A Word From Our Founder:

Why I Do What I Do

Since school I wanted to be like New Zealand investment banker Michael Fay (maybe someday I’ll finance an America’s Cup bid!)

Towards the end studying Finance and Accounting at university, I was keen to put what I learned into action, and I started consulting for startup businesses.

However, a common complaint I got was “You’re 21. You haven’t got your hands dirty. You haven’t been there and done that.”

Around this time, I did an entrepreneurship course at university, which gave me the opportunity to put together my plan and start up a cafe out of a private hospital.

I did everything from project-managing the build to running the cafe’s day-to-day operations. Seven months later, I sold it and chased a new challenge – the biggest players in global financial markets.

My various roles in the big end of town moulded my identity as a business polymath – someone who has deep expertise in many facets of business.

After 12 years in the corporate sphere, I grew disheartened.

So I created Byronvale Advisors, and business got exciting and fun again.

For over 30 years I have been solving complex problems for a diverse range of businesses and industries. I’ve worked with sole traders to publicly listed companies from horse racing to property development, manufacturing and many more. What I know to be true is that the nuts and bolts of all businesses are the same, regardless of the industry.

 I’ve written two books to help business owners thrive, the latest being TRIAGE, The Art of Business Turnarounds.

When I’m not helping business owners transform their business from being at crisis point to thriving, and providing them with the money and lifestyle they started their business to achieve in the first place, you can find me fly fishing on a river somewhere.

Stephen Barnes