Barry Sweeney (Managing Partner & Founder, Australia)

Barry has in excess of 30 years of corporate experience with ASX listed companies including Lend Lease Corporation and Nine, National Manager for Coles Supermarkets and as CEO of a number of manufacturing and distribution SMEs. Barry’s business experience includes 20 years involving Coles Supermarkets throughout Australia, and Foodworks and IGA supermarkets throughout metro and regional NSW and Victoria identifying operational and in-store improvements. He successfully managed Elvins Snack Products a food manufacturer and supplying product into the snack food category of major supermarkets and regional stores including Coles and Woolworths nationally.

He has worked client side undertaking research and market assessments, and developing geodemographic frameworks to develop valuable financial models and informative feasibility studies that adopt spatial data analytics principles. These techniques allow operational and infrastructure development plans to be founded upon sound business strategies, with realistic implementation plans. He has performed research and market assessments into a range of sectors including FMCG, online retail, manufacturing, logistics, health, and high-technology food production.

Over the recent 15 years, as corporate advisor, he has performed successful business reconstruction services, and provided bespoke advice and capital raise for a large number of privately owned SMEs and entrepreneurs operating in payments software, biomedical, food retail, transport, and logistics, viticulture / agri-business, manufacturing, FMCG, food production, and SaaS digital technology sectors. Firms include  SaaS OZEDI, UCART, Urban Farms, One Track, McColl’s Transport, Spectainer / CEC Systems, viticulture and citrus producers, Bord Products, St. Vincent’s Hospital, BioArt Dental, ISM LockIn, Bastion Latitude, WPD Agri, 776BC, Metric HJB, HB Smith Limited, UMS, TEC Limited. He has originated and led transactions, including acquisitions, management buyouts, divestments, growth strategies and capital raisings. He has successfully completed business transformation, reconstruction and integration services for businesses with EV to AUD200Mil, devising structured finance solutions and operations improvement strategies, and capital budgeting.

Barry’s operational background and transaction services experience is complimented by his infrastructure client-side business case development, project management and program development experience for private sector and government clients valued up to AUD3.1Bil. His project experience includes Melbourne’s prestigious arts / cultural institutions and landmark buildings; NGV, MRC, Federation Square and State Library, Hamilton Gallery, and regional Shire growth strategies and ICT strategy development, important CBD property transactions, and community, commercial and residential projects, and process engineering industrial projects. As GM Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Barry has led teams in the education sector involving significant education reform and associated capital works improvements for 1500 Victorian schools. He also led the review of New Zealand’s NZD1.1Bil.education reform program that was configured as part of the Christchurch earthquake recovery program. He successfully delivered innovative case mix funding and shared services operating models for the hospitals and health sector including St. Vincent’s Hospital, Queensland Children’s Hospital, South Australian Health and Hospitals Commission.

He has also held several infrastructure-related senior government appointments, and has successfully delivered significant projects. His appointments include the Australian Government’s Business Capacity / Development Management Services panel and national Infrastructure Scoping panel. He is an accredited member of Risk and Assurance Program and Infrastructure Review panels for the Australian, Victorian, New South Wales, Western Australian and New Zealand Governments. Sectors include education, the arts, central agency and border security, energy, culture, Justice, infrastructure and technology.

He holds a Masters of Business Administration (Finance) with distinctions in corporate finance and marketing, from the Australian Institute of Business, and a Bachelor of Environments, Property and Construction from the University of Melbourne.

Barry is a Director of Parkglen Retirement Community and is a member of the Finance and Audit Sub-committee.

Barry is motivated to guide clients as market forces bring about change, to deliver improved operational performance and to achieve optimal return on investment in businesses and infrastructure.

Email: b.sweeney@sbgadvisory.com.au
Mobile: +61 (0) 419 041807