Key People

Bamford Partners is made up of some great individuals who combine together to offer the best possible service to our clients through a mix of experience and capability. Below is a snapshot of the backgrounds of the management team as well as profiles of some of our consultants.

	Martin Priestley - Managing Director BSc (Hons), ACIB, MAICD With more than 20 years experience in domestic and international financial services throughout Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, Martin Priestley is well qualified to lead the Bamford Partners team as its Managing Director. In his previous role as CEO of Ashe Morgan Winthrop, Martin worked across a range of disciplines, including origination/distribution; senior debt; and mezzanine, equity and funds management. Martin also offers domestic and international banking experience in business finance, property finance, and project finance from mining, oil and gas, and infrastructure environments from his previous experience with Natwest Bank and as head of BankWest’s east coast operations. Martin has built valuable corporate, commercial, retail finance and funds management businesses, as well as served as board member for several companies, held lending delegations, and responsibilities for credit, audit, compliance and remuneration committees. With skills in transaction structuring and strategy execution, Martin is a passionate believer in creating great business culture. Martin is the Chairman of a private software company and a non-executive director of other private companies involved in software and property development.
	Tony Kelly - Consultant B. Juris, LLB (UNSW), Master of Business Administration (Columbia Graduate School of Business) With over 30 years of investment banking, corporate strategy, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance experience in Australia and international markets, Tony offers the group exceptional knowledge and experience. Tony has extensive global contacts and provides valuable business development and capital markets transaction experience. He has helped raise more than $300 billion in debt and equity capital in Australia, the US, Asia, and the European markets. He has advised on multi-billion dollar sales and acquisitions of companies and has acted as a financial and/or strategic advisor to many of the world’s largest companies. Prior to Bamford Partners, Tony spent over 20 years abroad working in senior positions for an impressive list of companies, including roles as Managing Director of MAST Global, Credit Suisse First Boston and BZW (where he was head of Global M&A). He was also a Partner of the Monitor Group, a major global strategy consulting firm for four years. Tony began his investment banking career at Morgan Stanley in New York. Before going to business school, Tony worked at Potter Partners (now UBS) as a securities analyst. Tony is a non-executive director of several private companies, involved in software, metals exploration, oil and gas, and is a non-executive member of the investment committee of one of Australia’s largest infrastructure funds.

Martin Priestley - Managing Director

BSc (Hons), ACIB, MAICD

With more than 20 years experience in domestic and international financial services throughout Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, Martin Priestley is well qualified to lead the Bamford Partners team as its Managing Director.

In his previous role as CEO of Ashe Morgan Winthrop, Martin worked across a range of disciplines, including origination/distribution; senior debt; and mezzanine, equity and funds management. Martin also offers domestic and international banking experience in business finance, property finance, and project finance from mining, oil and gas, and infrastructure environments from his previous experience with Natwest Bank and as head of BankWest’s east coast operations.

Martin has built valuable corporate, commercial, retail finance and funds management businesses, as well as served as board member for several companies, held lending delegations, and responsibilities for credit, audit, compliance and remuneration committees.

With skills in transaction structuring and strategy execution, Martin is a passionate believer in creating great business culture. Martin is the Chairman of a private software company and a non-executive director of other private companies involved in software and property development.

Tony Kelly - Consultant

B. Juris, LLB (UNSW),

Master of Business Administration (Columbia Graduate School of Business)

With over 30 years of investment banking, corporate strategy, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance experience in Australia and international markets, Tony offers the group exceptional knowledge and experience.

Tony has extensive global contacts and provides valuable business development and capital markets transaction experience. He has helped raise more than $300 billion in debt and equity capital in Australia, the US, Asia, and the European markets. He has advised on multi-billion dollar sales and acquisitions of companies and has acted as a financial and/or strategic advisor to many of the world’s largest companies.

Prior to Bamford Partners, Tony spent over 20 years abroad working in senior positions for an impressive list of companies, including roles as Managing Director of MAST Global, Credit Suisse First Boston and BZW (where he was head of Global M&A). He was also a Partner of the Monitor Group, a major global strategy consulting firm for four years. Tony began his investment banking career at Morgan Stanley in New York. Before going to business school, Tony worked at Potter Partners (now UBS) as a securities analyst.

Tony is a non-executive director of several private companies, involved in software, metals exploration, oil and gas, and is a non-executive member of the investment committee of one of Australia’s largest infrastructure funds.

	John Thomas - Partner Diploma of Banking and Finance, FIFS, FAICD, JP John has been involved in banking and finance activities for 35 years. For the last 24 years John has been a professional fund manger specialising in Cash, Mortgage and Property Trusts mainly at CEO and board levels. John grew and managed the largest commercial mortgage trust in Australia ($2.8 billion) and won 7 national awards in the process. In 1996 John was instrumental in setting up the Property Trust Division of the then Howard Group and since that time he has been involved with purchasing and managing over 50 properties including retail and commercial properties. John is a former Chairman of the Investment and Financial Services Association (now Financial Services Council) mortgage trust working group representing Members funds under management of over $30 billion. A former adviser to ASIC and APRA on specific fund management issues, John is currently a “Responsible Manager” under two AFS licenses and is also an Independent Compliance Committee member for a fund manager.

John Thomas - Partner

Diploma of Banking and Finance, FIFS, FAICD, JP

John has been involved in banking and finance activities for 35 years. For the last 24 years John has been a professional fund manger specialising in Cash, Mortgage and Property Trusts mainly at CEO and board levels. John grew and managed the largest commercial mortgage trust in Australia ($2.8 billion) and won 7 national awards in the process.

In 1996 John was instrumental in setting up the Property Trust Division of the then Howard Group and since that time he has been involved with purchasing and managing over 50 properties including retail and commercial properties.

John is a former Chairman of the Investment and Financial Services Association (now Financial Services Council) mortgage trust working group representing Members funds under management of over $30 billion.

A former adviser to ASIC and APRA on specific fund management issues, John is currently a “Responsible Manager” under two AFS licenses and is also an Independent Compliance Committee member for a fund manager.