdner. Elizabeth brings extensive commodity risk management, analysis, structuring and advisory experience to the team as well as a strong focus on environmental and social responsibility. Elizabeth is based in Sydney.

Kirsti Keightley

General Manager - Dairy Investments

Kirsti joined the Prime Value team in August 2019 to provide on the ground farm management oversight and work with us to implement our strategy and develop our portfolio of dairy farms.

She is responsible for investment strategy, portfolio construction, analysis and research.  Kirsti is highly regarded in the industry and has been managing and operating best practice dairy farms in New Zealand and South West Victoria for over 30 years. She was formerly a Director and Deputy chair of WestVic Dairy and the Chairperson of the Workforce and Planning Committee and is currently a delegate for Fonterra’s supplier forum. She has worked in animal genetics and as an employment consultant. Kirsti has a Diploma in Horticulture and Human Resources and will be a key member of the team as we develop our dairy portfolio.

Michael Yan

Associate - Investment and Investor Relations, China

Michael joined Prime Value in 2019, after working as a tax accountant. As a Marketing and Investment Executive, Michael supports both the marketing and business development team and the product team, particularly in developing the Private Equity Fund. He graduated with Bachelor of Commerce from University of Melbourne and Master of Professional Accounting with distinction from RMIT.

Cheow Pheng Chan

General Manager – Asset and Developments

Chan oversees asset management, calculation, feasibility studies and lease negotiations within the Shakespeare Property Group. He has over 30 years experience in development of office, retail, industrial and residential projects. Prior to working for the Group, Chan held a senior position at Davis Langdon for 16 years operating within Australian and abroad.

Robert Anderson

General Manager – Property and Investments

Robert has over 30 years experience in Australian property markets offering a depth of experience. Having extensive property knowledge in multiple asset categories and a well developed network throughout Australia and Asia Pacific. Prior to joining the Shakespeare Property Group, Robert has held senior roles with international corporates specialising in capital transactions, valuations and office leasing. He spent 10 years with JLL as Asia Pacific Regional Director and 11 years at CBRE as Senior Director. He has also had 4 years in the development area of Walker Corporation, with a main focus on the $2B Collins Square commercial project in Melbourne. Robert is also a Qualified Property Valuer and holder of a full Real Estate Agent’s Licence.

Sam Matarazzo

Head of Investor Relations & Distribution, Global

Sam has over 39 years experience in the financial services industry and over 15 years experience in leadership.

Sam has been the head of a major regional Private Bank on two separate occasions.

Sam has a passion for customer service and has a strong record of superior performance.

MBA qualified, Sam has also won the prestigious Australian Private Bank Awards for “Outstanding Relationship Manager “ in 2014.

Mark Jordan

Head of Distribution

With a distinguished 24-year career in funds management, Mark Jordan brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to Prime Value. Throughout his career, Mark has held senior roles at prestigious firms including Magellan, Fidelity International and Perpetual, where he has been instrumental in shaping the growth and success of their distribution teams.

Mark’s expertise lies in leading distribution teams and delivering sales excellence to achieve exceptional results. His strategic vision and leadership skills have been pivotal in driving growth and building strong relationships within the intermediary market. At Prime Value, Mark will be focused on enhancing our investment capabilities with a primary focus on our small cap investment offering with the Prime Value Emerging Opportunities Fund among private wealth groups, financial planners, and dealer groups.

Mark has a deep understanding of the market, combined with dedication to client success, making him a valuable asset to Prime Value. We are excited to leverage his expertise to further our commitment to delivering superior investment solutions and exceptional service to our clients.

Julia Desimone

Director - Distribution

Julia started her career in funds management over 15 years ago as the Business Development Manager for Ausbil Investments servicing the intermediary market where she stayed for nearly 9 years.

During this time Julia has had roles at Centuria, Dimensional & Investors Mutual where she had the opportunity to represent a range of asset classes and strategies including global equities, Australian equities, fixed interest, property & ESG funds.

Julia holds a Bachelor of Business and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

Andrew Russell

Director - Investor Relations, Australia

Andrew manages our key client relationships and marketing activities throughout Australia. He is responsible for communicating the various investment characteristics of the Prime Value investment options and working with our retail, wholesale and institutional clients to provide tailored investment solutions to meet their needs. Andrew has over 25 years of experience in client services, sales and marketing – both in business and not for profit organisations. Andrew also spent 10 years working in Financial Services for one of Australia’s leading wealth creation companies. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business in Management from the University of Queensland and is currently completing a Masters in Leadership.

Daniel Leong

Director – Investor Relations, Southeast Asia

Daniel is responsible for our growing Asian investor relations. Daniel’s experience spans 35 years in financial services working both domestically and offshore in private banking, portfolio management, and lending and mortgages. Since immigrating 20 years ago from Malaysia, he has worked in ANZ Bank as a Senior Private Banker where he managed and serviced both local and international high net worth clients providing tailored financial and investment solutions, including financing for commercial and residential properties.

He has vast and considerable experience in retail & private banking, lending, investments and portfolio management. He also understands multi-shore and international jurisdiction of banking, equities, property, lending and investment markets. His focus is in helping migrants transition into Australia and also guiding investors on investment solutions, including those seeking Significant Investor Visa (SIV).

Daniel previously held senior positions as Executive Director of two largest stockbroking companies in Malaysia, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of listed companies on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

Teresa Nhu Nguyen

Director – Investor Relations & Marketing, Southeast Asia

Teresa is responsible for our growing Vietnamese and South East Asia investor relations. Before joining Prime Value, Teresa has had a distinguished 20-year career with the Victorian Government in senior roles of Relationship Manager, Business Migration Program of the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, and Recruitment & Admissions Team Leader, International Education Division of the Department of Education & Training.

Teresa has bridged high-level relationships between Australia and South East Asia and supported countless overseas student families, and investor and business migrants during her time in government. Teresa has initiated and been a lead contributor to analysis, submission and delivery of policies, new programs and service developments, changes and improvements.

Formerly a presenter in a local Vietnamese Community radio station, Teresa is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.

Mei Wang

Director – Investments & Investor Relations, China

Mei has over 20 years’ experience in wealth management, banking and accounting & taxation practice both in Australia and China. She is responsible for our growing China investor relations, serving Chinese high net worth individuals, family offices, SMSFs investment solutions and wealth creation, as well as extensive experience in the SIV program. Mei previously worked with Bank of Beijing, Ernst & Young and KPMG.

Sean Wang

Director – Investor Relations, China

Sean has extensive experience in investment and banking services particularly in corporate and commercial lending.

Sean is responsible for relationship management with HNW investors, family office and SMSF investments. .

In 2012, Sean was one of the pioneer managers of the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) program, he serviced both clients and agents. Prior to joining Prime Value, Seam was in senior roles at China Construction Bank, Bensons Property and Phillip Capital.

Winny Wu

Director, Investor Relations

Winny has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry. She has accumulated 15 years of knowledge and experience in providing complex financial solutions to High Net Worth clients and family offices.

Winny is passionate about discovering and providing unique solutions tailored to individuals and generational family groups. Her previous role as Director of Asian Liaison for one of Australia’s largest banks, Winny has a thorough understanding of complexities of cross border investing.

JunSeok Yang

Associate Director, Investor Relations

Junseok Yang joined Prime Value in 2021 and has been working as the Associate Director, Investor Relations. JunSeok plays a key role in growing the Asian investor relations base, managing client relationships, and promoting Prime Value’s investment offerings to clients in Australia and overseas.

He is fluent in Korean, Mandarin and English and possesses a multinational background. He has lived and worked in Australia, South Korea, Singapore, the United States of America, and Taiwan. Capitalising on his multicultural background and first-hand experience as a migrant, he’s passionate about helping migrants transition into Australia and achieving financial success. He has helped many migrants transiting into and settling in Australia and achieve their investment outcomes to protect and grow their wealth.

Junseok holds double degrees in Finance and Economics from the Australian National University, graduating with a distinction average.