Ambassadors
A global village of operators, investors, mentors, and builders.
MAD Ambassadors help extend the reach, wisdom, credibility, and opportunity flow of the MAD platform.
What ambassadors do
Trusted members of the broader MAD ecosystem.
MAD Ambassadors are trusted members of the broader MAD ecosystem.
They may support the platform by introducing founders, introducing investors, advising selected portfolio companies, opening regional relationships, mentoring founders, contributing to VC Mastermind, participating in events, and helping carry the MAD mission into the world.
Where the network has led
Independently corroborated experience across the network.
A selection of the institutions, firms, programs, and honours where MAD Ambassadors have led, founded, served, or studied. Source-verifiable through public records, professional databases, and third-party press.
- Macquarie Bank
- Citibank
- Goldman Sachs
- Merrill Lynch
- Schroders
- PIMCO
- Principal Global Investors
- New Forests
- Quadrant Private Equity
- Google.org
- Procter & Gamble
- Microsoft
- Vodafone
- NIKE
- Mastercard
- WWF-Australia
- Wine Australia
- Royal Society of Victoria
- UN Sustainable Finance
- Order of Australia
- World Economic Forum
- Forbes 30 Under 30
- AICD
- Brown University
- Yale
- Harvard Business School
- AGSM (UNSW)
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Full citations available on request.
The village
People building MAD with us.
Gary Flowers
Ambassador
- Mirvac (ASX:MGR) · Former COO
- Australian Rugby Union · Former CEO
- Sparke Helmore · Former Managing Partner
Thirty years as Chief across professional services, sport, media, and property. Former COO of Mirvac through the GFC and former CEO of Australian Rugby Union. Grew Sparke Helmore Lawyers 600% to a top-ten national ranking as Managing Partner. Currently Chairman of the NSW Institute of Sport, Rawson Group, Mainbrace Constructions, and EMM Consulting.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Radha Kuppalli
Ambassador
- New Forests · Former MD ($11B AUM)
- Australian Govt. Nature Finance Council
- Yale MBA + MEM
Seventeen years at New Forests, helping it grow from $50M AUM to $11B AUM globally. Founded the firm's US business in 2007 and managed the $100M Eco Products Fund covering carbon, wetlands, and biodiversity. Member of the Australian Government Nature Finance Council. Yale MBA and Master of Environmental Management.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Douglas Penman
Ambassador
- Nukotoys · Founder (Tesla Prize)
- Euro RSCG / Havas · Former ECD
- Ochre Ventures · Director
Thirty years across Silicon Valley operating, advertising, and venture roles. Former Partner and Executive Creative Director at Euro RSCG / Havas, leading work for Intel, Microsoft, Volvo, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Coca-Cola among others. Founder and CEO of Nukotoys, awarded the Tesla Prize for tablet innovation. Currently Director and Partner at Ochre Ventures and advisor to SambaNova Systems and Uniphore.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Craig Swanger
Ambassador
- Macquarie Bank · Former Global CIO (US$10B)
- Macquarie Agricultural Funds · Former CEO
- Super Fierce · Co-founder
Fifteen years at Macquarie Bank, ending as Chief Investment Officer of US$10B in funds and Chief Innovation Officer. Former CEO of Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management ($1B+ AUM, 3.2 million hectares). Co-founder of Super Fierce, the for-purpose company closing the gender wealth gap in superannuation. Active investor across fintech and impact, including Wisr (ASX) and Income Asset Management.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Claire Mula
Ambassador
- Sprooki · Founder & exit (ASX:IVO)
- Procter & Gamble · Fairfax Media
- UTS · Industry Fellow
Co-founder of Sprooki, Asia's first mobile-commerce software platform for retail, exited to ASX-listed Invigor in 2017. Twenty-five years across digital, tech, and consumer businesses in Asia-Pacific and Europe with prior executive roles at Procter & Gamble, Fairfax Media, and ASTRO. Industry Fellow at the UTS Transdisciplinary School. Bond and VU Amsterdam MBAs.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Ajay MK
Ambassador
- Wisdom Tomorrow · CEO
- AI for Human Flourishing (Harvard) · APAC Co-lead
- Colgate-Palmolive · Former APAC HR Director
CEO of Wisdom Tomorrow (formerly Octave GIFT) in Hong Kong and APAC Co-lead of AI for Human Flourishing, a think tank convened at Harvard. Twenty-one years at Colgate-Palmolive, ending as APAC Director of HR and Board Member across 22 countries. Postgraduate in Applied Neuroscience at King's College London (IoPPN). Certified teacher in Compassion-Based Resilience Training.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Rachael McLennan
Ambassador
- People for Purpose · Co-founder
- Menzies Foundation · NED
- Australian Philanthropic Services · Inaugural CEO
Co-founder of People for Purpose, Australia's go-to board and executive search firm for the for-purpose sector. Inaugural CEO of Australian Philanthropic Services, where her board included David Gonski, Belinda Hutchinson, and Chris Cuffe. Currently Non-Executive Director of the Menzies Foundation and completing a Master of Social Impact at AGSM.
Connect on LinkedIn →
David Thomas
Ambassador
- Mabuhay Capital · Consultant
- APAC Financial Services · MD (AFSL 540418)
- Cyberport HK · Global Ambassador
Thirty years moving capital and businesses between London, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Manila. Holds the Australian Financial Services Licence 540418 through APAC Financial Services and is the Australian Global Ambassador for Cyberport Hong Kong. Author of twelve books on the Asian Century and the North-South Corridor.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Giles Gunesekera OAM
Ambassador
- Order of Australia (2023)
- Principal Global Investors · Former MD
- UN Sustainable Finance Advisory
Awarded the Order of Australia in 2023 for service to social welfare. Former Managing Director and Head of Third Party Sales at Principal Global Investors after a State Manager career at Merrill Lynch. CEO of Global Impact Initiative, sitting member of UN Advisory Boards on Climate & Health and Sustainable Finance, and Industry Fellow at UTS.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Peter Hillary
Ambassador
- Hillary Adventures International · Director
- Seven Himalayan foundation boards
Mountaineer, author, and son of Sir Edmund Hillary. Sits on the boards of seven Himalayan foundations delivering health, environment, and education services to the people of the Himalayas. A long-standing voice on adventure, stewardship, and the relationship between people and place.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Lindley Edwards Ph.D
Ambassador
- AFG Venture Group · Group CEO
- Macquarie Bank (9 yrs)
- Citibank · Former VP
Group CEO of AFG Venture Group with a banking pedigree across Macquarie (nine years) and Citibank (Vice President). Specialist in M&A, divestments, fundraising, and licensing for growth across public and private markets. Holds a PhD in addition to her undergraduate and postgraduate finance qualifications.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Alex Keen
Ambassador
- Burleigh Capital · Founder
- Pengana Capital · Former NSW/ACT Manager
- $100M+ raised personally
Founder of Burleigh Capital and a long-time MAD distribution partner. Eighteen years building revenue channels across Pengana Capital, NorthStar Impact, and Australian Unity. Has personally raised more than $100M through his network and contributed to one business growing from $1.4B to $3.3B in AUM.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Trena Blair
Ambassador
- FD Global Connections · CEO
- Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Centre · Mentor
- #1 Best Seller, Decoding Global Growth
CEO of FD Global Connections, advising trans-Pacific scale-ups for Mastercard, AICD, Discover Global Network, and SomnoMed among others. Author of Decoding Global Growth, a #1 Amazon best seller in Australia and the United States and Stevie Awards Book of the Year, New York. Former business mentor at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Centre.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Anna Sayer
Ambassador
- Schroders · Former Director
- PIMCO · Senior Advisory
- Sustainable Alpha · Founder
Twenty years inside global institutional asset managers including Schroders (Director, Wealth Management Solutions) and PIMCO (Senior Advisory). Now founder of Sustainable Alpha and consultant to Brightlight, DiversiFund, and Hunter Angels. Trusted across family offices, wealth platforms, and investment consultants on both sides of the Pacific.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Michelle Duval
Ambassador
- Marlee · Founder & CEO
- 96,000+ companies served
- Coaching methodology in 60+ countries
Founder and CEO of Marlee, the AI collaboration and performance OS used by more than 96,000 companies worldwide. Helped found the field of professional coaching in Australia in 1997, co-authored two international coaching handbooks, and trained certified coaches in more than sixty countries.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Peta Slack-Smith
Ambassador
- Wine Australia · NED
- Cotton RDC · Former NED
- Ethics Centre · Vincent Fairfax Fellow
Three decades across Australia's agriculture, food, and fibre sectors. Currently Non-Executive Director of Wine Australia, formerly of Dairy Food Safety Victoria and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. Former Chief of Staff to the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and a Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Fellow.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Hector Mujica
Ambassador
- Google.org · Former Head of Americas
- WEF Young Global Leader (2024)
- ~$1B deployed in grants
Spent thirteen years inside Google.org, leading Economic Opportunity work across the Americas including the $100M Google Career Certificates Fund. Deployed close to $1B in grants and impact investments. World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Currently a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Ryan Levesque
Ambassador
- Inc. 5000 · 7x Founder
- Sold two companies
- Brown University
Seven-time Inc. 5000 founder. Generated more than $100M in revenue and successfully sold two companies including Bucket.io to ScoreApp in 2024. Two-time #1 national best-selling author. Brown University graduate with prior careers managing AIG's China expansion division and at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Sarah Pirie-Nally
Ambassador
- ASB Bank · Former Chief Design Officer
- NAB · Former Head of Change
- $700M+ programs led
Twenty-two years leading strategy and human-centred design for global brands including Microsoft, IBM, and CommBank. Former Chief Design Officer at ASB Bank and Head of Change and Communications at NAB. Has led more than $700M in transformation programs and built design capability for over 5,000 leaders.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Michelle Falzon
Ambassador
- The Growth Field · Founder
- Content Sells · Top 100 podcast
Founder of The Growth Field strategic content marketing consultancy and co-host of the Content Sells podcast, ranked in the Top 100 Content Marketing Podcasts of 2025. Thirty-five years across marketing strategy, brand, and content for speakers and thought leaders.
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Adrienne Bateup-Carlson
Ambassador
- Luminous Strategic · Director
- Imagination · Former Director Strategy Asia
- Created 100% Pure New Zealand
Brand strategist who created the iconic 100% Pure New Zealand tourism brand at her own agency before its acquisition by Imagination Ltd. Subsequent senior roles included Director Strategy Asia at Imagination and Executive Vice President at Interpublic Marketing Services in Beijing. Brand work spans NIKE China prior to the Beijing Olympics, HAIER's CASARTE luxury brand, and Vodafone across five countries.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Piers Grove
Ambassador
- EnergyLab · Co-founder & Chair
- Boomerang Labs · Executive Director
- WWF-Australia · Governor
Co-founder and Chair of EnergyLab, Australia's largest cleantech startup accelerator. Executive Director of Boomerang Labs and Rocket Seeder, General Partner at Impact Ventures, and a long-standing Governor of WWF-Australia. Builds the institutional plumbing of Australia's climate and circular economy.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Trent Blacket
Ambassador
- EMT Partners · Co-founder
- Quadrant Private Equity (via Ward Blacket)
- Centr.com · Founding shareholder
Co-founder of EMT Partners, chaired by Brett Chenoweth, with EMT Law now part of Cornwalls Federation. Founding shareholder via Ward Blacket Investments in Chris Hemsworth's Centr.com and FLG, alongside Quadrant Private Equity. USA Development Board Member of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. Operates between Melbourne and California.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Tina Tower
Ambassador
- Begin Bright · Built and sold (35 locations)
- Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year
- #1 Bestseller, Million Dollar Micro Business
Built four businesses and sold them, including the Begin Bright national franchise of thirty-five locations and 120+ staff. Author of Million Dollar Micro Business, a #1 bestseller in Australia and the United States. Founder of Her Empire Builder and a Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year.
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Jane Slack-Smith
Ambassador
- Investors Choice Mortgages · Founder
- Wiley · Author
- Engineer (Orica) turned broker
Property investment educator and mortgage broker who came to finance from a blasting engineering career at Orica. Founder of Investors Choice Mortgages and Your Property Success, and author of Your Property Success with Renovation (Wiley, 2012). One of Australia's most-cited female voices in property investing.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Mark Rowland
Ambassador
- Climate Action Week Sydney · Founder
- Adelaide Climate Action Week · Co-founder
- Four-time multinational CEO
Founder of Climate Action Week Sydney and co-founder of Adelaide Climate Action Week, two of Australia's flagship climate-action collaboration platforms. Four-time multinational CEO who has rolled out brand and strategy programs globally for some of the world's leading names. Currently working on climate, sustainability, and purpose-driven business through Roceteer.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Binowee Bayles
Ambassador
- AMP · Head of Indigenous Programs
- Two Worlds | Bulla Ngurra · Co-founder
- Arise Foundation · Ambassador
Head of Indigenous Programs at AMP, where she has led work to make the superannuation system more equitable for First Nations retirees. Co-founder of Two Worlds | Bulla Ngurra, the cultural advisory and program-design business she runs with Chrissy Ynfante. Ambassador of the Arise Foundation. Has represented Australia's First Nations Peoples at the United Nations Assembly on Climate Change.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Jayne Gallagher
Ambassador
- Honey & Fox · Founder & CEO
- IAFI · President (global seafood)
- Harvard Business School (exec ed)
Founder and CEO of Honey & Fox, advising governments, peak bodies, and exporters on agrifood market access and supply-chain integrity. President of the International Association of Fish Inspectors, the global peak body for seafood inspection. One of very few Australians leading a global agrifood-industry body.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Charlotte Connell
Ambassador
- Greenhouse · Director Innovation & Investment
- Global Top 20 Women in Climate Tech
- LinkedIn Top Green Voice
Director of Innovation and Investment at Greenhouse, Australia's climate-tech accelerator. Recognised as one of the Global Top 20 Women in Climate Tech and a LinkedIn Top Green Voice. Director of Surfers for Climate, the ocean-focused climate advocacy organisation. Founder of The Sustainability Collective.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Emma Coath
Ambassador
- Royal Society of Victoria · CEO
- PhD, Monash University
- Rocket Seeder · Former MD
CEO of the Royal Society of Victoria, leading one of Australia's oldest scientific learned societies into its second 170 years. PhD from Monash with a Master of Business from RMIT. Former Managing Director of Rocket Seeder, the agrifood-tech accelerator. Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Lizzi Dayney-Morrissey
Ambassador
- MissusM Creative · Managing Director
- Wild Earth Oceania Film Festival · Co-founder
Managing Director of MissusM Creative, the talent management and creative agency representing storytellers, athletes, and changemakers across surf, environment, and purpose-led media. Co-founder of the Wild Earth Oceania Film Festival, one of Oceania's notable environmental storytelling events.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Rona Glynn-McDonald
Ambassador
- Common Ground · Founding Director
- Forbes 30 Under 30
- Diana Award
Kaytetye woman from Central Australia. Founding Director of Common Ground, the First Nations-led not-for-profit that has redefined how First Nations stories, knowledges, and histories reach mainstream Australia. Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, Diana Award recipient, and Westpac Social Change Fellow. Director of First Nations Futures.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Dale Beaumont
Ambassador
- Business Blueprint · Founder
- Bizversity · #1 Business Growth app
- 19 best-selling books
Founder of Business Blueprint and Bizversity, the Netflix-for-business learning platform that has trained over 50,000 small-business owners. Author of nineteen best-selling business and personal-development books, the first published at age nineteen. Has personally raised more than $2.75M for Hands Across the Water, supporting orphaned and at-risk children in Thailand.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Steve Pirie-Nally
Ambassador
- iFLYflat Flights Club · Co-founder
Co-founder of iFLYflat Flights Club, the points and miles strategy membership turning frequent-flyer programs into premium travel for high-performers. Strategic experience architect across the points, premium-travel, and high-performer category in Australia and New Zealand.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Melinda Cohan
Ambassador
- The Coaches Console · Co-founder
- Coaches in 60+ countries
- Three-time author
Built and runs The Coaches Console, the practice-management platform used by thousands of coaches in more than sixty countries. One of the longest-standing female SaaS founders in the global coaching industry. Three-time author including Sustainable Success, her latest work on high performance grounded in wellbeing rather than burnout.
Connect on LinkedIn →More ambassadors to be added.
Contact us to be considered for the MAD Ambassador network.
Get in touchWhere the village sits
A network spread across cities and countries.
Each pin marks the home base of an ambassador. The network spans Australia, the United States, Asia, and the Pacific.
Ambassador footprint
Why ambassadors matter
The right introduction can change a trajectory.
The right introduction can change the trajectory of a company.
The right question can save a founder years.
The right mentor can help a team cross a threshold.
The right investor can unlock a new stage of growth.
The right ambassador can help MAD see what it could not see alone.
Contribution areas
Where ambassadors get involved.
01
Founder introductions
02
Investor introductions
03
Portfolio company support
04
Strategic advice
05
Regional expansion
06
Sector expertise
07
VC Mastermind contribution
08
Event participation
09
Media and thought leadership
10
Governance and advisory roles
Who makes a good ambassador