Our Team
Peter Smith
Distribution Manager
Philippa Campbell
Finance Manager
John Alford
Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer
Dip. Financial Planning
John is a founding Executive Director of VIP, the Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of VIP’s Investment Committee. He is responsible for the direction of VIP’s investment strategy, distribution and portfolio performance.
John has extensive financial experience with over 35 years in the stockbroking and broader finance industry. At Herbert P Cooper & Son, John was a market maker running a 24-hour global stock book for large institutional accounts. In 1986 John moved to New York with Prudential Bache where he established a market for News Corp on the New York Trading Floor. John’s Financial Planning experience includes roles as a financial planner at Winchcombe Carson Financial Planning, and Founder, Managing Director, & Senior Financial Planner at Manly Financial Services. Whilst a financial planner John managed direct share portfolios for many of the firm’s clients and developed a multimillion-dollar direct share book.
Raffi Pailagian
Managing Director
MBA, B Sc, DipFP
Raffi is the Managing Director of Value Investment Partners and Manly Financial Services. He is responsible for VIP’s overall business strategy, business operations and marketing.
Raffi has a Bachelor of Science in genetics and biotechnology, after shifting from medical research Raffi gained over 20 years experience in the finance industry. His further studies in business and finance include an MBA (Management Consulting and Change) and a Diploma in Financial Planning. Raffi’s commercial experience includes roles as a: Financial Planner at Winchcombe Carson Financial Planning; Founder, Managing Director, & Senior Financial Planner at Manly Financial Services; Founder and Managing Director of Value Investment Partners.
Darren Vincent
Executive Director and Portfolio Manager
Bachelor of Economics
Darren is an Executive Director, Portfolio Manager and member of VIP’s Investment Committee. He is responsible for managing VIP’s direct equity and managed fund investments, portfolio construction and compliance. This includes responsibility for VIP’s fundamental research, maintaining relations with Corporate and Fund Manager investees, and portfolio performance.
Darren has over 20 years experience in the Australian Equities Market having previously worked on the sell side for Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas, ANZ Securities and more recently Shaw and Partners. He has extensive research experience across a wide range of industrial sectors, has advised on a dozen ASX listings and many capital raisings. Darren’s buy side experience includes roles on a number of investment committees including: VIP Investment Management, Shaw and Partners and at the SHORE school.
Benjamin Halliwell
General Counsel
BEc, LLB (Hon), Grad Dip LLP, Grad Dip Fin, FINSIA
Ben is a corporate adviser with over 15 years’ experience in the South East Asian and Australian financial markets. He has held senior positions in stockbroking (Head of Desk at ELC Baillieu, Head of Desk at ABN Amro, Stockbroker at Macquarie Group), funds management (Red Cross Investment Committee, Paragon Treasury and Premium Funds IC), and numerous board positions (AFL NT, St Mary’s FC and the regional SA/NT council for FINSIA).
In addition to being VIP’s General Counsel Ben is currently registered as a Special Counsel, Solicitor practising with Needham, Ainsworth Lawyers. Public Policy measures Ben has worked on include: unconventional gas, mining, the prudent person principle and funds creation and ports construction.
Chris Lioutas
Investment Committee Member
M AppFin, B Com (Accounting), B AppFin
Chris has 15 years experience in the Finance industry including roles as the Chief Investment Officer of PSK Financial Services and various roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia where he provided a range of financial research services to CBA’s financial advisers, licensees and internal stakeholders.
Chris is currently the Principal behind Insight Investment Consultants (IIC), an investment consulting business set up in 2013 to provide services to financial advisers and licensees. IIC’s research services cover managed funds, listed securities (shares, ETFs, hybrids), economics, geopolitics, and asset allocation. IIC’s clients and relationships with some of Australia’s largest fund managers affords it unique insights into the issues confronting and expectations of thought leaders across the wealth management space world-wide.
Ken Fleming
Investment Committee Member
B Econ (Honours), GradDip Econ, GradDip FP, DipFS, FINSIA
Ken has over 35 years experience in the Australian and international equity markets. He held senior roles at Deutsche Bank (Head of Telecoms, Technology, and Media and Established DB’s Global Telecoms Research Team), James Capel Australia (Equities Research), Tricom (Head of Research) and Aegis (Director & Head of Research). He has also worked in the Australian public service and at KPMG.
Ken is a Non-executive Director of Shellfish Culture, Castray Capital, TasmaNet and Pure Foods Tasmania (ASX:PFT). Ken holds an honours degree in economics, post graduate qualifications in economics and finance and is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.
Radek Zeleny
Investment Committee Member
B Sc (Hons), B MathFin (Hons), GradDip AppFin
Radek has over 20 years experience in company analysis, financial modelling, quantitative analysis, project management and IT project implementation. He has held a number of senior positions including: Quantitative Analyst at BZW & ABN AMR; Analyst in Banking & Financials at BBY Ltd; Senior Analyst at Aegis Equities; Quantitative Analyst at WilsonHTM; Investment Consultant at Greenard Willing; Editor at CBA Equities Research; and Head of Research at Mainstreet Equities.
Phil Muir
Investment Committee Member
FIAAUST, FIA, DipFP
Phil has extensive market, analysis, and research experience. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, NZ, UK & USA, and has over 53 years of commercial experience including roles as: Actuarial Student at AMP Society; Superannuation Actuary at Aetna Life & Health; General Manager & Company Actuary at Munich Re Australia; Senior Consultant at Buck Consultants; Managing Director of Gerling Global Life Re & Director Gerling Global Group; and Actuary at Fijicare Insurance Ltd. Phil was a Founding Partner, and Financial Planner at Manly Financial Services Pty Ltd; and was a Founder & Investment Committee Member at Value Investment Partners.
Bevan Dickerson
Head Trader / Analyst
Bevan is VIP’s Head Trader responsible for all of VIP’s trading activities across the Xplore, Hub24, Praemium and IRESS platforms. He is the designated point of contact for broking houses and liaises extensively with VIP’s platform providers. Bevan is also VIP’s ESG officer, responsible for assisting the Portfolio Manager with investment analysis and providing performance reports for the Investment Committee and clients. Bevan is currently completing a Bachelor of Commerce; Finance and Statistics at Macquarie University.
Saxon is an Associate responsible for assisting with VIP’s trading activities across the Xplore, Hub24, Praemium and IRESS platforms. Saxon is also the Investment Committee Secretary responsible for documenting Investment Committee minutes and producing performance reports for the Investment Committee and clients. Saxon is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts; Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Macquarie University.
Chris Jones
Senior Analyst
Chris has over a decade’s experience in the Australian finance industry working for wholesale boutique Investment funds and stockbroking firms. He has experience in portfolio management, corporate transactions, asset allocation and operational management of listed funds. Chris also has derivative experience with risk management frameworks and efficient portfolio management schemes primarily, under the Collective Investment schemes rules. This includes assisting in the setup, launching and ongoing running of both OEIC structures in the UK and EIF funds domiciled in Gibraltar which has resulted in relationships with Fund Managers/Custodians and service providers around the globe.
James Titcombe
Senior Analyst
James has worked in the financial services industry since 1999, relocating from the UK in 2006. Working for DJ Carmichael Pty Ltd (DJC) from 2007 to 2017, James held a variety of roles including three years as a Risk and Compliance Officer, before transitioning to an advice based role which included providing portfolio management, wealth creation strategies, strategic investment and asset allocation services to retail, wholesale and institutional clients. After leaving DJC, James designed a Momentum Strategy, which forms the basis for the rule-based discretionary growth strategy currently offered to clients of Emerald Capital Australia.
Peter smith
Distribution Manager
Peter Smith is the Managing Director & Co-Founder of Burra Asset Management and VIPs Distribution Manager. Peter is a Yorta Yorta man who grew up in Sydney – Gadigal country. He has over 25 years experience and knowledge in financial services industry which started in Asset Management & Investment Banking. Indigenous Prosperity is centric to all of Peter’s partnerships. He is currently completing a Masters of Financial technology at UNSW.
Philippa campbell
Finance Manager
BA (Anthropology), Certificate Financial Planning and Services
Philippa is responsible for managing VIP’s business operations including all accounting, marketing and financial functions. Philippa has been with VIP since 2013 prior to which she ran her own bookkeeping business and has been the Financial Manager at Manly Financial Services for nine years. Philippa has a degree from the University of Sydney in Anthropology and post graduate qualifications in financial planning.