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To create enriching places that tell a story, diversity is key. That’s why our team is built from a broad cross-section of development and real estate disciplines including finance, market research, town planning, construction, sales and marketing.

Wayne Chivas

Director

Wayne has amassed over 40 years of extensive experience across diverse business and financial domains, particularly in the property industry.

Notably, prior to Central Element, Wayne served as the Managing Director of Linx Projects, a renowned construction company based in Sydney, where he played a pivotal role in overseeing various projects from inception to completion, encompassing mid-tier residential, commercial developments and heritage refurbishments.

Throughout his career, Wayne has demonstrated strong financial acumen – founding Goodwin Chivas and Co Chartered Accountants.

Shane Smollen

Director

With a remarkable career in the property industry over 4 decades, Shane has established himself as a prominent industry figure through delivering exceptional results and consistent market leadership.
Shane is also a director of McGrath Ltd and a previous owner of a multi office real estate network generating sales of over $3 billion per annum.
His deep involvement and broad national contact network ensures he is extremely wired into the marketplace and is well positioned to identify trends on macro and local levels in real time.

Nathan Chivas

Managing Director

Nathan is pivotal to the company’s success and leads the strategy and vision with the team from acquisition through all stages of development, including finance, design, planning, and construction.
With a lifelong passion for the industry, Nathan has worked on a wide variety of complex projects throughout his career, overseeing everything from multi-story residential buildings to commercial and hotel developments. Nathan’s love of property and drive for excellence are contagious, and he inspires the team to continue to evolve and grow.

Ben Priestley

Chief Operating Officer

With two decades of immersion in property, construction, and funds management, Ben has amassed a wealth of knowledge in financial and commercial management. His illustrious career has seen him navigate prominent positions within top-tier ASX and multinational corporations, such as Crown Group Holdings and Meriton Group. Notably, Ben spearheaded the IPO spin-off of the global multiplex business, serving as the cornerstone investment in the private equity fund of Brookfield Multiplex, listed on the NYSE and TSX.

His professional repertoire extends across diverse domains, including financial control, strategy development, business planning, financial planning and analysis, as well as mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate finance transactions.

Ryan Bennetts

Head of Acquisitions

As Head of Acquisitions, Ryan is responsible for the identification, negotiation and acquisition of opportune development sites and facilitating partnership-based development agreements. With a passion for development origination, his front-end role is key to Central Element's vision of delivering best-in-class residential, mixed-use and hotel projects across Sydney.

With more than 14 years’ experience in commercial real estate, construction management and acquisitions, Ryan is highly regarded for his transaction expertise with exceptional market knowledge and reach. His demonstrated ability to facilitate development deals with landowners, either direct-to-vendor or in collaboration with his agent and advisor networks, is through a well-informed and considered approach to all new business opportunities.

Dean Chivas

General Manager of Developments

Dean oversees all stages of Central Element's development process, spanning from the conception of initial design concepts and Development Application, to the procurement of builders, sales and marketing, construction, and settlement. With over 9 years of experience within the company, Dean has honed a natural talent for risk assessment and maintaining high standards of quality throughout project execution. Employing a methodical and systematic approach, he diligently ensures that projects remain within budget constraints and are delivered punctually to meet tight deadlines.

Dean La Vigne

Head of Lifestyle Precincts

Dean has over 25 years of end to end real estate experience in Australia and internationally. He has diverse experience in all asset types and is a specialist in hotel, accommodation and mixed use projects. Dean has held senior management and director level positions in public and private real estate companies in addition to running his own real estate consulting business. His unique education in architecture, law, and business combined with his experience provides a complete set of skills to assess opportunities, maximise returns, and minimise risk to ensure real estate assets are successful through the full life cycle.

Daniel Barber

Head of Planning

Building on his background in local government planning, Daniel now manages the entire planning process for Central Element’s array of urban renewal projects – providing advice to minimize risk and unlock maximum value. A quick thinker, he enjoys driving positive planning outcomes and delivering high-quality residents in prime locations.

Sarah Boland

Senior Development Manager

With nearly a decade of dedicated service at Central Element, Sarah has honed her expertise in handling intricate sites, including those with heritage significance or complex locations. Possessing a keen creative eye and adept problem-solving skills, Sarah plays a crucial role in the acquisition process, meticulously evaluating opportunities from both financial and feasibility standpoints.

From project inception to final completion, Sarah's contributions have been invaluable. She played a pivotal role in the design, construction, and successful completion of prestigious projects such as The Balmoral Collection and Anden, Coogee.

Sarah's exceptional achievements have garnered recognition within the industry. Notably, Anden Coogee clinched the prestigious 2023 UDIA NSW & Coronation Property Award for Excellence in Medium Density Development, as well as the 2023 UDIA NSW & Coronation Property Award for Excellence in Design, serving as a testament to her exemplary work.

David Hore

Senior Development Manager

As a Senior Development Manager at Central Element, David is responsible for the planning, design and delivery of various projects. Having worked at major listed and private property companies, he draws on his diverse experience in large scale residential and mixed use developments, including projects comprising low to medium to high density outcomes. With a passion for all things property, he enjoys managing and creating value throughout all facets of the development lifecycle. Encompassing a balanced approach, David strives to deliver benchmark developments through thoughtful consideration of project returns and quality urban outcomes.

Ash Grice

Development Manager

Ash started his journey as a Quantity Surveyor, gaining his Chartership with the RICS in the UK before developing his knowledge and experience as a Senior Project Manager in Australia. Ash has managed a broad range of projects for clients such as HSBC, BMW, Barclays and Toga Far East and has a passion for leading diverse project teams to create user-centric developments which leave a positive legacy. With over half a decade at Central Element, and a wealth of experience, Ash has embarked on a new direction as Development Manager at CE.

Rene Tonna

Development Manager

Rene is an accomplished Development Manager and Urban Strategist, having held senior management positions at leading multinational property firms and hospitality companies. He has a proven track record of identifying and unlocking hidden potential in properties, resulting in significant value enhancement.

A specialist in hotel and mixed-use development, Rene has successfully managed a diverse range of projects, from boutique hotels to large-scale precincts and city-wide strategies. His expertise spans the entire development lifecycle, including site selection, feasibility studies, design management, construction and operational optimisation.

Cedric Lau

Development Manager

With almost a decade of experience in the real estate industry, Cedric draws on extensive knowledge in both residential and off-the-plan sales. He possesses well-rounded expertise in various phases of development, including acquisition, design, planning, and delivery. He has a customer-centric approach to his work and always keeps the end-user in mind, ensuring that each project they undertake meets the highest standards of excellence. His passion for functional and simplistic yet timeless designs shines through in every aspect of his work.

Rebecca Hannibal

Assistant Development Manager

Beginning her professional career in the field of design, Rebecca made the transition into the management of projects whilst completing post graduate studies in project management. Her previous role entailed working client-side delivering projects from $2M to $120M across commercial, education, retail, and residential asset classes. Highlights of her career include having the opportunity of working on $120M+ Meadowbank TAFE facility as well as the unique and ultra-high end JNFO project portfolio.

Abigael Shepherd

Assistant Development Manager

Abi made the transition into development management following completing a Bachelor of Construction management and Property. Prior to joining Central Element, she began her career in delivering commercial projects across a large-scale and complex portfolio from $20m to $120m. Abi’s responsibilities include working with the development team in the end-to-end delivery of residential projects ensuring each project progresses efficiently and smoothly, delivering a successful outcome for all stakeholders.

Anthony Maughan-Wright

Senior Project Manager

Anthony started his career in architecture before transitioning into project delivery. His delivery experience has seen him work with top tier contractors on projects ranging from commercial fitouts to large-scale government developments.

Anthony has experience both in Australia and with the market leading Colliers Project Leaders team in North America where he worked closely with the Strategic Advisory and Development teams.

More recently, he led the delivery of multiple government school projects with a combined value of up to c.$300m.

Anthony is a solution-focused professional who builds strong relationships. He successfully navigates complex stakeholder environments to deliver commercial results.

Lilly Speiser

Assistant Project Manager

Since beginning her career, Lilly has gained a wealth of experience in high end residential development, with first hand exposure to a range of project disciplines. Having degrees in construction management and architecture, she has worked with top tier architects and deeply understands all stages of project development from concept to completion.

A dedicated, hard working individual that enjoys building meaningful relationships with clients and stakeholders, Lilly’s passion for creating meaningful spaces combined with an exceptional eye for detail makes her a valuable asset.

Hayden Callaghan

Head of Construction

Hayden comes to us with an extensive 20-year background in residential and commercial construction. Before joining Central Element in early 2024, Hayden spent over 10 years at Mirvac, as part of the NSW Construction leadership team overseeing iconic developments such as Harbourside, 55 Pitt St, South Eveleigh, Ebsworth at Green Square, and Harold Park. During his tenure, Hayden was involved in every aspect of the business, from end-to-end project delivery and strategy development to business operations, health, safety, and wellbeing, design management, procurement, human resources, risk management, and new business.

Hayden's unwavering attention to detail in project planning and flawless project delivery has seen him excel in developing high-performing teams and delivering outstanding project results. Passionate about the future of construction, Hayden is committed to the success of the Construction Team at Central Element. He focuses on developing a high-performing team that complements the company’s fantastic culture, adopting smarter ways to build, fostering strong relationships with all project stakeholders, and unlocking exceptional value for development stakeholders.

Andrew Westbrook

Commercial and Operations Manager

Andrew joins our construction team as the Commercial and Operations Manager, bringing a wealth of experience from his 3.5-year tenure at Mirvac. There, he served as NSW Commercial Manager, overseeing major projects such as 55 Pitt Street, Green Square Stage 3, The CH9 Redevelopment and the Waterloo Over-Station Development. Before Mirvac, Andrew played a significant role in iconic projects like the Greenland Centre in Sydney, The Pacific in Bondi, and No.1 Lachlan St Waterloo during his time with ProBuild and Hutchinsons.

In his new role, Andrew will focus on the commercial aspects of the business, including procurement, contracting and financial management. He will also work on integrating these elements with our finance and development teams to enhance our construction operations.

Callum Schrader

Project Manager

With a career spanning two countries and a diverse portfolio of high-profile projects, Callum brings a wealth of experience and passion for complex construction. After relocating from New Zealand, Callum began his journey with Ganellan, playing a key role in the redevelopment of the iconic Sydney Waterboard Building into The Primus Hotel, as well as the transformation of Harbord Diggers Club. His drive to tackle intricate developments saw him further hone his expertise at Mirvac, where he contributed to the acclaimed South Eveleigh redevelopment on The Foundry Building. Most recently, at CD Constructions, Callum led numerous large-scale projects, including the management of a $21 million residence in Vaucluse. His exceptional leadership and dedication to delivering projects of lasting significance make him a valued part of the team constructing Ballamac House.

Brendan Kyneur

Site Manager

With over 26 years of experience in the construction industry, including 22 years in site supervision and management, Brendan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Central Element. As a qualified carpenter, he is dedicated to building with precision and care. Known for being hardworking, organised, safety-conscious, and detail-oriented, Brendan has a genuine passion for construction.

His experience spans a diverse range of projects, including health, education, heritage restoration, defence, prison upgrades, high-end residential developments, metro developments, multipurpose halls, and more.

Ciarain Tinnelly

Project Coordinator

Ciarain joins our team with over 6 years of experience as an accomplished Quantity Surveyor, bringing his expertise across residential, commercial, and shipbuilding sectors. With a proven track record in delivering precise cost estimates, managing budgets effectively, and overseeing projects with meticulous attention to detail, Ciarain has made a significant impact in his field.

He spent 4 years working as a Project Quantity Surveyor in Ireland, where he oversaw projects from start to finish, managing commercial costs and ensuring programme milestones were met by closely collaborating with site teams and subcontractors. After relocating to Sydney in late June 2024, Ciarain continues to build strong relationships with project teams and clients, helping drive projects to successful completion.

Izabella Perego

Construction Cadet

Izabella is currently in her second year at UTS, pursuing a degree in Construction Management. As a Construction Cadet, she will be working closely with our construction team to develop her skills in site management, programme coordination, subcontractor coordination and contracts administration. Izabella is eager to apply her academic knowledge to real-world projects and grow within the industry.

Cameron Porter

Head of Sales

Cameron has worked in real estate for over 25 years. He has strong local and international experience, having launched and sold projects in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Cameron has enjoyed working on the private developer side as well as with international project marketing teams like CBRE. On the retail side, Cameron gained strong sales and marketing skills, which have helped him create world-class sales and marketing divisions.

Jessica Womersley

Head of Marketing

Jess looks after all things marketing at Central Element, from our own corporate identity to building the initial vision for each of our developments.
Jess has over 15 years of experience working with global brands, in roles across marketing, communications and branding.

Lauren Cowan

PR & Community Manager

Lauren is the driving force behind all things PR and community at CE. With a decade-long career in marketing communications, she brings a wealth of knowledge acquired from various roles within prestigious agency and in-house teams, primarily working across luxury leisure and lifestyle brands.

With a remarkable network of media contacts, a supportive high empathy ethos and an unwavering results-driven outlook, Lauren has an impressive track record for amplifying brand influence and prestige.

Emma Begley

Marketing Coordinator

With a rich background in the advertising industry, Emma's impressive skill set encompasses administration, event planning, and organisational prowess, making her an invaluable asset to the team.

Emma's expertise extends beyond her toolkit, as she deftly navigates both corporate and project marketing. At Central Element, she spearheads the social media and visual identity initiatives, crafting a captivating brand presence. Additionally, Emma plays a crucial supporting role in shepherding all developments from concept to market, ensuring a smooth and successful rollout.

Ben Priestley

Chief Operating Officer

With 20 years of experience in property, construction, and funds management, Ben has acquired extensive expertise in financial and commercial management within leading ASX and multi-national companies. His diverse background also encompasses investment and operational involvement in industrial services, oil & gas, and media industries.

His professional experience encompasses various areas, including financial control, strategy development, business planning, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), as well as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other corporate finance transactions.

Addison He

Treasury & Investments Manager

Having dealt with a broad range of financial institutional and capital partners in his decade-long career, Addison is a seasoned professional with strategic financial acumen and keen insight into the intricacies of building and managing partnerships.

Building his knowledge working at one of the big four banks proved invaluable to his move into property. With experience dealing with various stakeholders from across the project delivery value chain, Addison’s expertise lies in securing financing for complex development ventures, and steering real estate projects and assets to ensure ongoing success.

Shashil Govind

Financial Controller

Having worked for both global infrastructure asset managers and real estate fund managers during his career, Shashil brings a wealth of experience in finance and accounting to Central Element.

With an extensive background in financial control, reporting, cashflow management, tax and compliance, he has managed the finance functions across a variety of organisations as well as being the finance lead on a number of complex transactions partnered with superannuation funds, sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors.

Jasmine Arakelian

Accountant

Jasmine is an experienced accountant with more than 15 years of experience in finance and accounting, possessing a diverse background spanning industries including hospitality, the medical sector, and integrated services. Recognised for strategic insight, she specialises in cash flow management, making substantial contributions to company financial health. Her core strengths encompass advanced proficiency in accounting systems, a dedication to process enhancement, and a focus on rigorous financial governance, fostering effective collaboration across multiple departments.

Gabriella Boldizsar

Accountant

Gabriella is an experienced accountant with a strong background in property development, bringing comprehensive expertise in financial management, compliance, and process optimisation. Her career spans diverse industries and markets, allowing her to support the financial success of complex projects through strategic oversight and meticulous attention to detail. Recognised for her insight in cash flow management and financial governance, Gabriella excels in streamlining accounting processes and collaborating across departments to ensure financial stability and drive long-term business growth.

Stephanie Woodward

Head of Culture & Executive Assistant to Nathan Chivas

A dynamic executive assistant with an impressive track record of supporting high-level executives and ASX listed businesses. With her extensive experience, Stephanie brings unparalleled expertise in managing complex tasks and facilitating seamless operations. Beyond her exceptional professional abilities, Stephanie’s bubbly social nature brightens every environment she enters, maker her a natural connector who effortlessly forges strong relationships.

One of Stephanie's passions lies in culture management, and she leads the cultural events and business transformation initiatives. Her dedication to fostering positive change aligns perfectly with Central Element's vision for growth and innovation.

Join the team

If you are interested in joining the team at Central Element, drop us a line.

OUR COLLABORATORS

SJB is a versatile firm that encompasses several fields, such as architecture, interior design, town planning, and urban design. They played a pivotal role in the development of several of our projects, including Pienza, Neutral Bay, and Ethos in Chatswood.

Recognized as one of the most innovative and prestigious architectural firms in Australia, TZG has a well-established partnership with Central Element, having previously collaborated on projects such as 25Hours Paddington and The Metro - Minerva Potts Point. Given TZG's exceptional track record and recent successful completion of the world-class restoration and conservation of Bondi Pavilion, they were the ideal choice to revive the historical significance of Ballamac House.

Woodsbagot is a globally operating design studio with 17 offices across 6 regions. Their design process places the human experience at the core to create projects that are engaging, forward-thinking, and cater to the way people use space. Their expertise will be essential for the restoration of the iconic city landmark, The Minerva in Potts Point.

Glenn Murcutt, the recipient of numerous awards and the sole Australian to have been awarded the Pritzker Architectural Prize, has an extensive portfolio of significant projects throughout his career, including The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre, Donaldson House, Walsh House, and Australian Islamic Centre. With 271 Elizabeth Street, his inaugural project within the City of Sydney, Murcutt aims to convey his philosophy of "touching the earth lightly through sensitive design."

Lawless & Meyerson, an accomplished interior design company rooted in Sydney, is renowned for their expertise in crafting immersive and opulent environments tailored to their clients along the picturesque harborside. Be it an exclusive personal abode or a multifaceted residential project, the dedicated professionals at Lawless & Meyerson exhibit an unwavering commitment to excellence, coupled with an astute focus on intricate design elements. The team were pivotal to our award winning development; Anden, Coogee.

MHNDU, a Sydney-based architectural collective with a rich legacy spanning over twenty-five years, is devoted to crafting enduring spaces that align with contemporary tastes. Firmly anchored in their unwavering ethos, they consistently strive to cultivate experiential beauty in every architectural creation. Notably, Central Element has collaborated with MHNDU on several projects, including the award-winning Anden in Coogee.

With over two decades of experience in the industry, Mim Fanning has made a significant impact on the field of Australian interior design through her award-winning practice, Mim Design. Her portfolio includes a diverse range of projects spanning high-end residential, multi-residential, commercial, hospitality, and furniture design. Regardless of the project's scale, Mim's approach is always guided by her search for authenticity and meaning.

Angelo Candalepas is a highly acclaimed architect who has gained recognition both in Australia and internationally for his exceptional work on several notable projects, including The Point in Pyrmont, The Surry on Elizabeth St, Thoma House, The Hellenic Club, and the National Gallery of Australia. He plans to leverage his extensive experience to bring 271 Elizabeth Street to fruition within the City of Sydney.

As a globally renowned design boutique located in New York City, Meyer Davis specializes in creating bespoke environments for residential, hospitality, retail, and workplace settings. Given that 271 Elizabeth Street is our most exclusive offering to date, it was only fitting to collaborate with one of the world's most renowned designers.

Indyk Architects are an effective and experienced boutique architecture and design firm. Striving for innovation and excellence in everything they do, Indyk’s expertise spans residential, commercial and community projects all over Australia and New Zealand. The awarded team has played a pivotal role in the interior design of the rooms, conferencing space and common areas of our 25hours hotel Paddington project.

Central Element is proud to entrust a like-minded company of the calibre of Richard Crookes Constructions to deliver our developments to world-class standard. Consistently ranked amongst the country’s leading private companies, this family business was established in 1976 and has become one of Australia’s most trusted and recognised builders. Their portfolio includes many of Sydney’s most prestigious and complex projects, such as Loftus Lane and the Walsh Bay Arts and Cultural Precinct.

ULTRA Building Co, a leading construction contractor servicing clients across Sydney and Greater New South Wales. ULTRA were appointed to complete the construction of recently completed Anden, Coogee and The Balmoral Collection, Mosman.

Trescon is a Sydney based construction company renowned for delivering projects on time, within budget and to the highest standards. Founded by Michael Kounellis and Nick Rodopoulos, Trescon boast an impressive portfolio of $500m in projects ranging from commercial and boutique hotels to high-end luxury residences – notably the $69m Wunulla Road, Point Piper residence, a private home contracted by architect Richard Stanisich. Trescon maintain the highest global system standards with a 3.5 Star iCIRT rating, ISO certification in Health & Safety, Quality and Environment, in addition to a CM3 pre-qualification.

Growthbuilt has established itself as a leading tier 2 construction company in Australia, known for providing quality, innovation, and expertise for over 17 years. The company has a proven track record of creating value-engineered designs, conducting reviews of construction methodology, and assessing risks from the conception stage through to the final delivery of the project. This approach has enabled them to achieve success and complete landmark developments, making them a trusted and respected name in the construction industry.

CBRE Residential Projects are a distinguished force in real estate that mirrors our commitment to delivering unparalleled developments to the market. With a rich legacy and a reputation as one of Australia’s foremost real estate firms, CBRE brings a proven track record of excellence to our sales strategies and ongoing suport in community management through to settlement.

Boasting over three decades of expertise spanning Australia’s Eastern States, McGrath Estate Agents hosts some of the industry’s most accomplished real estate agents. Founded by John McGrath in 1988, the company’s vision was to revolutionise the real estate landscape, a goal that has shaped their brand and fueled ongoing success. McGrath Estate Agents has cultivated a lasting partnership with Central Element to present our premium projects to the public.


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