The Entrepreneurs’ Programme helps transform Australian businesses. The program’s unique services give eligible businesses access to expert advice that money can’t buy, and financial support through grants and incentives.
When you join the program, you will receive practical advice and mentorship from a dedicated team of facilitators, who will work together with you to help achieve your business’s vision. Program facilitators can help guide you to be more competitive and productive, attract investors and commercialise your products, and work with the research sector to develop innovative solutions.
If you are ready to transform your business, the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and Ai Group can help you take the next step. Ai Group’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme Facilitators are here to get to know your business on a personal level and provide you with targeted support to transform your business.
Services
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme provides a suite of unique services to help Australian businesses strengthen, grow, innovate and commercialise. They are specially designed to help you achieve your business vision, facilitated through expert advice and financial assistance.
Ai Group provides the following Entrepreneurs’ Programme services throughout Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia:
Growth Roadmap helps you improve your business practices, become more competitive, and take advantage of growth opportunities.
A dedicated growth facilitator will provide access to extensive networks, information, resources, strategies, and specialists unique to your business’s needs.
They will work with you to develop your unique growth roadmap and help you achieve your business vision.
You can also access a matched Growth Grant of up to $20,000 to action recommendations from your roadmap.
High Growth Accelerator helps businesses who have a transformative growth opportunity. It will help you innovate, transform, and grow your business.
You will work with a growth facilitator to develop skills, knowledge, strategies and connections to capitalise on your growth opportunity.
They will work with you to develop a growth plan and help you build the capacity to accelerate growth.
You can also access a matched Growth Grant of up to $20,000 to action recommendations from your growth plan.
SMART Projects and Supply Chains provides access to strategic or high-value projects that are designed to increase the capability of Australian businesses.
Through a tailored mix of facilitated services, peer group learning events and business performance assessments, participating businesses will have the opportunity to gain deeper insight into ways they can better make the most of emerging markets, supply chains, business performance and leadership development opportunities.
Depending on the nature and design of the project, eligible businesses may also gain access to a matched Growth Grant of up to $20,000 to assist with implementation of recommendations from their participation in the project.
Strengthening Business supports businesses in fire-affected communities to rebuild, transform and adapt following the bushfire crisis and resulting changes in their local marketplace.
A facilitator will work with businesses to provide mentorship and develop a roadmap, identifying the immediate, medium and long-term challenges and opportunities.
Facilitators will also provide advice on relevant funding assistance to help businesses recover.
andrew.canion@aigroup.com.au | 0419 282 269
Andrew engages with Australian firms to help them boost their productivity and performance.
bill.sashegyi@aigroup.com.au | 0428 677 152
Bill Sashegyi is working with the Ai Group as part of AusIndustry's Entrepreneurs' Programme, focusing on the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) and oil, gas and energy resources (OGER) sectors and capitalizing on his broad experience in industry in Australia.
bruno.bello@aigroup.com.au | 0409 123 701
Bruno has held technical, business development or senior leadership roles in industries such as FMCG, Electronics and Automotive in organisations that have ranged in turn over from $1m to $50M.
chris.westwood@aigroup.com.au | 0427 660 180
Dealing was SME’s realised Chris's passion for business and led to delivering the Regional Manufacturing Cluster Program for AiGroup and now the Strengthening Business program.
christine.cussen@aigroup.com.au | 0432 683 710
An entrepreneurial business builder and highly experienced Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer who has worked in both the multinational and start-up environments.
clive.milham@aigroup.com.au | 0434 878 747
Clive is an accomplished innovation manager, with more than 25 years of engineering, research and development and business management experience.
craig.malcolm@aigroup.com.au | 0428 620 569
Craig has been working with businesses for the last 24 years; buying and selling product around the world.
damon.wells@aigroup.com.au | 0428 458 132
Damon has over 30 years' experience in commerce across a diverse range of industries, including agriculture, supermarkets, rail transport, construction, forestry and manufacturing.
gabor.hernadi@aigroup.com.au | 0417 985 075
Gabor’s mission is to bring the same level of leadership, management know-how and operational capabilities to high growth-potential SMEs as enjoyed by large corporates.
Geoff.Hodgens@aigroup.com.au | 0428 350 887
Geoff has over 30 years’ experience in financial and senior management roles with broad industry experience including precision engineering, automotive components, mining, health and contract manufacturing of therapeutics, cosmetics and industrial products.
Grant.Peden@aigroup.com.au | 0403 947 059
Grant was the Global Supply Chain Program Manager at global technology company Thales, where he worked with Australian companies to help them enter global supply chains.
Greg.Matheson@aigroup.com.au | 0409 910 285
Greg has over 20 years of experience across a range of industries including multinational food and beverage manufacturing and retail.
James is a formally qualified Project Manager (traditional and Agile methodologies) and a Chartered Construction professional. He is trained in Lean methodologies and has run continuous improvement programs.
John.Lochery@aigroup.com.au | 0427 630 274
John revels in working with businesses in the food, beverage and agribusiness sectors who seek to improve their strategic and operational performance and grow their operations.
Julie.Kirby@aigroup.com.au | 0407 765 286
Julie comes to the Entrepreneurs’ Programme with strong financial acumen and extensive professional experience in working with enterprises to improve commercial outcomes and industry competitiveness.
Kerry.Bell@aigroup.com.au | 0437 174 721
Kerry enjoys assisting local firms achieve tactical outcomes that foster collaboration and connectivity, strengthening the firm’s position in the value chain.
Mark.Amirtharajah@aigroup.com.au | 0418 250 832
Mark actively pursues opportunities for collaboration and innovation, has an agile approach to problem solving, and seeks contemporary processes to ensure improved outcomes for clients.
Michael.Duncan@aigroup.com.au | 0428 587 886
Michael has extensive leadership and staff management experience along with a passion for helping individuals and businesses to overcome challenges and find new, strategic ways forward.
Mike.Sewell@aigroup.com.au | 0409 512 578
Mike has strong management experience at both operations and general management level, proven experience in strategy development and execution at general manager and managing director level coupled with strategic mentoring skills as a director in the SME sector.
Mike.Thomson@aigroup.com.au | 0428 454 856
Diverse management experience within Australia and overseas with demonstrated success in leading change programs and teams in a variety of management settings. People and process oriented with a strategic sense and analytical approach. Collaborative and coaching management style with high level interpersonal, organisational, reporting, and presentation skills. Skilled in multi-agency and complex stakeholder environments.
Natalie.Tanner@aigroup.com.au | 0428 397 300
Nat helps organisations to identify solutions to meet their needs using contemporary, agile and lean ways of working, guiding organisations strategy and aligning to execution using technology as an enabler.
Nicola.Watts@aigroup.com.au | 0409 823 195
Nicola has extensive experience in the Agrifood, ICT, Education and NRM sectors in Australia and across the globe.
Nicola.Harrop@aigroup.com.au | 0410 541 167
Nicola is an energetic, result-driven Growth and Change Facilitator, Business Analyst and end-to-end Project Manager.
Paul.Bruin@aigroup.com.au | 0417 118 195
Paul has led a broad range of strategic and operational functions focused on sales, manufacturing, distribution and application of technical products into the commercial, industrial and residential building services sectors.
Peter has extensive experience in GM Sales and Marketing roles in Australian & global public companies in the areas of manufacturing, business to business sales and wholesale product distribution.
Polly.Venning@aigroup.com.au | 0408 627 604
With over 30 years’ experience in all aspects of business development, Polly has personally owned three business’s and been employed in diverse industries such as Banking, Telecommunications, ICT and Corporate Governance with an excellent orientation towards business development, client and stakeholder engagement, economic development and project management.
Raj.Gopal@aigroup.com.au | 0412 177 526
Raj’s key areas of strength are change management, including development of strategic manufacturing footprints and rationalization, restructuring and turnaround of underperforming operations.
Sairah.Hussain@aigroup.com.au | 0428 458 132
Dr Sairah Hussain is a business and management academic coming from a biomedical science background with a depth of expertise in innovation management and entrepreneurship, strategic organisational management, and internationalisation.
Tracey.McClurg@aigroup.com.au | 0439 547 136
Tracey has a strong local and international background covering business development across private banking, blue-chip recruitment companies, and as well as within academia running an MBA Careers Program. Prior to joining AI Group Tracey worked with SME’s helping to build R&D capability across multiple sectors and bridging the gap for PhD students and industry on short-term, high-impact, research projects.
Vance.Wheeler@aigroup.com.au | 0428 039 024
Vance has worked across manufacturing, transport, logistics and tourism for almost 40 years, combining a professional engineering background with trade qualifications, operation’s management and commercial skills.
Vlado.Baban@aigroup.com.au | 0428 576 930
Vlado Baban has supported start-ups, small enterprise, and mature organisations to establish a clear 3 year plan, and to engage functional leaders to execute tactical action plan.
Explore current program case studies:
Contact Ai Group to be connected to an Ai Group Entrepreneurs’ Programme Facilitator.
To find out what other services are available through the Entrepreneurs’ Programme, including in states not serviced by the Ai Group Entrepreneurs’ Programme facilitators, visit business.gov.au/EP or call 13 28 46.
The Workplace Advice Line is Ai Group’s national telephone advisory service for all your on the spot workplace related questions.
Call the Workplace Advice Line
1300 55 66 77 and press option 1
(Overseas: +61 3 9867 0100). Email: workplaceadvice@aigroup.com.au
Weekdays from 8.30am to 5.30pm
(Australian Eastern Daylight/Standard Time)
Want to get in touch? We'd love to hear from you.
With almost 300 staff and networks of relationships that extend beyond borders (domestic and international) we have the resources and expertise to meet the changing needs of our membership. We provide the practical information, advice and assistance you need to run your business.
