Neville Bassett

Chairman

Westar Capital’s Chairman, Neville Bassett, is a Chartered Accountant specialising in corporate, financial and management advisory services.

Neville has spent more than 35 years working in accounting, finance and stockbroking. During that time, he’s had considerable involvement in Australian financial markets including numerous public company listings and capital raisings, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Neville’s expertise includes in-depth knowledge of the Corporations Act, ASX listing requirements, corporate taxation and finance. He is an in-demand consultant to publicly listed companies and private company groups, across a diverse range of industry sectors. He is also a director or company secretary at several public and private companies.

Neville has been granted lifetime memberships to two organisations in recognition of his community service. He has also undertaken pro-bono work for the Government of Western Australia.

In 1991, he became a Director/Councillor of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in WA and he’s been Chairman of RFDS Western Operations since 2009. He also served six years as Western Operations representative on the Board of the Australian Council of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.

In 2015, Neville’s decades of unwavering dedication to community service were recognised when he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours.

Gary Castledine

Gary Castledine’s stellar career in capital markets spans more than 25 years. He has expertise in stockbroking, corporate advisory and investment banking. He is a high net worth and institutional specialist.

Gary has participated in a range of capital raisings and IPOs across a broad spectrum of industries. He thrives on working with young mining companies and helping them transition into successful, high-value organisations.

His expertise lies in his ability to organise the capital and corporate structuring of each transaction to facilitate the investment banking to take a project to market.

‘We wanted to do things differently when we established Westar Capital – so we work with people to generate success for all of us. We back projects we believe in and that means, when a deal goes ahead we put money into it – we always invest alongside our clients.’

Gary’s finance career started in 1993. After a decade spent developing his skills as a stockbroker, he moved into a corporate advisory role, where he became involved in investment banking.

Before establishing Westar Capital, Gary was founder, Chairman and MD of Indian Ocean Capital, a successful, specialist boutique securities dealer and corporate advisory firm.

Gary is active in contributing to his community and has been a long-time supporter of Parkerville Children and Youth Care (Inc). He joined their Finance Committee in 2009 and has been on the Board of Directors since 2012.

Rohan Edmondson

Director

Rohan Edmondson began his career in the financial services sector in 1995. Over 20 years later, he’s a founding Director at Westar Capital and a highly-regarded corporate adviser in the Australian market.

Rohan specialises in early stage investment for resource ventures and has developed an exceptional global network of industry contacts.

He works with professional investors who value long-term commitment and prefer the more personal approach to service that Westar Capital offers.

Rohan views each potential investment project as an opportunity to avail his clients of market trends in the earlier part of the cycle.

‘At Westar Capital, our skill set lies in organising, introducing and working alongside the relevant parties to achieve a successful transaction – that’s what we work together to accomplish. We believe in building lasting relationships founded on our core values and the fact that we go that extra mile to get the best outcome for our clients.’

Rohan has strong connections in Perth’s business community. He has extensive experience in structuring listings and raising capital, as well as IPOs, company restructures and seed raisings.

He also manages private retail client portfolios offering wealth management and Sophisticated Investor Placements. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Double Major in Banking and Finance) from Curtin University, Perth.

Brenton Reynolds

Director

After graduating from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Economics in 2008, Brenton Reynolds pursued a career in financial markets. He worked in several large stockbroking organisations where he developed his substantial skill set.

As his knowledge and network of connections grew, Brenton wanted to offer his clients a more authentic, personal investment experience.

In 2016, he was ready to join a smaller team of like-minded professionals with a strong reputation as high net worth and institutional specialists. He became a member of the founding team that established Westar Capital, where he is a Director.

Brenton enjoys working in a transparent environment with a close-knit team that places a high value on bringing trust, reliability and honesty to all their relationships.

‘One of the many advantages of being a small team is that we’re nimble in our decision-making. Our efficient approval process means that once the due diligence is done, we have the flexibility to act quickly to bring an opportunity to our clients. And, of course, their opportunity is our opportunity as we invest with our clients in every deal.’

Brenton specialises in listed securities in biotech and small cap resources. He also has experience in providing advice on securities, managed funds and derivatives.

Duncan Relf

Senior Advisor

Duncan Relf’s career in the financial services industry began in 2011. His background in trading in the natural gas industry paved the way for his move into financial markets.

Since then, he has gained experience with roles at Blackswan Equities, Euroz Securities and Ashanti Capital. He also has a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Marketing and Finance.

Duncan typically works with high net worth individuals, institutions and corporate clients at Westar Capital. He specialises in small to mid-cap stocks, providing advice and trade execution, while also assisting in transaction structuring and raising capital for his clients.

‘I’ve always enjoyed financial markets. Over time, I realised I liked the more entrepreneurial side of things, which is more aligned with the boutique nature of Westar Capital. I work alongside our clients. I help build companies up from the ground, fund them and build a team around them – with the aim of taking them on to bigger and better things.’

Duncan’s ability to build strong relationships is borne out by the broad network of contacts he can draw on to support his clients, especially in the initial stages of setting up a new company.

Byron Schammer

Senior Advisor

Byron Schammer made the move into the financial services sector in 2010 when he retired from his professional football career with the Fremantle Dockers.

Since then, he has gained expertise working with Australian and international equities and derivatives, fixed-interest government bonds and debentures. Byron has helped to create and preserve long-term wealth for his clients by providing advice for strategic investments across domestic and international equity markets.

‘Strategically, I think there are parallels between football and stockbroking – particularly at Westar Capital because our success is such a team effort. My real passion is helping our clients generate and grow wealth through quality companies in the micro-cap sector.’

At Westar Capital, Byron specialises in providing specific advice on micro-cap companies to sophisticated investors. He enjoys the collaborative process of taking an idea or company, building a team and raising capital to launch it or float it on the ASX.

Byron has built up a broad network of connections both nationally and locally. He still has strong ties to the footy community and is an assistant coach for the Claremont Football Club Colts Team. He’s also involved with the charity Lifechanger, an educational platform that provides kids with quality mentorship.

Chris Achurch

Corporate Specialist

Chris Achurch began his career in accounting and finance in 2008, having graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Commerce.

After a decade working in accounting and finance at RSM Australia in Perth, Dallas and New York, Chris, who is an experienced Chartered Accountant, moved to a public company listed on the ASX. Acting in a joint role as both the Company Secretary and CFO, he developed expertise in capital raising, negotiating large contracts, corporate transactions, and ASX listing requirements.

At Westar Capital, Chris provides Company Secretary assistance and consultant CFO services to a diverse range of clients that are either listed on the ASX or preparing to float a company. When he takes up a Company Secretary or CFO appointment, he liaises with the Board of Directors, oversees corporate governance and ensures all statutory requirements are met.

If clients are seeking short-term support in the areas of Company Secretary, accounting and finance or corporate governance, Chris joins their team as a consultant. He also assists Westar’s broking team with corporate transactions.

‘What’s always appealed to me about the sector is the variety of work and the value you can provide a client’s company as you help them grow. As the Company Secretary or CFO, I’m bringing the experience and expertise to provide an individualised service while acting as my client’s trusted gatekeeper to ensure their company’s compliance with statutory requirements.’

Alain Vega

Client Relationship Manager

Originally from Switzerland, Alain spent nine years in the Swiss financial services sector before making Australia home in 2010. He joined the team at Westar Capital as Client Relationship Manager in 2016.

Alain wanted to work within an organisation that would be compatible with his prior experience. He was attracted to Westar Capital’s impressive team of investment specialists and their authentic approach to client relationships, risk management and investment.

‘Westar Capital offered me a unique opportunity to use my experience, expand my career and work with an outstanding, supportive investment company. I enjoy being part of a team I trust – they can depend on me to do things “the Swiss way” – efficiently and reliably.’

Alain manages every aspect of the administrative processes that support the investment services offered by Westar Capital, from contracts to account openings and ongoing maintenance. In addition to his Swiss contacts, he is also developing an ever-growing network around the globe.