Lee Vakas
Director
Telephone: 
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Email: Lee@toroliberty.com
Lee co-founded Toro Liberty in 2011 and is a Director. He has extensive experience as both a corporate adviser and strategist, and investor across a range of industries. He is a specialist in corporate and institutional analysis, corporate advisory, private equity, risk management, equity and debt capital markets, and operational management.
He has worked with and assisted a number of companies in the Technology, Financial, Transport, FMCG, Real Estate, Agriculture, Education, and Manufacturing industries.
Lee was also a strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and prior to that was responsible for a multi-billion dollar portfolio of corporates and institutions with a substantial credit approval authority. He was also the Risk Officer of Bank of Sydney.
Lee holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Majors in Accounting and Finance from the University of New South Wales, and post-graduate qualifications in Applied Finance and Investment (FINSIA).
Sean O'Neill
Director
Telephone: +61 435 944 315
Email: Sean@toroliberty.com
Sean is a Director and Authorised Representative of Toro Liberty. He is also a Director of the Melbourne-based and highly respected Corporate Advisory firm - Nash Advisory.
Sean has over 20 years experience as a seasoned financial executive and client advisor who has undertaken a number of successful investments. He has held several board positions, been a director of medium and large sized corporates, and managed numerous business sales. Sean developed a deep understanding of financial structuring in the Cayman Islands with a Big 4 accounting firm before shifting his career focus on investment management with a global investment bank.
Sean was also a Director with Lazard Australia Private Equity, a Melbourne-based investment fund manager that completed over $450 million of investments across 29 separate deals. Sean was heavily involved with sportswear company '2XU', NBN installation contractor 'Skybridge', and Australia's leading provider of rural primary healthcare 'Ochre Health Group'.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Majors in Accounting and Finance from the University of New South Wales, is a Chartered Accountant, and a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Ryan Thorne
Senior M&A Advisor
Telephone: +61 403 170 350
Email: Ryan@toroliberty.com
Ryan is Toro's legal and senior M&A advisor. He comes to Toro Liberty from King & Wood Mallesons and is also one of BlackRock's Legal and Compliance officers. He has 20 years of experience in negotiating mergers & acquisitions (including asset and share sales, restructures, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, management equity plans, and other corporate advisory work)
Ryan has worked as an advisor to Toro Liberty on several complex M&A matters and brings a wealth of experience in structuring and executing transactions of all sizes and complexity.
Ryan holds Bachelor degrees in Commerce and Law (Hons I), and was the Dux for the Masters of Applied Finance program at FINSIA. He also previously lectured in M&A at Kaplan/FINSIA.
Andrew Foot
Investment Consultant
Telephone: +61 401 136 955
Email: Andrew@toroliberty.com
Andrew has 20 years experience in business and finance. As a business advisor, Andrew worked as a management consultant for a large, global firm and as the founding financial controller for Micway Transport, a successful logistics start-up with a recognisable fleet.
Andrew was also a founding employee of Tibra Trading, an Australia finance start-up, where he helped the company grow from 17 to over 300 employees with an enviable return on capital. Andrew worked across many markets and products, spanning Asia, the US and Australia. More recently he has moved into corporate advisory to apply his experience to mid-market firms. He is also one Australia's best traders and consults to several other start-up businesses as a strategist, advisor and investor.
Andrew holds Bachelor degrees in Commerce and Science with Majors in Actuarial Studies and Physics (scholarship with Distinction). He has also passed level III of the CFA program.
Charlotte Woods
Partner
Telephone: +61 404 518 371
Email: Charlotte@toroliberty.com
Charlotte has been with Toro Liberty since 2013. She is an experienced financial analyst with strong exposure to equity and debt capital markets with top Australia financial institutions. Charlotte is a specialist in providing expert financial analysis on companies across a variety of industries. Her specialty is the consumer sector, but she also has experience with resources, tech, agri, and infrastructure.
Charlotte was also a Senior Equities Analyst at Macquarie Bank where she advised Australia's largest fund managers and corporates. Charlotte also has experience in debt capital markets from working in Project & Infrastructure Finance at Westpac Institutional Bank where she worked to provide debt funding to both domestic and international companies.
Charlotte has completed a Masters of Finance at INSEAD, one of the world's top rated business schools. She is also a CFA charter holder and has a Bachelor of Business Degree with Honours.
Other Toro Liberty team members
Toro Liberty's team also includes investment banking lawyers with many years of experience working at top tier law firms, and private equity experts and investment bankers who have worked at some of the world's largest institutions.