Private Markets Forum VIC

Jonathan Belz

Global CEO and Co-Founder, BFA Global Investors

Paul Burgon

Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Lipman Burgon & Partners

Paul is the Managing Partner and CIO of Lipman Burgon & Partners, focussing on sophisticated investment solutions for private clients and family offices. 

As a founding member of Lipman Burgon & Partners, Paul has embedded a culture that puts clients’ interests ahead of the firm’s growth. He leads the investment and advisory teams and acts as Lead Adviser to family offices, tailoring investment programs, building governance frameworks, and managing succession programs. 

With over two decades of experience across market cycles and having previously worked with Goldman Sachs, JBWere and Investec Private Bank, Paul is highly experienced in multi-asset portfolio construction strategies and allocation across public and private market assets. He has deep expertise in allocation modelling and manager due diligence with a network that unlocks unique investment opportunities for clients. 

Paul is a key member of Lipman Burgon & Partners’ Investment Committee and has several academic and professional qualifications. These include a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning, a Master of Applied Finance, and is recognised as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA). 

For three consecutive years, he has been ranked among Australia’s Top 25 Financial Advisers by US financial investment publication Barron’s. 

Benjamin Kohn

Founder and Senior Financial Adviser, Link Financial Services

In 2003, Benjamin founded Link Financial Services with a vision to deliver boutique, relationship-driven advice to clients who expect excellence. Over more than two decades, he has built a reputation as one of Australia’s leading wealth management advisers and has been recognised in Barron’s Australia Top Financial Advisers ranking.

Benjamin works closely with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and family offices, guiding them through the complexities of wealth creation, preservation, and multi-generational transfer. His expertise spans financial planning, investment management, superannuation and SMSFs, retirement strategies, asset protection, and estate planning.

His approach is defined by a strong commitment to clarity, discretion, and tailored strategy, ensuring clients feel confident about their financial future at every stage of life.

Elliot Lucas

Director of Investment Research, Lipman Burgon and Partners

Peter Magee

Chief Investment Officer, MRB House

Peter is the Chief Investment Officer of MRB House. He is based in Melbourne and has been at the organisation since April 2022. Peter's remit is investing in the highest quality actively managed funds focused on international and domestic listed equities, private equity, venture capital and absolute returns.

Peter has a varied background with experience in investment banking, corporate M&A, private equity and investing in public stocks.

Peter holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School, a Bachelor of Commerce, a Diploma of Financial Planning and is a Chartered Accountant.

Ryan McGovern

Managing Director, Star Mountain Capital

Ryan has over 25 years of investment and advisory experience with much of that time spent managing private credit funds and working with private credit fund investors around the world. At Star Mountain, he is involved in all aspects of the firm’s investment and portfolio management activities in addition to business development and investor relations efforts. Ryan joined Star Mountain from the specialist private debt advisory firm Avebury Capital Partners (now known as Arbour Partners) where he established and ran its North American operations, helping to build, advise, and raise capital for mezzanine and other private credit investment funds as well as sourcing secondary investment opportunities.

Ryan was previously a partner at Ember Capital (formerly known as Nomura Mezzanine), an alternative investment fund manager that managed a ~$350 million mezzanine fund sponsored by Nomura in addition to approximately ~$200 million in other pools of capital for senior and mezzanine debt investments. For nearly a decade at Ember/Nomura, he was responsible for originating, executing, and managing senior debt and mezzanine investments. During his time at Ember/Nomura, Mr. McGovern was instrumental in making more than 25 private credit investments. Ryan also played a key role in structuring and raising the firm’s funds, as well as with investor relations on a global basis.

Before joining Nomura in early 2005 to help launch its mezzanine debt investment business, Ryan was an investment professional at AIG-MezzVest, a ~$750 million mezzanine fund sponsored by the global insurance company AIG. Earlier in his career, he was an investment banking associate at HSBC and an investment banking analyst at Stephens Inc. Ryan began his career as an associate portfolio manager in the asset management division of Dominick & Dominick in New York.

He completed his MBA at HEC Paris and London Business School and holds a BA from Vanderbilt University. Hea also holds active FINRA broker dealer licenses and is currently a board member of ACG Cleveland.

Monique Meinrath

Head of Membership, People, Culture and Operations, PWN

Richard Milroy

Founder and Executive Director, Private Wealth Network

Richard is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of Private Wealth Network, and also founded several other specialist events and publishing companies in the areas of wealth management and sustainability. Starting his career at the International Herald Tribune in Paris, he then moved into specialist trade publishing and investment conferences based in London and now Sydney.Richard’s vision is to form knowledge networks where people connect face-to-face at events, then continue their relationships through online platforms. His focus is to assist members to share and gain new knowledge and understanding, and hopefully to inspire them too.

Richard holds a BA (Hons) in European Political Science with Modern Languages, from Newcastle upon Tyne University, UK.

Adam Roberts MPA, LLB, BCom, GAICD

Head of Private Markets, Australian Ethical Investment

Adam joined Australian Ethical in June 2024, bringing 15 years' experience investing across real estate, infrastructure, private equity, impact investing and private credit.

Prior to joining Australian Ethical, Adam held several roles within Macquarie's asset management business, in both APAC and Europe, as well as Head of Strategy where he oversaw business and corporate development. Adam also spent a few years at a U.S. based alternative asset manager.

Adam holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Bachelor's degrees in Law and Commerce (majoring in Finance) from Bond University (obtained under scholarship).