Pitcher Partners deepens expertise with 10 new partners across the network

Pitcher Partners has kicked off the new financial year with the promotion of six new partners across the national network, strengthening the firm’s offering to clients in corporate finance, investment advisory, audit and family business.

Our newly appointed partners are:

• Madhavi Perera, Adelaide (Business Advisory and Assurance)
• Tracey Norris, Brisbane (Private Business and Family Advisory, Superannuation)
• Brendan Peacock, Melbourne (Investment Advisory)
• Linda Oliver, Newcastle (Private Business and Family Advisory)
• Vin Parasuraman, Sydney (Corporate Finance)
• Ankit Sharma, Sydney (Private Business and Family Advisory)

This brings the number of partners to join the national network in 2024 to ten. Earlier in the year Ventura Caso joined the Brisbane firm’s Corporate Finance practice, Maya Sutanto and Nathan Balban joined the Sydney firm and Marius van der Merwe joined Perth with all three in the Business Advisory and Assurance practices.

Pitcher Partners National Chairman John Brazzale congratulated the new partners and said their leadership and dedication will be instrumental in driving the network’s continued success.

“Our new partners come from across the country from various practice areas and diverse backgrounds but all bring a wealth of expertise and innovative thinking to our network,” he said.

“They all seek to not only deliver excellent service for clients but build strong relationships and deliver commercial advice that moves our clients closer to their goals. Their advancement signifies our ongoing commitment to nurturing talent.”

About the new partners

Madhavi Perera has been providing audit and assurance services for her clients for more than 25 years, across three continents starting with her native Sri Lanka, before moving to Botswana and finally Australia where she has resided since 2008.

Joining the Adelaide firm in 2010, diversity has been key to keeping her work interesting – her clients have come from a variety of sectors including automotive, manufacturing and retail, as well as wineries and not-for-profits.

“Auditing is not the practice area that everyone wants to join but I really enjoy it, it’s not just numbers but supporting risk and compliance, which requires outside-the-box thinking,” she said.

“For those who like working with numbers and have strong analytical skills, audit is an outlet for problem solving, analysing and informing strategy.”

“To make it personal requires a collaborative approach with clients to build long-term relationships, and what they value is pragmatism, industry insights and the application of technology in the audit process to drive efficiencies.”

A self-managed super fund (SMSF) specialist, Tracey Norris has come through the ranks at Pitcher Partners Brisbane, leading teams and supporting clients for more than 25 years.

After starting out in PBFA, Tracey began specialising in superannuation in 2005, completing postgraduate studies in super and financial planning.

“It is a privilege getting to know individuals on a deeper level, and it’s very personal,” she said.

“Clients may invite me for a meeting at their home and on arrival their children and in-laws are sitting around the table, and I am helping to shape family decisions.”

“Trust and relationships are the foundation of business, and understanding the drivers and fears of those involved leads to offering better personalised solutions.”

Another home-grown talent, Linda Oliver started as a trainee with one of the firms that now comprises Pitcher Partners Newcastle and Hunter.

She is a trusted advisor on accounting and tax issues for private family groups, SMEs, business subsidiaries of multinationals, and trusts, with a deep understanding of her local market.

“I pride myself in being a generalist, working with people across many industries, but with every client I’m seeking to provide peace of mind, to be a sounding board and provide direction.

“It’s so important to tailor advice for clients. Some are good at asking questions, others just want to be told, some are detail driven and others rely on you for financial acumen.”

“But in every case, it’s a relationship that is built on feedback, honesty and trust, so I spend time with clients getting to know them, partnering with them almost as an extension of their business.”

Culture was a big factor in Brendan Peacock’s decision to choose Pitcher Partners Melbourne’s graduate program and 15 years later, it’s a value that resonates as strongly as ever.

An investment adviser with experience across multiple disciplines including superannuation, investment advisory and wealth management, Brendan recognises the value of collaboration in reaching financial goals.

“Pitcher Partners’ culture and values aligned quickly with me and the longer I’ve been in the industry, the greater the importance I’ve placed on that, because it feeds into the work we do with clients,” he said.

“Investment advisory is very personal, and only through building trust and strong relationships can the best outcomes be achieved.  This connection allows us to guide our clients through significant life events, helping them to navigate the accompanying highs and lows.”

“There are new investment themes emerging, and being collaborative gives the best chance of getting the desired results. Whether it’s managing generational wealth transfer, growing investments, setting up a charitable organisation or contemplating Responsible Investment preferences and the implications for portfolios.”

Teamwork resonates strongly with Vin Parasuraman, who joined the Corporate Finance team at Pitcher Partners Sydney in 2022 from one of the Big Four firms to lead the transactions practice.

Vin’s expertise includes financial due diligence, Sale and Purchase Agreement assistance, transaction support, and preparing and investigating accountants’ reports for IPOs, working on both the buy and sell side of deals.

“I enjoy the due diligence process and helping develop bespoke solutions for clients,” he said.

“My philosophy that I share with my team is that clients won’t come back for cookie cutter solutions, we as advisors should be proactive in finding solutions and taking ownership – even if things aren’t explicitly assigned.”

“Transactions should be viewed through a client’s lens and I try to appreciate issues from their perspective, which develops a better understanding if an issue is a dealbreaker or it can be resolved along the journey.”

Ankit Sharma’s path to the Partnership started when he joined the Sydney firm straight out of high school in 2008. His journey has allowed him to work across a range of clients, industry sectors and service areas of the firm. He primarily focuses on compliance and advisory for executives and family offices and is carving out a niche looking after several family owned retirement villages and aged care facilities.

“Clients want responsiveness combined with understanding of their circumstances. I’ve worked with several clients since I joined the firm and they’re still here, that’s the value of relationship building. With long term relationships the focus moves from the everyday compliance to the bigger picture plans, goals and succession” he said.

“They need technical expertise but they want a trusted advisor who can simplify complex and difficult issues. Tax compliance knowledge is a given but it’s the human element, that’s what making business personal looks like.”

Ventura Caso brings a wealth of knowledge in corporate finance to Pitcher Partners Brisbane, joining the firm in 2024 after several years at a Big Four firm.

Originally from Italy, Ventura moved to Brisbane in 2011 and specialises in valuation and modelling, assisting clients with tax, accounting, transactional and financial strategy advice.

“I enjoy the challenge of helping founders and owners connect the dots and understand the drivers of companies, forming a strong team to achieve their desired outcomes” he said.

“Ultimately clients want problems solved, they need a pragmatic approach that is commercial, factual and data driven, which can be supported by stakeholders.”

“Working with chief financial officers and C-suites, we need to listen and deliver what they need to add value, but it’s also fulfilling because I’m always learning something.”

Appointed earlier in 2024, audit partners Maya Sutanto and Nathan Balban add more than five decades of audit and advisory experience to Pitcher Partners’ Sydney firm.

Maya has worked in the automotive sector for more than 20 years, including more than a decade at United States-based accounting and consulting firm Crowe LLP. She was particularly excited to leverage her international expertise to enhance Pitcher Partners’ automotive audit offering.

“One of the things I hope to bring to the table is my technology focus,” Maya said.

Nathan brings more than 25 years of experience in providing audit and assurance services to consumer businesses, retail and manufacturing clients at PwC and Deloitte. It was Pitcher Partners’ client service ethos and culture that attracted him to the new role.

“I’m passionate about working with middle-market and private family businesses and see Pitcher Partners as a leading brand in this market,” he said.

“Businesses are operating in increasingly complex environments, and I can help them navigate and find solutions to the different challenges and opportunities they are facing.”

Marius van der Merwe brings with him more than two decades of experience as a chartered accountant, joining Pitcher Partners Perth earlier in the year as Executive Director of Business Advisory and Assurance.

Marius has led audit teams in Australia and South Africa for more than 25 years, his area of expertise encompasses external audits and investigations.

“The audit game is really behind the eight ball when it comes to innovation, and I am extremely excited about the opportunities in big data, machine learning and AI.”

“The joy of being in audit and working with a client is that I know for a fact that the client has something to teach me, and I have something to teach him or her,”