Mentoring team

A unique feature of the Growth Program is that each participant is matched with an experienced mentor or business coach.

Our mentoring team consists of the following professional people:

Michelle McGrath

Michelle has extensive experience across many industries – health, hospitality, manufacturing, tourism, service, retail and community service. She has worked in small/medium businesses (SME’s) and larger corporations in a variety of roles, developing key management and people skills.

Michelle had her first management role aged 21 and started her first business aged 25. It is almost 20 years, since she established her second business, a successful community care business with repeat government contracts, at one stage employing 125 staff. She has built this business into a totally systemised, successful business that allows her to work ON her business not IN her business.

As a keen observer of human behaviour, Michelle has pursued a career in coaching which has lead to her establishing her third business venture. She has a deep understanding of people, their relationship to other people and the world around them, especially within their work environment. People are at the heart of every business; whether as individuals in management, SME’s or within large corporation Michelle has found her life coaching skills are a powerful tool in helping clients to get the most out of her business and executive training and coaching.

Michelle was a graduate of the Curtin University Entrepreneurial and Business Development Unit’s Growth Program in 2005. She is the current President of the Growth Program’s Alumni - Kaizen, which she was instrumental in establishing. Michelle is a qualified NLP Practitioner, a graduate of The Coaching Institutes Trainers & Public Speaking Skills program and is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Barry Smith

Barry is a director and principal management consultant of the GMCG. He has a wealth of commercial experience as a senior manager with The Shell Company of Australia and currently consultants to the State Government on petroleum industry related matters. Barry has extensive practical management and strategic planning experience. Between 1995 and 2001, he led a diverse operational team of over 350 staff through some very turbulent times including comprehensive industry & network restructuring, rationalisation and business diversification.

Esmond Lange

After a long and successful international career with both a mainstream oil company and the market leading service provider, Esmond returned to Perth to work in the private sector building smaller companies. He joined the Curtin Centre for Entrepreneurship team in 2002 as a Mentor and also currently holds positions on the boards of a number of private companies. He is an active member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has an ongoing interest in creating growth opportunities for small and medium sized companies by the development of key staff and strategies. His company, Sounding Board Australia, focuses on these interests.

Tony Stefanoff

With over 40 years in the Accounting Profession, Tony Stefanoff brings a life-time of experience from a very demanding environment. During that time he advised a variety of small to medium businesses in matters of accounting, management reporting, business structures, taxation, etc. In June 2000 he retired from the position of senior partner of a medium-sized firm of Chartered Accountants, and now provides independent business advice. Tony has a vast knowledge and expertise in advising on start-ups, expanding businesses, disposals, retirements, succession and family dynamics.

Glenn Taylor

Glenn has extensive experience in leading and managing large workforces and managing large and successful change programs. He transfers knowledge in key areas such as systems development, Human Resource management, and key financial reporting. Glenn is a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), and past president of the WA Chapter of the IMC. Glenn is currently Managing Partner of Genesis Business Advisers (GBA) which specialises in coaching businesses to grow in a sustainable manner, providing win:win outcomes for all stakeholders. Glenn also provides executive coaching to senior management.

David Officen

David joined Insight Business Partners in 2000 to take responsibility for management of the business development programs for the firm’s progressive business clients. From 1995 he worked for the WA gas utility AlintaGas where he progressed to the senior position of Management Accountant before joining Insight Business Partners. David has intensive experience in implementing systems and procedures. He also has significant experience facilitating workshops, advisory boards and delivering seminars to privately owned businesses.

Colin Bell

Colin's background combines experiences with small business service delivery, organisational development and change management, social marketing, and leadership in not for profit organisations. In his consultancy business Colin has a range of clients from SMEs, corporate, government departments, and not for profits - focusing primarily on strategic planning and implementation of successful change strategies. Through his work he has been able to observe how information, systems, organisational structure, and culture impact on the development of organisations.

Bruce Watkins

Bruce is a Director with Genesis Business Advisers and has ten years experience as a consultant. Bruce has worked within Australia and overseas and his work is focused on strategy development to improve company performance, change management to align roles and responsibilities with corporate objectives and operational planning to improve overall control. Over the nine years he has been associated with Curtin Growth Program, he has mentored and coached 30 business owners. He has post graduate qualifications in marketing and finance and is a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute of Management Consultants.

Mark Hevron

Mark founded his business development consultancy 'Success By Doing ^®, to help successful business owners accomplish their goals. His passion is helping people achieve success and he recognises that even confident people have days when the path doesn't seem clear and the goal seems distant. Mark's unique skills in strategic thinking and asking the vital questions enables him to provide the ongoing support that helps his clients move forward with confidence. Mark is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI). Mark completed his MBA in 2000.

Stan Pisulak

Stan's formal qualifications and experience are in Finance, Management Accounting, Commercial Management, Business Development and Administration. Stan is currently involved with a number of business activities assisting as Mentor, providing strategic business development and other technical accounting and general tax services. He has been involved with a range of small to medium sized business development activities, assisting business types including service, retailing, and wholesaling and also in education, construction, mining, engineering, manufacturing and government sectors.

Stewart Blizard

Stewart's background is accounting and taxation & business. He is currently a partner in a company called Insight Business Partners in Balcatta. This company has 3 partners and a team of 8 staff. They specialise in taxation and business services, business development, practice human resource issues, quality assurance, staff training and operations generally.

Tony Durack

Tony held senior Human Resource, Industrial Relations and General Management roles for 10 years prior to establishing his consulting business in 1991. He has introduced and facilitated enterprise change and improvement with very broad agendas in an extensive range of industries. Tony offers advice and assistance in the areas of improving productivity, efficiency, employer/employee relations & cost reduction through better management, facilitating change management, workplace & industrial relations, management & development, coaching and support for management, writing, negotiating and introducing innovative workplace/enterprise agreement and general management.

Mike Schrick

Mike’s experience base includes extensive general management expertise within both large and small businesses combined with proven business administration and financial management skills. He has a deep understanding how to integrate technology, business processes and human capital to facilitate significant increase in overall business performance and effectiveness. He has a reputation as a successful change management leader with excellent perception and conceptual thinking skills whilst using creative problem solving. Mike is logical, precise and thorough and focuses on ensuring practical solutions are found for the challenges faced by all businesses.

After successfully completing a MBA at UWA, Mike formed a business / management consultancy in April 2004 and is currently working with both large and small businesses across numerous industries. The focus with large businesses is to assist them with the implementation of world-class operating practices, whereas with smaller operations Mike takes a more holistic approach and applies his general management expertise to assist, support and mentor his clients across a range of business principles.

Mike has been involved with coaching junior basketball for the last 4 years and enjoys swimming to stay fit (with a solo entry to the Rottnest swim looming for 2006). Most other leisure activities revolve around outdoor activities and spending quality time with the family.

Paul Mackell

Paul Mackell, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, established Alldale Executive Contracting in 1995 to provide management Accounting and reporting services to clients in WA. His target market is small to medium sized businesses (SMES) and not for profit organisations who are ready to go to the next level but require the structure/resources to enable growth to happen.

Prior to establishing Alldale Executive Contracting he gained significant commercial experience and held senior financial and management accounting positions in a diverse range of industries, both in Australia and overseas.

Paul was approached by the CCI in early July 2000 and asked to join its Training Services operation. He conducted GST workshops in early August 2000.

Since early 2003 he has conducted monthly workshops on behalf of the Small Business Development Corporation ("SBDC").

He has been a Mentor on the SBDC Mentoring Program assisting business owners with the management and growth of their businesses since June 2003.

Paul's passion is helping businesses grow through the systemisation of their business processes and the integrity of their management reporting. Both enable management to make decisions on an informed basis.