Cameron Partners

Murdo joined Cameron Partners as a founding Partner in 1995. He has over 20 years experience in the New Zealand investment banking market and has led many major mandates at Cameron Partners across the spectrum of M&A transactions. He has also managed a number of listed company takeover and takeover response transactions.

Murdo’s experience also includes restructurings involving financially distressed companies, most notably Air New Zealand in 2001.

Prior to joining Cameron Partners Murdo was Head of Business Development at Telecom New Zealand where he had responsibility for a wide range of Telecom initiatives in New Zealand and offshore. Before Telecom, Murdo was a senior member in the investment banking group at Fay Richwhite & Company. His previous experience also includes time as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Fay Richwhite Investment Management Ltd and as an investment manager for Tower Insurance. Murdo was also Executive Advisor to the Hon Roger Douglas, Minister of Finance in the period 1984 to 1986.

Murdo has an MSocSc with First Class Honours from the University of Waikato and is a member of the New Zealand Takeovers Panel.

Rob established Cameron Partners in 1995. With more than 25 years experience, he is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most skilled investment bankers.

Rob has led many of New Zealand’s high-profile transactions and advisory mandates. Major mandates include advising the Independent Directors of Carter Holt Harvey in relation to the takeover offer from Rank Group Limited, the Board of Fletcher Challenge Forests on the sale of forest assets and the Crown in relation to the restructuring and recapitalisation of Air New Zealand. Rob has also led the firm’s advice to a number of other major clients including Fonterra in relation to their capital structure which led to its decision to adopt a 'new generation' co-operative form and Natural Gas Corporation in relation to its asset disposals and strategic repositioning.

In August 2008, Rob was appointed Chairman of the Government’s Capital Markets Development Task Force. In December 2009 the Task Force produced its final report. The Government has given a favourable response to the report and has generally moved to implement most of the 60 recommendations. These recommendations are transforming capital raising processes for New Zealand listed companies.

Prior to Cameron Partners, Rob headed the Corporate Finance Division of Fay Richwhite. A highlight of his time there was leading Fay Richwhite’s involvement with Telecom New Zealand where Rob advised the purchasing consortium in the privatisation of Telecom in 1989, which saw Fay Richwhite also take an ownership stake. Rob then led the New Zealand team advising on Telecom’s IPO in 1990 - at the time the largest public offering ever in the New Zealand market and the first integrated global offering of shares in a New Zealand company.

Rob has a BCA in Economics with First Class Honours from Victoria University and an MPA (Finance & Economics) from Harvard University. He is a Harkness Fellow, a Hunter Fellow of Victoria University, a Fellow of INFINZ, Chairman of the New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation, a member of the Board of Trustees of Special Olympics New Zealand and a member of the Advisory Board for the Victoria University Faculty of Commerce and Administration.

Ross joined Cameron Partners in 2006 and has over 14 years investment banking experience in New Zealand and internationally.

At Cameron Partners Ross has led the IPO of Xero on the NZX in 2007, its subsequent capital raising in 2009, the IPO of Ecoya on the NZX in 2010, and several disposal mandates including the sales of Pacifica Seafoods, Bernard Matthews NZ and Speirs Finance. He has also executed a range of private fundraisings and acquisition mandates. Ross leads many of Cameron Partners equity capital markets transactions.

Ross was previously a senior investment banker in London with Close Brothers Corporate Finance (ex Hill Samuel) where he worked for nine years. He has a wide range of international investment banking experience in public and private company transactions including takeovers, disposals, acquisitions, mergers, fundraisings, restructurings, strategic advice and acting for international private equity houses and their investee companies.

Prior to Cameron Partners and Close Brothers, Ross spent six years with Deloitte in Wellington and London. Ross is a qualified accountant and has a BCA in Accounting from Victoria University of Wellington.

Hugh joined Cameron Partners in 2003. At Cameron Partners Hugh has provided transaction advice to a range of domestic and international clients including Excell Corporation, Toll NZ, Zespri Group Limited, New Zealand Post, Fonterra and Sitel Worldwide.

He has also advised various Australasian private equity firms on New Zealand based transactions. Hugh has managed a number of transaction mandates in the food and beverage sector. Most recently he has advised Pernod Ricard on the sale of wine and vineyard assets to Lion Nathan, Old Fashioned Foods on the sale of their Baker Hall brand to Coca Cola Amatil and Prolife Foods on their acquisition of the Cadbury owned Mother Earth brand. He has advised Brandlines Limited on the sale of the business to Crescent Capital Partners, Old Fashioned Foods on the acquisition of 70 year old New Zealand business Hansells, and CHAMP Ventures Pty Limited on the acquisition of Taura Natural Ingredients, an international food ingredient business.

Hugh came to Cameron Partners after completing his MBA at Cambridge University. Prior to his time offshore, he spent 10 years at Bankers Trust and Deutsche Bank in their Global Markets Division. Hugh has BCom in Accounting and Finance from the University of Canterbury.

Paul joined Cameron Partners in Wellington in 1996. In 2000 he moved north and established the firm’s Auckland office.

He has led Cameron Partners teams across a wide variety of mandates including transaction advisory, takeover response, capital structure advice, and equity and debt capital raising. Paul’s clients have included Fonterra, Zespri, Gresham Private Equity, DNZ, Ports of Auckland, Excell Corporation, The Warehouse, Prolife Foods, LIC, and Ontrack.

In addition to M&A transactions, Paul has led Cameron Partners advice in several high-value, complex negotiations. These transactions have covered long term energy contracts, commodity supply contracts and outsourcing arrangements.

Prior to joining Cameron Partners, Paul was an executive at Telecom New Zealand where he was responsible for international business development.

Paul has a BCom from the University of Otago and an MSc (Finance) with Distinction from the University of London.

Hugo joined Cameron Partners in 2002 and has more than 18 years experience in investment banking and finance.

At Cameron Partners Hugo has managed assignments and transactions with Christchurch City Holdings, New Zealand Post, Infrastructure Auckland, Meridian Energy, the University of Auckland, TVNZ, Kordia, Auckland City Council, Unison Networks, Christchurch International Airport, Carter Holt Harvey and Auckland University of Technology and a number of private equity clients, including RMB Capital Partners and Sturgess Equities.

Hugo also leads most of Cameron Partners’ debt capital markets advisory and transaction mandates.

Prior to joining Cameron Partners, Hugo worked at Bancorp and earlier spent eight years with Westpac Banking Corporation and BNP Paribas specialising in research, credit analysis and senior institutional lending roles.

Hugo holds a BCom (Hons) in Economics and Graduate Diploma in Finance from the University of Otago.

Toby joined Cameron Partners in 2005.

At Cameron Partners, Toby has led advice on transactions in the healthcare, consumer products, building and office products, rural supplies, property and energy sectors. Toby's experience includes working with international and domestic publicly listed companies, state-owned enterprises and co-operative organisations. With a background in industry and strategy related roles, Toby's has also provided strategic and capital management advice across a range of sectors.

Toby came to Cameron Partners after working in Hong Kong with investment bank Jardine Fleming Securities and international advisory firm Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, where he worked on a number of strategic advisory and cross border M&A transactions. He began his career with New Zealand Milk (the consumer products business unit of Fonterra) where he specialised in brand and business development and worked mainly in Central America, Mexico and Taiwan.

He holds an LLB and BCom from the University of Otago and an MBA (with Distinction) from Insead, France.