OPPORTUNITY-PLUS INVESTMENT FUND
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Meet the experienced professionals who guide our investment strategies and manage our fund operations.
JAMES CREAGH
Chairman, Co-Founder
Jim is an Australian-qualified solicitor with over 50 years of experience as a commercial lawyer. He is currently a Consultant at Creagh Weightman Lawyers, a boutique commercial law firm in Brisbane, which he co-founded in 1998 after serving as a Senior Partner at the national law firm Phillips Fox (now DLA Piper).
Throughout his career, Jim has practised extensively in corporate law and has significant experience advising companies on capital raisings, initial public offerings (IPOs), and ASX listings. He is also an experienced company director with a deep understanding of corporate governance issues. Jim was a co-founder of the ASX-listed Cromwell Property Group (CMW) and served as legal counsel during its establishment. He advised on raising investment capital and played a key role in the Group’s subsequent listing on the ASX.
In addition, Jim oversaw all capital raisings for Cromwell’s various property and mortgage trusts. He was also responsible for the Group’s corporate governance and full regulatory compliance. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services. He is also a trustee of the University of Queensland Rugby Union Foundation Trust.
BRUCE KENNEDY
Project Investment Manager, Co-Founder, Director
Born a Queenslander, Bruce Kennedy has had a long and interesting career, originally in the pharmaceutical industry, then into importing and national marketing roles, but always involved in sales and ‘majoring’ in networking.
BK’s career serendipitously morphed into a capital raising role in 1994, focusing on the Start-Up world.
From a number of property-related projects (luxury apartments in Toorak to budget aged accommodation from Cairns to Mandurah and many sites in between), an outstanding bio-pharmaceutical start-up which is now nearing maturity and exit, a number of SaaS start-ups all the way through listing and robust exits. It’s been a fascinating journey exposing the high’s and low’s of the start-up world.
BK views this collaboration with XCA as a major pivot in this cap-raising space, an opportunity for founders and investors alike to benefit from the increased agility this JV collaboration and the ability to work under XCA’s AFSL Licence brings. OPIF will allow BK’s Quest Marketing to enjoy a wider, more diverse source of new projects. We believe we will all benefit from this new “Opportunity Plus.”
EMILY LEYDEN
Finance Director
Emily is in the role of Finance Manager, having previously worked as a Financial Planner for both Westpac and Core Advisor Group. Prior to this and during her early years of corporate employment, Emily worked for real estate investor and fund manager, Cromwell Property Group.
She leads our Investment Services and Finance Administration functions.
Emily holds a dual degree in Arts and Psychology and has completed her Advanced Diploma of Financial Services.
ROSS STILES
Managing Director
Ross has over 40 years of experience in the property and financial services industry, having held senior executive positions at Perpetual (Queensland) Trustees, Burns Philp Trustee Company (where he was Queensland Manager), and ANZ Funds Management.
He was a founding partner and Managing Director of Cromwell Corporation Limited, established in 1998. Under his leadership until 2008, Cromwell evolved into an ASX Top 200 company and one of Australia’s largest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Ross also served as a member of the Investment Committee and as Compliance Director for the Cromwell Group of companies.
Since 2018, Ross has been the independent non-executive chairman of CFMG Capital and CFMG Land, a major investment manager in residential, retail, and commercial property markets. CFMG is now one of Queensland’s largest residential land developers, with projects delivered across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. He has also successfully developed residential and industrial projects independently.
Ross holds an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services and currently serves on both the Credit and Investment Committees, acting as the ASIC-designated Responsible Officer.