Richie Williams
The business community creates the vibrancy that is the catalyst for each of these lifestyle pursuits to be maximised.
Richie’s has an extensive background in sport as a professional player and professional coach, education in High Schools for 14 yrs , TAFE for 2 yrs , and University over 11years.
Additionally, he has had quite a few businesses, and had two high profile appointments in corporate management- 5 years in Insurance /Finance and 2 Years in Real Estate.
Richie has his spent his past 22 years contributing greatly to the success of businesses through PRIDE Business Coaching. He is excited to be able to use this expertise in assisting Lake Mac Business to add value to the Region’s Business Community and in turn creating greater lifestyle options for both its current and future residents.
Michelle McGinty
Vice President
Business & Finance Manager – Hunter Power Systems Pty Ltd | GenRent
Michelle brings over 30 years business experience spanning across many sectors including manufacturing, recruitment, franchising, finance and transport as well as owning her own small business throughout that time.
Michelle has worked with both Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens Council’s Economic Development Departments in which the primary goal was attracting new business, encouraging investment and identifying job opportunities within the regions.
Following this, Michelle utilised her extensive and varied business knowledge as a small business advisor and NEIS mentor for the Hunter Business Centre working closely with hundreds of small businesses every year. During this time she successfully piloted the NAB microenterprise loan for small business.
For the past 10 years Michelle has been employed as the Business and Finance Manager for Hunter Power Systems. A company that she has helped develop from its inception and secured it as a successful stable entity.
Michelle was born and raised in Lake Macquarie and is a dedicated mother to her two teenage daughters. Michelle believes that small business is the backbone of our community and is excited to have the opportunity to work with Lake Macquarie Business and its members.
Trent Ruprecht
Treasurer
Principal – PKF Sydney & Newcastle
Trent is a Principal with our Business Advisory Services team and is based in Newcastle.
He has more than ten years of experience as an accountant and has focused on providing quality advice to his clients that operate across a diverse range of industry sectors.
One of Trent’s specialties is providing advice to owners and managers of Pharmacy businesses. He has a strong understanding of the specific legislative provisions and Acts that govern businesses in this industry.
This expertise allows Trent to work closely with his clients, developing business strategies that comply with these parameters while creating the best opportunities and options for success for his clients.
He is also experienced at providing day to day advice on the administration and management of businesses including operational strategies and financial reporting as well as strategies for business growth and expansion.
His understanding of specific industry sectors extends to his work with clients operating transport businesses including logistics and road freight, as well as builders and developers.
He strives to develop long-standing and ongoing relationships with his clients. This ensures that he can work as an extension of the business’ internal team and deliver quality advice and solutions aimed at achieving business goals.
Trent’s other expertise include streamlining reporting frameworks; strategies to lower overheads; developing alternative funding structures including negotiating with financiers to facilitate growth; business modelling to aid cash flow; forecasting, management and decision making.
Gunther Neumann
Director
Branch Manager, REMONDIS Australia Pty Ltd
Gunther has extensive engineering and business experience in Australia, Asia and Europe. In his current role, he is responsible for the successful construction, commissioning and operation of the first food and garden organics composting facility in the Hunter, located at Awaba.
He served on the advisory board of the Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing at the University of Queensland, as an executive member of the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA), and as a director of Australian Landfill Owners Association (ALOA).
Gunther is the winner of the 2018 Lake Macquarie Business Excellence Awards in the category “Young Business Executive of the Year”, a finalist in the “Kristen Keegan Young Business Executive Award” in the 2018 Hunter Business Awards, the winner of the “Operational Excellence Award” of the WMAA and Inside Waste – Waste and Resource Recovery Excellence Awards 2018 and is awarded with the “Rising Star Award 2018” for outstanding operations and sales by the Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA).
WCRA awarded the REMONDIS Lake Macquarie Organics Resource Recovery Facility with the President’s Award for the best recycling facility in New South Wales in 2018.