Executive
Mr N (Raj) Logaraj - President
Mr Logaraj’s career spans law and investment banking. He was previously an International Partner of Baker & McKenzie, where he was Head of the Corporate & Commercial Group of the firm’s Australian offices and Chair of its Business Development Committee. He subsequently switched careers and became an Executive Director of Turnbull & Partners Limited, an Australian investment bank (which became Goldman Sachs Australia), before taking up a position as Board Director, President of the Financial Solutions Group and Chair of the Risk Management Committee of Vickers Ballas (now DBS Vickers), a leading stockbroking firm in Singapore, until its sale to a Singapore bank.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; Executive Member of the Board of Advisers of the Asia Logistics Council; Ambassador of the University of Sydney and a Mentor (Honorary Associate) at its Graduate School of Government. He served as a Member of the NSW Government’s Asia Business Council for several terms.
He holds a Master of Laws degree in International Tax and Public Company Finance from The University of Sydney.
He has served as a Director of public companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, the Singapore Stock Exchange and Bursa Malaysia and currently provides strategic advice to companies in Australia and overseas on their investments.
Mr James Bunn - Vice President
James Bunn has more than 25 years experience of leading, developing, managing and advising profitable businesses globally including the Asia-Pacific.
He started his management career in the UK in construction and asset management, before moving to Australia with a large global financial services corporation. He became head of marketing of Australia’s second largest business before a move into the media sector where he founded the successful Fox Sports channels and built a market leading global content distribution company. Following a trade sale in 2004, he has been responsible for developing a thriving business transformation and advisory practice across the telecommunications, media, sports, entertainment, financial services, construction, manufacturing sectors and Government. His recent work has been at the forefront of regional broadband initiatives, mobile content & broadcast, media industry reform, associated mergers and acquisitions and development of digital "catch-up TV" applications.
He is non-executive Director of a diverse portfolio, chairs regular private round table briefings, public events and trade missions for business leaders at "C" and Board Level and confidentially mentors a number of leaders in business and government. He is an active Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the UK Institute of Directors, the National Association of Television Program Executives (USA) and is a Chartered Engineer.
Mr Ian Pratt - Vice President
Ian is a Partner in a firm of chartered accountants and has had 39 years experience in the accounting profession. During this time, he has been involved in the property and finance industry and advises on income tax and related matters. Ian is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and is a director of Charter Hall Property Management Limited. He also acts as director of a number of private companies, and was a director of Macquarie Direct Property Management Limited.
Mr Nicholas Afaras - Vice President
nicholas.afaras@deacons.com.au
Nicholas Afaras is a partner of Deacons, a major international law firm with more than 900 lawyers across Australia and Asia. He has been pleased to serve the Chamber in the capacity of Vice President for over 10 years and also to served as the NSW Branch President from 2003 - 2006. As a partner with Deacons, Nicholas brings to clients a solid understanding of property, development and infrastructure law having focussed his practice in this growth sector for almost 20 years. In that time he has provided due diligence, subdivision, infrastructure, development and leasing advice to many of Australia’s leading property institutions and organisations. He also has substantial experience in running complex commercial litigation actions and mediations. Having acted for many of the Deacons’ overseas clients, Nicholas is well placed to assist international clients with their property and development transactions in Australia, particularly in their dealings with the relevant government authorities.
Mr Geoff Taperell - Honorary Adviser
geoff.taperell@dlaphillipsfox.com
Geoff is a solicitor and a partner of the law firm DLA Phillips Fox. He has practised as a lawyer in commercial law field, specialising in competition law and consumer protection, for over 30 years.
Geoff was one of the three members of the Competition Policy Review Committee (‘Hilmer Committee’) whose report to Australian governments in 1993 forms the basis for Australia’s current competition policy. He is also well known as the co-author of a text book on Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law and as the author of many articles and papers on trade practices law, competition policy and other commercial law subjects. He is a member of the Trade Practices Committee of the Law Council of Australia.