Your Trusted Advisors / Ko o Kaitohutohu Whakapono

Chris Knight

Chris Knight is Chief Executive Officer of Opteon Global. Since taking on the role of CEO in 2016, Chris has cultivated a growth culture through initiation and support of more than 20 acquisitions throughout the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

In 2021, Chris relocated from Australia to the United States to further grow Opteon USA which provides both appraisal management and staff appraisal services. He is passionate about market disruption through development of great people, process, data software, and technology. By leveraging strategic partnerships, Chris aims to replicate the success Opteon has had in other markets to bring consistent same-day appraisals to the United States.

In addition to being a certified Australian valuer, Chris also has an accounting background and dual master’s degrees in Business Administration and Business Property. On a personal note, Chris is a licensed pilot and golfer.

Lisa Billington

Lisa commenced with Opteon in 2016, playing an important role in Opteon’s transformation to an integrated structure in early 2017, and Opteon’s 27 acquisitions since her commencement.

Lisa is responsible for Opteon’s global legal, risk, compliance, quality and secretariat functions, leading a team of 25 professionals to support Opteon’s strategy and growth in a way that balances opportunities with risk.

Lisa is a senior corporate lawyer with significant experience across a wide range of areas including mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance and general commercial law. Prior to joining the Opteon team, Lisa worked at law firms Clayton Utz and Maddocks and in-house for an education and media company.

Lisa holds a current legal practising certificate, a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and has completed the Governance Institute of Australia’s Certificate of Governance Practice. She was included in Australasian Lawyer’s 2022 in-house leaders list.

Michael Renshaw

Michael is the Chair and Non-Executive Director of Opteon. With almost 30 years’ senior management experience, Michael possesses a strong understanding of international markets, strategic management, mergers and acquisitions and profitable growth at the Board, CEO and Senior Executive level.

Michael is CEO of Trilon Group, a North American based infrastructure consulting firm with annual revenue exceeding $300m. Michael was the Chief Growth Officer at AECOM, the worlds’ largest integrated design and construction firm with annual revenue of US$20 billion and a workforce of 56,000. Michael was also the CEO and Managing Director of Cardno, an engineering, environmental and management services company. At that time, Cardno was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (an ASX200 company). He also previously served as an Independent Director on the Board of Nasdaq listed NV5 (NVEE) a compliance, technology and engineering firm providing solutions to public and private infrastructure.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Business (Hons) and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.

Cliff Rosenberg

Cliff Rosenberg joined Opteon’s Board of Directors in December 2020.

Cliff is an active investor, advisor and board member in the technology sector.

He is a member of the Anacacia Capital Business Advisory Council, and a non-executive director on four listed companies: Nearmap (ASX), TechnologyOne (ASX), A2B (ASX) and Bidcorp (JSE).

With a passion for the start-up space, Cliff was instrumental in helping start, and grow, Australia’s leading online restaurant booking platform, Dimmi.com.au, which was sold to Tripadvisor in 2015; and was an early advisor to Afterpay, and on the board from IPO in 2016 to mid 2020.

In 2009 Cliff was the first employee for LinkedIn in the Asia Pacific region and was MD for Australia NZ and South East Asia from 2009 to 2017. He was also the MD of Yahoo! Australia NZ from 2003 to 2006.

Cliff holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business and information systems and is a member of the AICD.

Leslie Butterfield

Leslie has been a Non-Executive Director of Opteon since October 2017.

Leslie has a civil engineering degree and background in Project Management and has a wealth of international and local experience in corporate advisory, corporate finance, business development, strategic planning and senior executive roles.

She has a strategic focus on technology and innovation in new and existing businesses. She is a strong supporter of, and mentor to, women in her industry, and is a frequent public speaker actively encouraging young women to consider a career in engineering.

Leslie is currently a Non-Executive Director of ASX listed Vivid Technology Limited, RKF Engineering and the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.

Leslie holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York. Leslie is also an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jonathan Bloxsom

FAPI CPV

Jonathan joined Opteon in 2009 and has served on Opteon’s Board of Directors since since July 2010.

Jonathan is a fellow of the Australian Property Institute and a Certified Practicing Valuer with accreditations in both the valuation and economy streams of the Australian Property Institute.

His areas of expertise are industrial, office and retail property, rental valuations and advocacy, development projects and subdivisional property, and prestige residences.

Jonathan’s role in the business is focused on international expansion and investment into new markets for Opteon.

Jeremy Samuel

Jeremy Samuel joined Opteon’s Board of Directors in December 2020.

Jeremy is the founder and Managing Director of Anacacia Capital. He is responsible for the overall management of the firm and chairs the investment committee.

He holds an MBA from Yale University School of Management and Arts/Law degrees from the University of New South Wales.

​Jeremy has led investments into small-medium enterprises (SMEs) across a range of industries including in consumer, services and industrial businesses. He is the former Chair of ANZ’s private equity management committee and was previously a strategy consultant with Booz Allen (now PwC Strategy).

Jeremy is currently the Non-Executive Chair of Anacacia portfolio companies Duncan Technologies, Sureway and Pump Haircare, and was the former lead director for Anacacia’s successful investments into the following businesses:
Appen
Lomb Scientific
Home Appliances
Yumi’s Quality Foods

Jeremy has also been a director of other companies, including Big River and Direct Couriers.