Board of Directors

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

The below team culminates in decades of experience across funds management, wealth management, advisory, asset finance, stock broking to name a few.

Lee IaFrate

Lee Iafrate

Lee has over 37 years’ experience in the finance industry, with broad experience in stock-broking and funds management. Lee was the founder and former chairman of Treasury Group Limited (now known as Pacific Group Limited), founder and former director of Prime Financial Group Ltd, and founder and former chairman of Easton Investments Limited (now known as Diverger Limited). Lee founded Armytage in 1995 and is the Chairman.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Business, Fellow Certified Practising Accountant and Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.

Executive Chairman

Paul Young

Paul has over 35 years’ experience providing independent corporate advice to Australian and overseas public and private clients. Paul is a non-executive director of ASX listed Byron Energy Limited (ASX:BYE),co-founder and director of Baron Partners Limited and is a senior advisor of Henslow Pty Ltd.

Qualifications: Master of Arts from Cambridge University; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Diploma in Corporate Finance.

Non-Executive Director

Mark Stephen

Mark has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry growing successful integrated advice businesses across the wealth management, financial planning and accounting professions, with focus on strategic growth and strong business development and improvement. Mark is currently the Managing Director of Civitas Services Australia Pty Ltd and former CEO of Lonsdale Financial Group Limited (now part of Insignia).

Qualifications: Bachelor of Education, Advanced Diploma in Business Management, Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, Certified Financial Planner and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Non-Executive Director

Mike Fitzpatrick AO

Mike has over 40 years’ experience in the financial services sector, with a commitment to sustainability. Mike is a current non-executive director of Carnegie Clean Energy Limited (ASX:CCE) and an alternate director of Foresight Australia Funds Management Limited. Mike was the founder of Hastings Funds Management. Mike was formerly the chairman of Pacific Current Group Limited, Victorian Funds Management Corporation, Australian Football League and the Australian Sports Commission, and a former Director of Rio Tinto Limited.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of Western Australia, Master of Arts from Oxford University, 1975 Rhodes Scholar from Western Australia.

Non-Executive Director

David Slack

David boasts over 40 years of distinguished experience in establishing and leading successful equity management endeavours within the Australian financial landscape. In 1984, he laid the foundation for County Natwest/Invesco, crafting a resilient investment framework that yielded exceptional performance outcomes. In 2007, David embarked on a new chapter with the inception of Karara Capital, where his strategic acumen propelled the firm's assets to over $3 billion. Concurrently, he assumed a co-management role for The Ironbark Karara Small Companies Fund, consistently outperforming its benchmark by 2.8% annually over a commendable 12-year period until mid-2022.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce.

Non-Executive Director

Chris Kelaher

Chris Kelaher is a financial services leader with over 30 years of experience scaling wealth management platforms across Australia. As MD/CEO of IOOF Holdings Ltd (2009-2019), he drove 58% FUMA growth from $94.6B to $149.5B through strategic acquisitions (Plan B, DKN) and record $3B advice inflows (+131% YoY), cementing IOOF as Australia's #2 wealth manager with NPAT up 29% to $99.5M (2011). Previously, he led Plan B Group Holdings (MD), DKN Financial Group, Australian Wealth Management (pre-IOOF merger), Select Managed Funds, SMS Funds Management, and spent 12 years at Citi rising to Joint Managing Director. A Melbourne-based lawyer admitted to practice (Law Institute of Victoria), Chris brings proven M&A, regulatory, and growth expertise to complex financial services challenges.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Economics & Law.

Non-Executive Director

Company Secretary

Gareth James

Gareth is an experienced senior executive with a strong focus on corporate governance, regulatory compliance and board effectiveness. He brings extensive experience supporting boards and executive teams across governance frameworks, ASX compliance, and risk management. Drawing on a career that includes prior Company Secretary roles as well as CFO and executive leadership positions, Gareth combines technical governance expertise with deep commercial insight to support high-performing, well-governed organisations.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Economics & Accounting, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, former member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

Mark has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry growing successful integrated advice businesses across the wealth management, financial planning and accounting professions, with focus on strategic growth and strong business development and improvement. Mark is currently the Managing Director of Civitas Services Australia Pty Ltd and former CEO of Lonsdale Financial Group Limited (now part of Insignia).

Qualifications: Bachelor of Education, Advanced Diploma in Business Management, Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, Certified Financial Planner and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).