About
At BESEN, we believe in integrity. It is central to everything we do and underpins the relationships we foster. These relationships are straightforward. They are based on honesty and mutual respect – essential values to the way we do business.
Established in 2000 by Melbourne businessman Daniel Besen, we have built a solid reputation through investments in both the retail and consumer goods sectors and property development.
Our business is managed by knowledgeable and highly regarded investment specialists and guided by an Advisory Board comprised of successful, experienced professionals from industries spanning brand and corporate strategy, marketing and sales, corporate law, finance and property.
We are also guided by a Trend Forum comprising some of Australia’s leading experts on emerging trends in retail and consumer brands. This keeps us connected to the changing nature of consumers, their needs, tastes and values.
Since our inception, we have invested in retail and consumer goods businesses and property developments, working alongside entrepreneurs to create a shared vision for the success of their ventures and supporting them in achieving their ambitions.
People
Daniel Besen
In 2000, Daniel founded BESEN to bring to life his passion for helping promising entrepreneurs realise and achieve their potential. His strategic skills, commercial intuition and keen perception for innovative business concepts and property development opportunities shape the company’s success. Guided by the BESEN Advisory Board and supported by his collaborators, Daniel is directly involved in the evaluation of each potential investment. His remarkable enthusiasm for creativity and a unique vision are fundamental to key business decisions.
Joe Tack
Joe has more than 12 years’ experience in property development, asset management and property investment in residential, commercial and hotel projects across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Joe is responsible for the sourcing and management of BESEN’s property investments, including property development, directly held investment property assets and the management of joint ventures with development partners.
Anna Ellis
Anna identifies, assesses and manages BESEN’s business investments. She has more than a decade of experience in corporate finance, business investment, strategy and business development, across a broad range of industry sectors, including tourism, hospitality, logistics, retail and financial services.
Duncan Murray
Duncan Murray is the CEO of Besen Pty Ltd.
The majority of Duncan’s career has been spent as a CEO and COO level operator in both the public and private company sectors, as well as the private equity and not-for-profit industries. Traditionally though, he has worked on behalf of private capital. Prior to Besen, Duncan was the Group CEO of the Cape York Partnership and its subsidiaries. Duncan’s career commenced as a lawyer and investment banker.
Duncan was the inaugural Chairman of the Amy Gillett Foundation and is currently the Deputy Chairman of Cycling Australia.
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The BESEN Advisory Board brings a unique perspective to the business’s decision-making and processes. The Board comprises successful, experienced professionals from industries spanning brand and corporate strategy, marketing and sales, corporate law, finance and property.
Henry Lanzer
Henry is responsible for the management and strategic direction of Arnold Bloch Leibler, one of Australia’s innovative and leading commercial law firms. As Senior Commercial Partner, Henry specialises in corporate finance and strategic advice including all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, joint ventures and ASX listings. He is an advisor to several public and large private company boards and highly regarded for his strategic planning skills.
Henry also holds several community positions, including Life Governor of the Mount Scopus College Council and President of the Mount Scopus Memorial College Foundation. He serves on the board of TarraWarra Museum of Art and is a board adviser of Jewish Aid.
Phillip Brass
Philip has extensive experience and expertise in the Australian retail consumer goods industry. For nine years, he served as the Managing Director of Pacific Dunlop and, following on from this, he was Company Director of Globe International Ltd for four years.
Philip is the former Chairman of NM Rothschild Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore and an inaugural member of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council – an advisory group to the Mayor of Shanghai. He was Associate Commissioner of the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Textile Clothing and Footwear Industry (1996) and has represented Australia at APEC Business Forums. Philip is involved with several philanthropic organisations and, in 1992, was awarded the B’nai B’rith Gold Medal for Service to Industry and the Community.
Means of marketing and communication are rapidly changing, particularly in digital marketing, and Australia will continue to experience the globalisation of retail. That’s why BESEN is guided by a Trend Forum with considerable experience in digital marketing and social media, comprising some of Australia’s leading experts on emerging trends in retail and consumer brands, both locally and internationally. This keeps BESEN connected to the changing nature of consumers, their needs, tastes and values.
Steve Kulmar
Steve is Director and head of the Retail Oasis team. For the last five years, Retail Oasis has specialised in working directly with retailers to improve their business through brand building initiatives. In a previous life, Steve founded and acted as CEO of IdeaWorks, a retail communications and advertising business with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. Steve has worked with a broad range of retailers and landlords, from Woolworths to Westfield, both on and offline.
Romy Frydman
For over 15 years, Romy has worked as a creative director and stylist, both locally and internationally. Her background has seen her hold roles at Marie Claire, Elle and Vogue Australia, contribute to titles such as The New York Times and Nylon US, and partner with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
More recently, Romy has explored her passion for creativity with a blog, StyleMeRomy.com. It is a digital media platform showcasing exclusive fashion moments and insider industry knowledge, edited and curated by Romy herself. The blog’s unique viewpoint, impeccable opinion on style and stunning editorial shoots are some of the reasons why StyleMeRomy.com has been recognised as one of “Australia’s most influential fashion blogger’s” by Grazia Australia and considered “top of the blogs” by The Australian.
Lucy Feagins
Lucy is the founder and Editor of The Design Files – a blog that she started as a hobby in 2008 and that quickly became Australia’s most popular design blog and, was named by The Times UK, as one of the “world’s Top 50 design blogs” in late 2009.
Lucy curates and showcases beautiful Australia design discoveries from architecture to interiors, to homes, art, retail, crafts and food. Her blog reflects the high quality content one might find in a glossy design magazine except that it’s online and daily. The Design Files has over 25,000 newsletter subscribers and an enviable social media following of Facebook 100,000+, Pinterest 45,000+ and Instagram 80,000+.
Contact
For further information
about Besen investments
the contact details are
as follows.
BESEN Pty Ltd
Level 28, 1 Spring Street
Melbourne Vic 3000 Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9250 7000
Facsimile: +61 3 9250 7099
Email: info@besen.com.au