How and where to invest $1 million right now

Michael Cottier has over 30 years’ experience in financial services roles and is currently an independent non-executive director of two non-listed entities, both of which are in senior financial services roles. Between 2009 and 2014 Michael served as Chief Financial Officer of QSuper Group, where he was responsible for group-wide finance and governance functions. Prior to joining QSuper, Michael spent seven years as CFO of QIC Limited, where he was responsible for group-wide finance and governance functions together with corporate advisory and human resources services.

Geoff Wilson has more than 44 years’ direct experience in investment markets having held a variety of senior investment roles in Australia, the UK and the US. Geoff founded Wilson Asset Management in 1997, which today, comprises of 19 investment professionals who offer a combined investment experience of more than 200 years. Wilson Asset Management manages more than $5 billion behalf of more than 130,000 investors as the investment manager for eight listed investment companies and the Wilson Asset Management Leaders Trust. Geoff is currently Chairman of WAM Capital Limited, WAM Leaders Limited, WAM Global Limited, WAM Microcap Limited, WAM Research Limited, WAM Active Limited, WAM Strategic Value Limited. He is the founder and a Director of Future Generation Australia Limited and Future Generation Global Limited and a Director of WAM Alternative Assets Limited. In 2014 Geoff created Australia’s first listed philanthropic wealth creation vehicles, Future Generation Australia, and subsequently Future Generation Global in 2015. To date, the Future Generation companies have donated more than $75 million to Australian not-for-profits. Geoff holds a Bachelor of Science, a Graduate Management Qualification and is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). In addition to Geoff’s Directorships with the Wilson Asset Management Group and the Future Generation companies, he also holds Directorships with Global Value Fund Limited (since 2014), Hearts and Minds Investments Limited (since 2018), Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation (since 1997) and the Australian Rugby Foundation (2024).

Adrian has 27 years’ experience in the financial industry. He started his career with the Goldman Sachs European investment banking team in London before moving to Hong Kong and Singapore as part of their mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance advisory teams. He later spent 11 years with The Carlyle Group as a Director of their private equity buyout investment team in Sydney and Singapore. Adrian was the Lead Portfolio Manager responsible for the alternative asset strategy of Wilson Asset Management (International) Pty Limited, and is now a board director and investment committee member of WAM Alternative Assets Limited, and a board director of WAM Microcap Limited. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Wilson Family Office.

John has over 27 years’ experience in financial services, including wealth management, corporate advisory, investor relations and private equity capital raisings. John was a Senior Investment Advisor with Shaw and Partners (formally Shaw Stockbroking) for 22 years, with an emphasis on portfolio management, trading and private equity capital raisings. In 2015 John established JB & Partners Corporate Advisory that specialises in strategic advice and succession planning for private companies; particularly family businesses. John has advised in a diverse range of industries, including financial services (particularly AFSL issues), FMCG companies, eCommerce and the funeral industry. John is currently Chairman of Seneca Financial Solutions and non-executive director of a number of private companies. He is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Graduate Diploma (Securities) from the Securities Institute of Australia.

Kym has over 32 years’ experience in legal risk and general management roles. Kym was a private practice lawyer for 10 years including 7 years with Allens. He had a further 10 years’ experience as in-house counsel with HBOS Australia, Nortel Networks, Arnott’s Biscuits and Flexirent Capital. Kym also performed management roles at BankWest (Head of Customer Projects Commercial and Business Division), Nortel Networks Australia (General Manager-Business Operations) and Flexirent Capital (General Manager Corporate Services). More recently he held a role as a senior consultant at Control Risk looking after account management and business development for Control Risks’ three practice areas of political risk consulting, integrity risk consulting and security risk consulting. Kym holds a bachelor of laws and also completed the New York Bar Exam and the Harvard Business School General Management Program.

Jesse Hamilton is a Chartered Accountant with more than 16 years’ experience working in advisory and assurance services, specialising in funds management. As the Chief Financial Officer, Jesse oversees all finance and accounting of Wilson Asset Management (International) Pty Limited. He is Company Secretary for WAM Alternative Assets Limited and WAM Strategic Value Limited and Joint Company Secretary for WAM Capital Limited, WAM Leaders Limited, WAM Global Limited, WAM Microcap Limited, WAM Research Limited and WAM Active Limited, in addition to Future Generation Australia Limited and Future Generation Global Limited. Prior to joining Wilson Asset Management, Jesse worked as Chief Financial Officer of an ASX listed company and also worked as an advisor specialising in assurance services, valuations, mergers and acquisitions, financial due diligence and capital raising activities for listed investment companies. Jesse was appointed Company Secretary of WAM Alternative Assets Limited in October 2020.

Sally has over 19 years’ experience in private capital advisory, gained with leading organisations such as Allens, Macquarie Capital, QIC, Greenhill & Co, and is currently Managing Director at Cabot Properties Inc, a private equity real estate investment firm.