We built this business in Asia from the ground up and none of our major investors were brought over from Macquarie. Alberici's new gig is chief strategy government relations and communications officer. He is the current Head of Legal for Equis in Australia and is responsible for all legal matters internally and associated with projects. One of my early mentors said, David, if theres one thing I can teach you about doing business is that whatever you do, you must always act lawfully.. We care about delivering the best outcomes for our stakeholders and our collective experience allows us to develop high quality projects. We think that the biggest renewable energy market is solar and we have to keep ahead of that technology curve. David.Russell@sbs.ox.ac.uk Sad Business School University of Oxford Park End Street Oxford OX1 1HP Profile David Russell has joined Sad Business School as an Executive in Residence, after having led the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) in England as CEO for 8 years and having previously served the UK government for 16. Ed has managed $13b of electricity regulated and commercial assets as GM for AusNets Transmission and Distribution networks. Did you feel restricted by that? They said that if youre willing to build the facility, were willing to buy that power from you at a fixed price for 20 or 25 years, and that gave us a lot of confidence. I had been thinking about it for a number of years and with all my experience, I assumed it would be relatively easy. As the former CEO and Chairman of Equis Energy, David raised and invested over AUD$ 7.9 billion of equity in independent and institutional infrastructure funds across Asia-Pacific. Tell-all memoir: Ronni KahnCredit:Illustration: John Shakespeare. Vignesh has over 7 years experience in infrastructure investment and development across Asia. But obviously within large institutions like Macquarie, there are limits to how much an individual can influence the direction of the business. Pell, according to CBD spies, was seated at the middle of a long table, with about a dozen people, and knew some of the guests at smaller tables flanking the high table. HSBC Orion tokenizes commercial bank money and sterling bonds, PrivEx brings syndicated loan-trading platform to Europe. He also has extensive investment and Mergers and Acquisitions experience in renewable energy across Asia. This is firstly because Ive observed that as people become more autocratic, their decision-making becomes skewed and over time, they start to make costly mistakes, and very quickly theyre gone. Co-Founder, Managing Director. David Russell, Equis Funds Group CEO, said, This year Equis expanded our renewable energy investments in both India and Japan, and added two major projects in the Philippines. Consequat id porta nibh. In 2010, David founded Equis Funds Group, Asia-Pacifics largest independent infrastructure private equity manager. Prior to joining Equis, he worked as a commercial lawyer specialising in litigation and dispute resolution for 4 years. The newspapers report big losses and movies like Too Big to Fail contribute to that negative impression. MELPOMENE: Given that R&D in this sector is changing so quickly, are you concerned that your solar and wind facilities might become obsolete? CBD hears that her ABC redundancy payout was in the vicinity of $300,000. Musk Made a Mess at Twitter. While were driving for business success, we formally make a point to give back to the community. Thats a real problem with succession planning because you might lose the person you really want to keep because theyre frustrated at the lack of opportunities to grow. DAVID: Technology and mindsets are evolving rapidly. The esteem that the businesswoman turned social entrepreneur is held in is revealed by the calibre of the blurbs on the cover: ABC journalist Annabel Crabb gets star billing above former governor-general Quentin Bryce, while Crabbs boss, ABC chair Ita Buttrose, has to make do with the back page. As Asia's largest independent renewable energy IPP, Equis is wellplaced to continue our rapid growth in the world's fastestgrowing renewable energy market How: Equis covers every stage of a projects lifecycle including origination, development, design construction, and engineering, to operation and maintenance, asset management, and performance optimisation. At one point, Pell who was dressed in what one observer described as "priestly regalia" gave a short speech and toast. MELPOMENE: You are headquartered in Singapore but your operations are in other parts of Asia? Kahn thought Anton was like Cary Grant. Russell received his M.F.A. One George Street, Singapore 049145 DAVID RUSSELL: When we started the business, we decided to keep a low profile because we wanted our relationships with governments to stabilise. Bryce has deep experience in the Energy and Infrastructure sectors, having worked on multiple global transactions totalling over AUD$ 27bn. MELPOMENE: Are you worried that the South China Sea dispute will affect investor confidence in the region? Ed is a PhD-qualified grid connection expert with over 25 years of experience in renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution. MELPOMENE: Is it important that the work you do creates value for society? ", Emma Alberici has landed a new gig, and, as promised, it's not on TV.Credit:ABC. Find out more. All rights reserved. DAVID: My legal background helped me because it gave me discipline and an eye for detail. David Russell Helping Scaling SaaS and Renewables companies find the best talent Ireland. Building firm Davies Henderson, architect Christopher Doyle, gardening designer Paul Bangay and interior architect Thomas Hamel dont come cheap. "He was sitting in the middle of a long dinner table, and there was no one sitting opposite. Additionally, he has held various senior roles with companies such as WePower, AbsoluteClimo, European Energy Exchange, ASX Energy and Deutsche Bank. Marsh was revealed as the buyer of a knock-down-rebuild in Mosman for $6.88 million, as well as a waterfront in Noosa Heads for about $4 million, also slated for redevelopment. He has delivered assets across the Asia-Pacific. Ltd. Snowy Hydro has agreed to purchase 100% of the power produced from the Tailem Bend Solar Project for at least 22 years. Shane Warne sold the Brighton mansion for about $20m in 2018. MELPOMENE: Was your background crucial to your success? To be developed entirely by Equis, the Tailem Bend Solar Project and Collinsville North Solar Project will bring the number of renewable energy projects under development and construction by Equis to 49. See reunion dates, update your details and give to BGS. The other guests in the restaurant said they had to pinch themselves. After building the Korean private equity business, I felt that it was time to do it myself rather than rely on an institutional brand. Prior to joining Equis, Liz held planning and permitting roles at Goldwind. Tel: +65 6220 0040, Legal Notice & Terms of Use But most importantly, if you want to be successful, youll have to work hard. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. He was charming and once flew her to Hong Kong for dinner. Empower. Over there, our local guys are empowered to identify and drive growth from bottom up. David Russell attended Brighton Grammar from 1982 to 1987, and was the Captain of Rugby in his final year. MELPOMENE: Hasnt that kind of short-term focus change with the increasing number of young people becoming entrepreneurs? Marshssplurgefollows the US$5 billion sale of renewable energy firm Equis Energy to US fund Global Infrastructure Partners in January, billed in financial media as the largestrenewable energy generation acquisition in history. Copyright 2023 Brighton Grammar School. Youre right at the table with them as a trusted advisor. in Painting/ Art History from the University of Tulsa. That grew to be OzHarvest. I was hoping that it would be a motivator for everyone, but thats me sitting here thinking about it as a 40-year-old. Its not just gratuitous givingwe want to actually improve peoples lives, because we build our plants in a lot of rural areas. Its important to humble yourself. And while the neighbours wont notice much of a difference from the historic frontage, it is clear where the vast outlay is going. MELPOMENE: Did your legal and finance background help you in this field? Its a matter of how theyll be utilised. DAVID: I sound really old when I say this [laughs], but I feel there is a generational shift. Damian has 23 years of infrastructure investment experience, with over 17 years experience in Asia Pacific, and has completed over AUD$ 27 billion of transactions across various sectors including renewable and conventional energy, telecommunications, waste, greenfield development, PPPs, and transportation. He was far, far from perfect. Brighton Grammar is a leading private boys school in Melbourne, understanding boys from ELC to VCE. Founder and leader David Russell got a yellow Lamborghini; his brother Tim, a personalized orange Porsche. Copyright 2023 Equis Development Pte. DAVID: I do, and sometimes you cant avoid people feeling intimidated but you have to continually try to break that barrier down. My partners and I put everything into this businessfinancially and personallyand if it were to fail, we would sink with the ship. Interest is certainly high. Equis' team brings focus, experience, passion and conviction. David Russell is the founder and CEO of Equis, a company that evolved from its roots as a funds management business to an infrastructure asset development company, Equis Development, in 2019. Everything comes back to the numbers. Head of Acquisitions, Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund (KOSPI), Bachelor of Commerce, LL.B, Canterbury University, NZ, Over 28 years of Asia-Pacific private equity and infrastructure advisory and investment experience, Former Macquarie Senior Managing Director & Head of Infrastructure Advisory for Korea and North Asia, Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Major in Business Economics, UC Santa Barbara, MBA, Sloan School of Business, MIT, Investments, Australia & New Zealand Equis since 2010, Over 28 years of Asia-Pacific infrastructure investment and advisory experience, having raised and invested over US$5bn of equity for Asian private equity, Former Macquarie Senior Managing Director & Head of Greater China & Asian Private Equity, Utilities lawyer, Skadden Arps (Washington DC) & Minter Ellison (Melbourne), Bachelor of Economics (Hons), LL.B (Hons), Monash University, Over 25 years of infrastructure investment experience, with 19 years in Australia, Bachelor of Commerce (Hons), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Deakin University, Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School, Over 17 years of Asian private equity and infrastructure investment experience, Former Macquarie Vice President & Head of Acquisitions MENA (Abu Dhabi), MKIF investment team (Korea), Bachelor of Economics, Seoul National University, 1 George Street #23-03 They are part of C-Suite Department and their management level is C-Level. People hear about all these guys making so much money and they fear that its because theyre doing something theyre not supposed to be doing. MELPOMENE: Why did you decide to target Asian markets? DAVID: They are expected to chase and secure opportunities, and I review their decisions just to make sure that what we put in place for, say the Philippines, is consistent across our entire business. Roby has over 10 years experience of renewable energy transactions across Asia, completing over AUD$ 675m in deals. We were also growing rapidly and did not want to give our competitors advance knowledge of what we were doing. MELPOMENE: Large corporations are almost inevitably hierarchical. David Russell, Equis Group CEO, commented, "As Asia's largest renewable energy developer and investor, the Tailem Bend Solar Project represents an exciting expansion into Australia for Equis and an unique opportunity to leverage our development and construction expertise to deliver low cost, large scale, reliable renewable energy for . Warnie, whose acumen in real estate is starting to rival his spin bowling prowess, had bought the 3000sq m property, which he once dubbed his favourite house, for $14.25m, 18 months before selling it to the Russells. In addition, the Tailem Bend Solar Project has been developed to facilitate large scale battery storage further enhancing the base load like nature of the projects.. Do you worry about that? MELPOMENE: Do you think that giving people ownership is the way to motivate them? MELPOMENE: Why did you decide to strike out on your own? DAVID: Yeah, a number of them obviously felt that while our relationship was important, it was based on our work together, so they were more likely to do business with Macquarie than some guy whos just starting out. "It was like the last supper," one onlooker said. We definitely know a lot of people, but this business was not built on that. What: Equis is focused on the development, construction, ownership and operation of energy, including renewable and hybrid (gas and renewable) systems, bioenergy and waste processing, and waste recovery infrastructure assets. Hartford, Connecticut, United States. DAVID: When we first set up Equis, foreign investors wanted to talk about China and India, and they werent focused on markets like Thailand and the Philippines. He led Equis development of wind and hydro projects in India. Were a lot happier not only making money but also making a difference. The Tailem Bend Solar Project will be one of the lowest cost solar projects in Australia. Theres a lot of information coming at you and you need to have the ability to identify the issue thats embedded in that information. The company was part of reportedly the largest global renewable energy transaction in history in 2018 when its subsidiary, Equis Energy, was sold to Global Infrastructure Partners for US$5 billion. It could become micro power grid systems where power is generated and distributed locally. DAVID: Years ago, we were just moving paper around. When I stepped out on my own, the thing that surprised me the most was that a lot of my relationships were premised on the basis that I was quite senior at Macquarie. Our purpose is to help current and future generations of Australians and we wont stop until we doso. MELPOMENE: Has ownership changed your motivation towards work? That is unheard of in other places but that was the Skadden mindsetthey were tough and uncompromising. David Russell 1) Director, Clinical Research, Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders; 2) Senior . Equis, in partnership with the Sinan Municipality, is also establishing a fund through which the local community will invest into the project, enabling residents to benefit from Jara's long-term stable income stream. DAVID: They worked hard. We acknowledge that our school is on the Country of the people of the Kulin Nations. The partners, most of them ex-Macquarie bankers, had delivered for their investors, who included some of the biggest institutional names in the world: the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Company (Utimco), Partners Group, Willis Towers Watson, BlackRock, JPMorgan Pension, numerous Australian superannuation funds, and others representing the Dutch, German and Malaysian state. But even if we were to assume no change in battery technology, over the next 4 or 5 years, we need another $1.1 trillion just for the renewable energy space in Asia. Equis Development has announced investments into the South Korean waste and solar markets, and the Japanese biomass market. I also have a responsibility to the company in this respect, and were trying to be more socially orientated now. These governments need to grow and theyre putting in place very stable regulatory regimes. Prior to joining Equis, he was the Head of Trading and Wholesale Markets at Goldwind Australia. Save 397,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year or the equivalent of removing 83,860 passenger vehicles from Australian roads. If you benchmark me against our local project developers, Im risk-averse; but if you benchmark me against a credit guy from a central bank, youll probably view me as risk-seeking [laughs]. Please try again later. Bryce Paterson is a legal professional with over 10 years of experience both internationally and domestically in Australia. He has delivered assets in Europe, Middle East and Australia. Apparently Pell was flanked by a number of priests. People start thinking that these are the bad guys, but based on my experience, its not the case. MELPOMENE: Whats one thing off the top of your head? In October 2017, Equis sold Equis Energy to a Global Infrastructure Partners led consortium for US$5 billion, the largest renewable energy transaction in history at the time. David Russell, Equis Funds Group CEO, said, "This year Equis expanded our renewable energy investments in both India and Japan, and added two major projects in the Philippines. Its not just gratuitous giving. Chris Wright is Asia editor. But maybe thats a good thing, you see all these people whose primary focus has been work all their lives and sometimes when a death happens in the family, all of a sudden they stop and go: What am I doing? As the former CEO and Chairman of Equis Energy, David raised and invested over AUD$ 7.9 billion of equity in independent and institutional infrastructure funds across Asia-Pacific. "I understand now how people can love a person who does awful things. MELPOMENE: Steve Jobs said that you can only connect the dots looking backwardsis that true of your experiences? MELPOMENE HUA: Why did you decide to be profiled after years of being under the radar? Liz has over 14 years' experience of statutory planning experience within the infrastructure and renewable energy sector in Australia. In Equis, all the senior people feel like theyre involved in the decision-making process and in terms of remuneration, its a meritocracy here. DAVID: Its definitely not who you know. "Athlete | Empire" presents the in-depth, intimate stories of these businesses, as told by the players themselves. Singapore, 27 March, 2017 In 2015, Equis, Asias largest independent renewable energy investor, commissioned nine (9) solar, wind and hydro projects in India, Japan and the Philippines, with a total generation capacity of 407.4 MW. . David Russell, partner and co-founder of Equis comments, "Following a number of significant and successful divestments including the sale of the Equis Energy portfolio to Global Infrastructure Partners, we have identified significant new investment and growth opportunities and Mark's appointment to the partnership will significantly strengthen . Share Your Design Ideas, New JerseysMurphy Defends $10 Billion Rainy Day Fund as States Economy Slows, This Week in Crypto: Ukraine War, Marathon Digital, FTX, CEO/Partner/Co-Founder, Equis Funds Group. His work has included regulatory advice, project delivery advice, and transactional advice. DAVID: Skydiving! For the guys underneath me, there were only so many senior positions available and it created frustration for those competing for it. The clearance of funds that day in January 2018 marked the conclusion of the biggest renewable energy sale ever completed. Congratulations to the Class of 2020, recording our best ever results. Equis Energy had a clear strategy of developing and constructing renewable energy generation assets in Asian rural areas, and David mandated that each investment support the health, education and infrastructure of the communities in which each asset was located, changing the lives of thousands of vulnerable parents and children.