Ed Sparke Email & Phone Number

Precision Pastures is a respected Australian provider of soil, pasture and carbon services, known for its expertise and innovative approach. The company uses satellite imagery and specialised GPS soil testing equipment to assist farmers in achieving their production objectives. Key offerings include carbon reporting, soil sampling, pasture enhancement and farm mapping. As a founding member of the Soil Carbon Industry Group, Precision Pastures is at the forefront of sustainable agriculture… Show more Precision Pastures is a respected Australian provider of soil, pasture and carbon services, known for its expertise and innovative approach. The company uses satellite imagery and specialised GPS soil testing equipment to assist farmers in achieving their production objectives. Key offerings include carbon reporting, soil sampling, pasture enhancement and farm mapping. As a founding member of the Soil Carbon Industry Group, Precision Pastures is at the forefront of sustainable agriculture. Headquartered in Armidale, it has a dedicated team across six locations throughout New South Wales and Victoria.My role with the company is informal and involves providing capital raising, corporate strategy and advisory services on an ad hoc basis. Show less

Bright Food Asia Pacific is a $900m+ Australian-based food manufacturer, distributor and retailer. The business employs over 1,200 people with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.The business operates across three divisions: Retail, Food Service and Citrus• Retail: Manufacturing, importing, distribution and retailing of food products via sales channels such as supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, department stores and… Show more Bright Food Asia Pacific is a $900m+ Australian-based food manufacturer, distributor and retailer. The business employs over 1,200 people with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.The business operates across three divisions: Retail, Food Service and Citrus• Retail: Manufacturing, importing, distribution and retailing of food products via sales channels such as supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, department stores and e-commerce. Businesses include Manassen, Sunbeam, Hutchinsons (New Zealand), Metro Alliance (Hong Kong), Rainbow Asset (Hong Kong) and Qinzhou (China)• Food Service: Distribution of premium fine foods and specialty cheese products via sales channels such as cafés, restaurants, hotels, clubs, delicatessens, convenience stores, chefs, caterers, etc. Businesses include Bob & Pete’s, Calendar Cheese, Simon Johnson and Olivier Pacific (Hong Kong and Macau)• Citrus: Packing, exporting and industrial juicing of citrus and other fruits. The export channel distributes to over 40 countries across Asia, Europe and North America, whilst local sales are focused on beverage companies and the grocery channel. Businesses include Mildura Fruit Company and Mildura Fruit Juices Australia My role reported directly to the CFO and involved working closely with the CEO/CFO on companywide projects and initiatives. These included M&A, strategy, financial reporting, key contractual agreements, enterprise risk management, capex allocation, business integration/separation, ESG and board meetings. Show less

Patricks is a luxury men’s personal care brand that manufactures and retails hairstyling, shampoo/conditioner and skincare products. Its award winning range combines intelligent design and bespoke colognes with the patented Patricks Recovery Compound (PRC) which is scientifically proven to reduce the effects of hair loss. Patricks products are stocked by some of the world’s most recognised luxury retail stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, David Jones, Harrods, Harvey Nichols… Show more Patricks is a luxury men’s personal care brand that manufactures and retails hairstyling, shampoo/conditioner and skincare products. Its award winning range combines intelligent design and bespoke colognes with the patented Patricks Recovery Compound (PRC) which is scientifically proven to reduce the effects of hair loss. Patricks products are stocked by some of the world’s most recognised luxury retail stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, David Jones, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford, Mr Porter, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, Selfridges and The Iconic.My role with the company was informal and involved providing capital raising, corporate strategy and advisory services on an ad hoc basis. Show less

News Corp Australia is one of Australia's largest media companies, employing more than 8,000 staff and forming the local operations of the Nasdaq-listed News Corp (publisher of The Wall Street Journal). News Corp Australia’s publishing operations include national newspaper The Australian, several metropolitan newspapers (e.g. Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and Courier Mail), 160+ regional and community titles, as well as a number of other Australian websites and publications including… Show more News Corp Australia is one of Australia's largest media companies, employing more than 8,000 staff and forming the local operations of the Nasdaq-listed News Corp (publisher of The Wall Street Journal). News Corp Australia’s publishing operations include national newspaper The Australian, several metropolitan newspapers (e.g. Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and Courier Mail), 160+ regional and community titles, as well as a number of other Australian websites and publications including news.com.au, Vogue, GQ, Delicious and Kidspot. The company also has a majority shareholding in subscription TV provider Foxtel, property platform REA Group as well as investments in AAP, hipages, HT&E, Medium Rare; Punters, Racenet, RevTech and SocietyOne.My role at News Corp is as a member of the corporate M&A and Strategy team providing strategic insight, financial intelligence and key decision support to C-suite executives and senior management across the business. It encompasses a broad range of activities including acquisitions, divestments, capital raisings and business case development. Key responsibilities include:• Preparation of management reports encompassing strategic rationale, financial evaluation and execution process for key strategic/investment decisions• Management of due diligence and transaction document preparation (e.g. information memorandums, management presentations, term sheets, share sale agreements, etc.)• Regular coordination and cooperation with finance, legal and operations colleagues• Maintaining an innovative mindset (finalist in News Corp innovation program which received 700+ submissions) Show less

EARTH AI is an AI-powered mineral exploration platform that analyses big data using a machine learning algorithm. It passes information from geological maps, satellite imagery and geophysical/geochemical datasets through a neural net and auto-generates suggested locations for likely mineral deposits. By predicting areas of higher prospectivity, EARTH AI is able to dramatically increase the efficiency of mineral exploration via lower costs and faster discoveries. Following the construction of… Show more EARTH AI is an AI-powered mineral exploration platform that analyses big data using a machine learning algorithm. It passes information from geological maps, satellite imagery and geophysical/geochemical datasets through a neural net and auto-generates suggested locations for likely mineral deposits. By predicting areas of higher prospectivity, EARTH AI is able to dramatically increase the efficiency of mineral exploration via lower costs and faster discoveries. Following the construction of its own automated drill rig the company is currently drilling copper, zinc and vanadium targets on its tenements in the Northern Territory, Australia.My role with the company was informal and involved providing capital raising, corporate strategy and advisory services on an ad hoc basis. Show less

Savvy Post is a start-up that collects data relating to unwanted letters and catalogues, where either a person is receiving mail for a previous occupant, or a person wishes to unsubscribe from a mailing list. This data is then used to optimise the databases of organisations that carry out direct mail marketing, thereby reducing marketing costs, helping the environment and limiting brand damage.To date, Savvy Post has collected data for over 200 companies, many of which are household… Show more Savvy Post is a start-up that collects data relating to unwanted letters and catalogues, where either a person is receiving mail for a previous occupant, or a person wishes to unsubscribe from a mailing list. This data is then used to optimise the databases of organisations that carry out direct mail marketing, thereby reducing marketing costs, helping the environment and limiting brand damage.To date, Savvy Post has collected data for over 200 companies, many of which are household names in Australia. However, due to marketing expenditure constraints, the company is currently pursuing a partnership or trade sale with other database service providers. As director and sole founder of Savvy Post, I was responsible for the full spectrum of business activities. These included the following:• Clearly identifying the problem of unwanted mail and formulating a business strategy of how to monetise the solution• Product development informed by feedback from potential users, and a review of local competitors and similar ventures in overseas markets• Website establishment including design and content, project management of the website developer, hosting, encryption, analytics and A/B testing• Marketing tasks including developing and executing the go-to-market strategy, project managing offshore (Canada-based) graphic designers, cultivating customer relationships, etc.• Coordinating and reviewing the company’s legal requirements regarding website terms and privacy laws• Other general business administration activities such as company registration, financial reporting, trademarks, etc. Show less

Evolution Mining is the second largest ASX listed gold mining company with seven gold operations located around Australia and a market capitalisation of approximately US$5.0 billion.As the second person in the company’s two person M&A team, my role was heavily focused on the identification and analysis of acquisition opportunities. Consequently I have obtained skills and experience that can be applied to a wide range of sectors, as well as a deep understanding of the strategic thinking… Show more Evolution Mining is the second largest ASX listed gold mining company with seven gold operations located around Australia and a market capitalisation of approximately US$5.0 billion.As the second person in the company’s two person M&A team, my role was heavily focused on the identification and analysis of acquisition opportunities. Consequently I have obtained skills and experience that can be applied to a wide range of sectors, as well as a deep understanding of the strategic thinking required for sustainable and accretive company growth.My key responsibilities in the role included the following:• Fostering an ongoing discussion regarding the company’s inorganic growth strategy• Maintaining M&A watch lists and a working knowledge of industry trends and dynamics• Identifying investment opportunities via a ‘top-down’ analysis of the international mining sector and using specific criteria to select potential acquisition targets for further analysis• Coordinating and driving multi-disciplined teams consisting of employees, advisors and external consultants to ensure comprehensive due diligence on M&A opportunities• Performing detailed financial and strategic analysis of potential targets against a range of quantitative and qualitative measures• Preparing board papers and presentations• Developing strong and effective working relationships with the senior leadership team and employees from other functional areas within the company• Supporting the investor relations team on an ad hoc basis with preparing presentations and ASX announcements, as well as representing the company at investor conferences Show less

Investec Bank provides financial solutions for corporate, institutional, and high net worth clients across a range of niches. Within Australia it focuses on corporate advisory, resources, infrastructure finance & investment, corporate & acquisition finance, financial markets, property, asset management and aviation.As a member of the corporate advisory team, I worked on transactions and pitch documents across a wide variety of sectors (although predominantly resources/industrial). In… Show more Investec Bank provides financial solutions for corporate, institutional, and high net worth clients across a range of niches. Within Australia it focuses on corporate advisory, resources, infrastructure finance & investment, corporate & acquisition finance, financial markets, property, asset management and aviation.As a member of the corporate advisory team, I worked on transactions and pitch documents across a wide variety of sectors (although predominantly resources/industrial). In my early days at Investec, I was also a member of the resources finance team which provided me with experience in debt, hedging and the submission of credit proposals.My role in the corporate advisory team also included the following key responsibilities:• Sector research and profiling of suitable acquisition targets, including assessment of commercial and strategic rationale• Performing detailed financial analyses of companies/assets including valuation and EPS accretion/dilution• Production of documents such as pitch books, investment opportunity summaries, information memorandums and board presentations Show less

KBR (via its subsidiary Roberts & Schaefer) was a key provider of engineering design and construction work for several Queensland coal projects operated by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, Xstrata and Wesfarmers.As a member of the process engineering team, I was centrally involved in the design, construction, commissioning and optimisation of several coal preparation plants. The role also encompassed extended periods of site-based work which provided me with significant project management… Show more KBR (via its subsidiary Roberts & Schaefer) was a key provider of engineering design and construction work for several Queensland coal projects operated by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, Xstrata and Wesfarmers.As a member of the process engineering team, I was centrally involved in the design, construction, commissioning and optimisation of several coal preparation plants. The role also encompassed extended periods of site-based work which provided me with significant project management experience as well as practical knowledge of mining and construction. Show less

Master Of Applied Finance

- Distinction average - Prize for Resources Industry Investment Analysis

Bachelor Of Engineering (Beng), Chemical Engineering

- Chancellor’s Industry Scholarship in Engineering - Resident of St Paul’s College