The Executive team of Stride consists of Jon Brett, Alan Chonowitz and Belinda Dorfan. The Stride team have each been involved in venture capital, private equity and funds management for over 30 years. They have collectively raised and managed over $1 billion of equity for several funds, and have a proven track record in establishing, structuring, managing and divesting equity investments. Most recently the members of the Stride Team were executives of the Investec Bank (Australia) Group including in particular, Investec’s private equity fund manager, Investec Wentworth Private Equity.
Jon Brett
Executive DirectorJon is a seasoned private equity professional. Jon was a director of Investec Wentworth Private Equity and was responsible for sourcing, executing, growing and divesting investee companies. Jon was also a member of Investec’s credit committee and was responsible for Investec’s direct investments. Jon has extensive experience in the areas of management, operations, finance and corporate advisory. Jon’s experience also includes several years as managing director of a number of publicly listed companies and was also formerly the non-executive deputy president of the NRMA. Jon is currently on the board of Vocus Group Limited and several unlisted companies. In the mid 1990’s, Jon was the CEO of Techway Limited which pioneered internet banking in Australia. Jon holds degrees in accounting and commerce.
Alan Chonowitz
Executive DirectorAlan was the Deputy CEO and Finance Director of Investec Bank (Australia) Limited until July 2014. Alan chaired the Credit Committee, was a member of the Investment Committee and an executive director of Investec Bank and Investec Wentworth Private Equity. Alan’s most recent role at Investec was to lead the team that achieved the very successful sale of Investec Bank to the Bank of Queensland. Alan is an independent non-executive director of various subsidiaries in the Wealth Division of a major listed Australian financial institution. Alan is a chartered accountant with degrees in accounting and commerce.
Tamara Williams
Executive DirectorTamara is an experienced financial advisor and funds manager, with over 20 years experience in the property investment banking and funds management sectors. Her most significant roles have been Joint Head of Property Advisory at Investec Bank (Australia) Limited and Director of Property Advisory for Westpac Institutional Bank. Tamara has originated, executed and managed many property related transactions within specialised industries, including agriculture and food, hospitality, retail, commercial property, industrial, aged care and child care. She has advised many companies on the financial implications of their property holding strategies. Tamara is a chartered accountant with degrees in accounting and commerce.
Belinda Dorfan
Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance
Belinda is responsible for Governance, Risk and Compliance at StrideCorp. Belinda is a qualified solicitor and has over 18 years experience in legal, compliance and risk. She has been involved in the funds management and private equity businesses of Investec Bank (Australia) Limited. Belinda currently also holds the role of Senior Legal Counsel within a division of a large banking organisation. Prior to her current roles Belinda was the Head of Compliance at Investec Bank (Australia) Limited.
Maria Halasz
CEO, Stride Equity
A lifelong venture investor, Maria leverages 15 years’ experience as founder and CEO of ASX listed technology company Anagenics Limited, and a prior 10 years in corporate finance and venture capital assisting early-stage companies with capital raising, scale-up and international expansion. Recognised for her experience in funding and commercialising technologies internationally, she executed several cross-border mergers and acquisitions, opened new markets, built multidisciplinary teams, led digital transformation, and navigated companies through complex regulatory environments. An experienced non-executive director and contributor to the start-up ecosystem, she is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Member of Women on Boards, AusBiotech and Women in Media, Connector at Heads Over Heels and is Councilor at the Australian Industry Group.
Stefan Zurflueh
COO, Stride Equity
Stefan has over four years of experience as a business strategist in the Venture Capital and Not-for-Profit sector. In his previous role, he gained deep insights into the Australian start-up community, focusing primarily on AI-native and AI-driven HRtech, Martech, Edtech and Healthtech startups. He co-developed the firm's brand, strategies, and business operations, which led to managing the portfolio companies, investor, partner, and mentor network. Within Murimoos, a Swiss NPO, he co-led the digital transformation of the business by implementing various new digital products and services and touchpoints, enhancing the customer experience. At Stride Equity he oversees daily operations and various projects. Furthermore, he is actively sourcing potential investees and is involved in the due diligence and all other aspects of the business.