MEET OUR CONSULTANTS
We Make a Collaborative Difference
Meet Our Experienced and Professional Team
Vic Dorsen
DIRECTOR - CERTIFIED VALUE BUILDER ADVISOR
Vic has had the opportunity to work with many organisations in order to help them build, transform and increase growth and profitability. He passionately believes that to get the best from all within a company, one must be able to articulate the goals and explain what each person’s responsibilities are and what they need to do to achieve those goals. This means to support, coach, encourage, mentor and reward them.
The end result is a stronger company with improved profits now and a greater future value.
Vic had an international career in the US and Europe before returning to Australia in 1980. He also had a strong background in manufacturing and logistics before moving into sales.
His experience in Australia includes: GM at Hunter Douglas, Toshiba and Esselte (at that time Australia’s and the world’s largest stationery company) where he soon became VP Asia Pacific. In 2008, Vic began his consulting career with NEM Pty Ltd; the scope of the work dealt with growth and profitability as well as succession planning within as well as the sale of the business. In 2012, he became Chairman of Redback Conferencing – Australia’s fastest growing conferencing organisation.
This provided him with the basis while in London to establish ADEPT, a packaging and market consulting company with clients across Europe. ADEPT became the biggest agency of its type in Europe and the UK.
In February of 2016, Vic formed The Collaborative Group.
In his spare time, he enjoys writing poetry, collecting paintings and enjoying the many views of Sydney while cycling.
David Wyndham
DIRECTOR - CERTIFIED VALUE BUILDER ADVISOR
David believes that successful businesses follow the sporting adage that a champion team does not need to be full of a team of champions.During his long banking career David worked in senior executive director roles in businesses who aspired to become major players in local and or global markets. Those businesses needed to have the strategy, people and resources to achieve such goals. In each instance, David drove those areas to achieve market leading success and profitability while allowing his Team Members to achieve their potential. With twenty years of Banking experience, David was head hunted to move into merchant banking. He worked for Canadian (CIBC), Dutch ( ABN Amro) and French ( Société Générale) merchant banks in Australia, London and New Zealand in both local and international markets.
Deciding on a career change, David moved into the world of private banking. He worked with UBS, Deutsche Bank, St George and ANZ dealing with the major private clients of those organisations and building businesses in each case.
During this period, David became the inaugural Chair of Carriageworks, the contemporary arts centre at Everleigh and led the organisation in its development. He also negotiated Carriageworks initial recurrent funding package with the then New South Wales Government and led the international search for the organisation’s replacement Managing Director.
David is a past Director of the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce in New South Wales and oversaw the Chamber’s Events Committee. During his nine years as a director, David also acted as a mentor to the Chamber’s Young Business Forum members, working and advising entrepreneurs, lawyers, bankers and corporate executives. With qualifications and studies in commerce, accounting and management courses at the University of Melbourne, plus his proven track record, David is well placed and experienced to assist clients in strategy, productivity and profit improvement.
Angela Vithoulkas
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STRATEGIST
Angela Vithoulkas is a business strategist, a proven expert in customer success and founder of SME TV. She is also the content editor of the SME Association of Australia.
For more than three decades Angela has forged a successful career in public, business, and corporate life. Vithoulkas’s business experience spans more than 3 decades, having bought, sold, and built dozens of businesses and employed hundreds of people.
Angela’s peers have acknowledged her leadership in the industry by awarding her various business awards, including City of Sydney Business of the Year, Café of the Year, and 2007 Telstra Women’s Business Owner of the Year. She has been recognized as one of Australia’s 50 Influential Women Entrepreneurs in 2015 and one of Australia’s Top Nine Influential Female Entrepreneurs in 2017.
As a leader in customer success, she has helped business owners achieve customer-driven growth by elevating their business practices. Angela believes that customer experience is a journey, not a destination. Customers’ expectations have evolved, and as business owners we need to be in tune with that. Business owners must be constantly designing the best experience for their customers today, but they also need to be listening for and anticipating what lies ahead. They must always strive to deliver a great customer experience, one that extends beyond a single touchpoint and instead provides value along the entire journey.
Amid the global pandemic, market volatility, and soaring unemployment of 2020, Angela was there for business owners. She launched her newest project—a YouTube channel dedicated to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The SME TV & Podcasts Channel features conversations with SME owners, interviews with innovators within the industry, and stories about the latest trends in entrepreneurship. In just six months, Angela had produced more than 150 episodes of SME TV, achieving incredible results, including over 25,000 views and engagements per week on LinkedIn.
Over the course of more than 30 years in business, Angela has seen the difficulties faced by small-business owners and realized they needed a champion to advocate for them. This prompted her to enter into public life and so began her political career.
For ten years Angela, as a twice elected City of Sydney Councillor, represented small business owners at a local and state political level. Today, in her capacity as a consultant, she provides advice on government relations for businesses who need advocacy connecting and dealing with government.
Angela is also very proud to be an advisory member for the Collaborative Group focusing on customer experience, customer success and customer innovation.
Scott Patterson
ALTERNATE STRATEGIES – CERTIFIED VALUE BUILDER ADVISOR
Scott has extensive business and professional experience, including over 20 years as a principal of a successful public accounting and financial planning firm which grew from humble beginnings into a significant regional firm. His passion is working to achieve enhanced performance that creates a more certain future for his clients and their stakeholders.
He has an outstanding track record across a diverse range of business and industry sectors of providing strategic advice and practical solutions that position an organisation for either more sustainable, profitable performance or transfer of ownership through succession or acquisition.
Recognised by Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) for his deep and practical expertise, he has been regularly commissioned to deliver their finance for directors, and risk and strategy courses.
Scott has published many articles and presented at professional and business conferences both in Australia and New Zealand.
Rick Gawdat
CERTIFIED VALUE BUILDER ADVISOR – GROWTH, STRATEGY & EXPANSION
With 30 years of successful executive leadership, Rick brings to the team experiences from some of the world’s leading multinationals.
In the 90s Rick led the rapid growth in consumer technology products as Head of Sales & Marketing for the Microsoft Consumer division. After a decade of achievement Rick was asked to ‘stretch his wings’ which he did outside of Australian market as VP of Sales, APAC for Nokia based in Singapore. It was here that he took his business growth and expansion skills to new heights, having responsibility for 10 Asia markets all at different stages of their commercial development. The multicultural, social, and economic differences from each of these markets were a platform for Rick to provide customised strategies and business models to support the growth and development of each individual market.
At the core of his strategies were the people in each country, their uniqueness, their skills, and each knowing their market intimately. Returning to Australia Rick joined Vodafone Australia as Sales Director. working with enterprises, from small to medium to large multinationals.
More recently, Rick has enjoyed working with various EdTech companies running their sales, marketing, and growth engines as they expanded product offerings and entered new markets. Rick believes people are at the core of any business’s success, they must be valued and led through example, as well as a leader’s deeds and actions. Strategy + People + Execution = Leadership.
Rick holds a Bachelor of Education from Sydney University and an MBA majoring in Marketing from the University of Technology Sydney. Rick enjoys keeping fit, coaching junior sports, and mentoring young people.
Len Bober
SPECIALIST BUSINESS VALUER
Len Bober is a highly experienced and well-respected business valuer, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in his field. With over 20 years of experience in the management consulting industry, he has successfully valued businesses of all sizes, from small start-ups to large companies worth up to $400 million.
As a qualified accountant, Len has a deep understanding of the financial and accounting principles that underpin business valuation. He is able to analyze financial statements, assess risk and evaluate the overall financial health of a company. This knowledge is essential for accurately valuing a business and ensuring that the final sale price is fair and equitable for all parties involved.
Len’s expertise is not limited to financial analysis, he also has a strong background in negotiations, business planning, operations management and team building. He is able to understand the business model, dynamics, and the owner’s perspective. He can analyze the business and identify areas of improvement and recommend strategies to increase the value of the business. This makes him a valuable asset to any company looking to sell or acquire a business.
Len’s ability to get to know the ins and outs of clients’ businesses is one of his key strengths. He takes the time to understand the unique characteristics of each business and is able to provide tailored advice and guidance that is specific to that company. This level of insight and expertise is invaluable for business owners who are looking to sell their business or acquire a new one.
Len Bober is a highly experienced and qualified business valuer who has a proven track record of valuing businesses of all sizes, from small start-ups to large companies worth up to $400 million. His expertise in financial analysis, negotiations, business planning, operations management and team building, along with his ability to understand the business from the owner’s perspective, makes him a valuable asset to any business looking to sell or acquire a company as he certainly is with The Collaborative Group.
Jeff Downs
CERTIFIED VALUE BUILDER ADVISOR
Jeff Downs is a seasoned business professional with over 30 years of experience in the corporate world. He has held senior sales positions at two large multinational telecommunications companies and has also been an entrepreneur, having launched and sold several successful businesses in Canada and Australia.
With a wealth of experience in corporate culture, sales team building, customer loyalty, and operational efficiencies, Jeff has a proven track record of enabling business growth and success. He helps business leaders unlock their full potential, maximizing the success of their businesses, and improving the bottom line.
Throughout his career, Jeff has demonstrated his ability to inspire and motivate teams, creating a highly engaged and enthusiastic workforce wherever he goes. His positive, supportive, and hands-on leadership style has had a positive impact on the hundreds of employees he has worked with over the years and has contributed to his reputation as a top-notch business consultant.
Jeff’s extensive experience and dedication to his clients have earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor in the corporate world. He brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and a unique perspective to the table, and his clients appreciate his approach to business, which is based on building relationships and putting the needs of the customer first.
When he’s not helping businesses reach their full potential, Jeff enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the beautiful Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, where he now calls home. With his wife, three children, and family dog, Jeff is living his dream life and has no regrets about leaving the snow of Canada for the sun-soaked shores of Australia.
Jeff Downs is a highly respected and talented business professional who has dedicated his career to helping others succeed. With a focus on corporate culture, sales team building, customer loyalty, and operational efficiencies, Jeff has a proven track record of enabling business growth and success, and has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor in the corporate world. If you’re looking for a business consultant who can help you get the most out of your business and your team, Jeff is the person to turn to.