Adara Partners, a leading Australian independent corporate advisory firm, today announced the appointments of Dr Nora Scheinkestel and Jim McKnight to its highly respected Panel. This expands the Panel’s membership to 16 of Australia’s most prominent corporate professionals.
Dr Scheinkestel is one of Australia’s most senior company directors who has served on the boards of many of Australia’s leading ASX listed companies. She has deep financial expertise from an executive career in investment banking and project financing. Dr Scheinkestel is currently a Non-Executive Director of Brambles, Origin Energy and Westpac. Dr Scheinkestel was a Founding Panel Member of Adara Partners in 2015, and is now returning for a second stint on the Panel.
Mr McKnight is recognised as a market leading restructuring adviser. Mr McKnight is a Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Restructuring Group. He is the former Head of Restructuring at Fort Street Advisers and former Head of Asia Pacific Restructuring and Debt Advisory at UBS. Mr McKnight has been responsible for many of Australia’s landmark restructurings and recapitalisations, including Virgin Australia, Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal, Centro Retail Trust, Pacific Brands, Network Ten and BrisConnections.
“I am excited to re-join the Adara Partners Panel,” said Dr Scheinkestel. “I know the work I do will not only be beneficial to Adara’s clients, but also to people living in poverty.”
“Adara Partners is a true example of innovation,” added McKnight. “Having the chance to work with some of Australia’s leading corporate professionals – knowing that our work is touching lives in some of the world’s remotest places – is a privilege.”
“We are delighted to welcome Jim to the Adara Panel and to welcome back Nora,” said Audette Exel AO, CEO of Adara Partners. “Nora and Jim have proven track records in successfully guiding companies through organisational transformations and their extensive experience will be invaluable to our clients. Our Panel Members continue to be trusted by corporate Australia as they navigate critical projects. Importantly, this has helped us donate over $22 million to our work with communities in poverty since inception.”
Adara Partners has advised on transactions including Pendal’s acquisition by Perpetual and AusNet’s acquisition by Brookfield.
About Adara Partners
Adara Partners is a boutique, for-purpose corporate advisory firm, providing independent and conflict free advice to leading Australian corporates and institutional investors. Panel Members work for Adara without recompense to support communities living in poverty in some of the world’s remotest places. Profits made by Adara Partners are donated to Adara Development, an international non-profit founded in 1998.
Adara Partners brings together some of the most senior leaders in the corporate advisory industry, who jointly lead advisory engagements. Panel Members work to support boards, senior management and significant shareholders of Australia’s leading companies and institutions. They provide independent advice and second opinions on mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets advice and complex commercial problem solving.
As of April 2023, the Adara Panel Members are:
- Ilana Atlas AO
- Andrew Best
- Catherine Brenner
- Tim Burroughs
- Guy Fowler
- David Friedlander
- Graham Goldsmith AO
- David Gonski AC
- Matthew Grounds AM
- Jim McKnight
- Christian Johnston
- Diccon Loxton
- Tony Osmond
- Nora Scheinkestel
- Philippa Stone
- Cynthia Scott
Examples of Adara Partners’ corporate advisory mandates include appointments by:
- AusNet Services on its takeover defence and subsequent $18.2 billion sale.
- Sydney Airport on its capital management strategy and $2 billion capital raising.
- Pendal Group on its takeover defence and subsequent $2.1 billion sale.
- Paul Ramsay Foundation on its $1.4 billion block trade in Ramsay Health Care, Australia’s largest block trade in the last five years.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Madalyn Busby
E: madalyn.busby@adaragroup.org
M: +61 432 479 871
Molly Osborne
M: +61 487 744 475
