Real Team

The founder of Central Real, Tony is an entrepreneurial businessman who spent 25 years in Eastern Europe establishing his company AAA Automotive.

Over these 25 years, AAA Automotive came to be one of the largest automotive dealership networks in the world, buying and selling over 1.5 million cars and growing to over 4,000 employees across 40 sites in five countries.

Tony publicly listed the company in 2007 and 8 years later delisted and sold to private equity. Having owned a property on the Central Coast for 23 years, Tony identified the enormous potential the Central Coast had to offer and decided to move back and establish Central Real. His multiple quality finished projects are testament to his unwavering belief in the region which was further highlighted when he established the internationally renowned Gosford Classic Car Museum, one of the largest privately owned car collections in the world.

Appointed Central Real’s Chief Executive Officer in 2015, Richard is responsible for the set up and operation of the Central Coast’s most active property development and construction company, taking it from concept to a market-leading force in just a few years. As a respected industry identity known for his leadership expertise, Richard has extensive experience in strategic property investment, development, acquisition and divestment. His hands-on approach ensures only the premier sites are sourced and developed to complement their surroundings.

Reporting to the Founder & Group CEO, Emma Kennedy brings a high level of dedication and organisation to her role as Group Administrator for both the Central Real and Central Construct teams. With more than 10 years of experience in customer service, sales, HR and office management, Emma’s extensive experience extends across all areas of the business.

With over 20years experience in accounting in national and international firms across various industries, Karen leads our Accounts team responsible for the financial operations for the Denny Group in Australia including Central Real and Central Construct businesses. Karen joined the business in early 2016 and has been an integral part of the Senior Management team looking after the overall financial health of the business as it experiences its rapid growth.

Zoe Ramsay provides comprehensive legal and HR support to the Central Real Group. With an early foundation in property and commercial law, Zoe’s recent focus has been on corporate law, land access and business development in connection with the mining and resources sector. While appreciating Central Real’s risk management imperatives, Zoe’s advice is given with an eye on the group’s underlying values of quality, integrity and innovation.

As the Financial Services Manager at Central Real, Mike brings extensive experience in credit lending and investment analysis to the Central Real team. A native of Silicon Valley’s innovative environment in the States, Mike adds a unique skillset to the company. Working with leading financial companies as well as owning and managing a lending firm in San Francisco, he has developed a drive to assist his clients with the utmost attention to detail along with personal engagement to serve his clients’ needs. With a passion for the environment, he has also served several years as director for a leading renewable energy company. Having relocated to the coast where his wife was raised, he has wholeheartedly embraced the region and everything life on the coast brings.

Alan brings extensive development and management experience, working with major companies to manage a diverse range of landmark property projects both within Australia and overseas. Experience with both the government and private sectors has enabled Alan to successfully deliver complex projects from initial planning through to completion. With over 35 years’ experience Alan has a widely respected record of achievement.

Matt is a design-led developer with a strong passion for curating exceptional projects. Leaning into his interdisciplinary expertise and tenure with some of Australia’s leading architectural studios & listed developers, Matt holds in tension both his strong overarching project vision, and high-level attention to detail as principal values from acquisition, through delivery to settlement - a process proven successful in having delivered industry leading residential and mixed-use projects nationally.

Emma brings her global marketing experience to Central Real, having led marketing teams in Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary. Her expertise across all areas of research, customer experience, social media and analytics ensures Central Real continues to connect and communicate effectively across all areas of the business.

Originally from Sydney, Lisa has lived and worked on the Coast in the finance sector for the past 17 years and has an Advanced Diploma in Accounting. She has worked as Finance Officer, Accounts Administrator and Payroll Officer across the not-for-profit sector, automotive industry, education, architecture and commercial construction industries and is passionate about providing the best possible customer service and support to our customers and colleagues alike.

Melissa joined the Central Real team after more than a decade of invaluable experience in residential real estate. Born and raised on the Central Coast, she has an extremely thorough knowledge of the region and a strong understanding of how the area has developed over the years. Her combined skills give her the ability to communicate with her clients effectively and provide the highest level of customer service across multiple projects.

With five years’ customer service and real estate sales and administration experience, Taylor assists all departments with her positive, can-do attitude. As avital part of the service team, she works across every project to ensure effective communication and assistance from sales through to settlement. Having grown up on the Central Coast, she is proud to be a part of a company that is dedicatedto the growth of the region.

With over 30 years in Construction & Property Development Industry and over 15 years Project Management experience, Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and qualifications to our entire construction team. His experience spans residential, retail, hospitals and hotel construction where he has managed teams on award-winning projects for Tier 1 developers such as Mirvac in Sydney and Perth and Frasers Property Group Australia. Kevin is also a member of the Australian Institute of Building.

Peter has 32 years of experience in the construction industry, commencing with the restoration of the Queen Victoria Building along with several other commercial development projects in Sydney. Since 1995 Peter worked overseas as a Construction Manager, Project Manager and Project Director on varied mega projects ranging from a semi-conductor plant for Intel Shanghai PRC, Zloty Tarazy Mega shopping mall in Warsaw Poland, Marina Bays Sands Integrated Resort Singapore and MGM resorts in Macau. Peter has gained valuable experience in different concepts of building and construction methodology as well as how to deal with different clients and cultures.

Ryan completed his apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery before working for a commercial builder in Tasmania. He has worked extensively within the construction industry as leading hand and site supervisor roles before moving into a management role on Hamilton Island. During this time Ryan also completed formal Project Management and Construction Management qualifications and gained his builder’s licence before moving back into the construction industry as a construction project manager.

As Site Manager across Central Real’s premier sites such as Elysium, Paul brings with him over 33 years of experience in construction. Having commenced his trade as a bricklayer, he has gone on to work for some of the biggest names in the industry including Meriton Apartments, building over 2,000 units in Sydney during this time. At Central Real he manages every part of the project from the steel right through to the carpet, overseeing the entire team to deliver projects that exceed expectations.

Paul brings over 33 years in the construction industry, having worked on some of Australia’s largest commercial projects including Stadium Australia (ANZ), Royal North Shore Hospital and Darling Park, to name a few. His previous roles with Lendlease in Sydney, Multiplex and Baxter O’Hara has provided immense experience in delivering a diverse range of high quality commercial and residential projects, from architecturally designed homes to luxury shopping centres and high-profile stadiums. Paul oversees all aspects of our construction sites, ensuring the efficiency of large-scale teams, safety and equipment.

Bevan started with his apprenticeship and trade with Stuart Bros constructions and was Leading Hand at Hilliers, overseeing and managing the build of architecturally designed homes for over 15 years. His high-end residential experience and eye for detail on site means all trades are managed to ensure quality work is achieved from start to finish.

Having worked in the construction industry for over 22 years and a carpenter by trade, Adam also owned his own building company, delivering architecturally designed homes. As a craftsman, he loves to ensure the finer details are achieved in quality projects. His attention to detail and passion for finishes and facades brings an essential skill to the team to refining the developments to ensure they meet the highest possible standards.

Katherine is currently studying Construction Management at the University of Newcastle and joined the Central Real team in May 2018 as a Cadet. Prior to this, Katherine worked with a Tier 1 subcontractor in Sydney and came on board with Central Real to be a part of revitalising the Central Coast. As a local to The Coast she is incredibly passionate about creating high quality developments in her local community and is an instrumental team player in delivering projects including the recently completed Elysium luxury development at Terrigal.

Joining Central Real as a cadet and now as Leading Hand, Peter brings a wealth of experience with a background working in the landscaping industry for over 20 years. He is currently studying Construction Management at the University of Newcastle and has worked across several Central Real projects since he commenced in 2018.

The resident Central Real New Zealander, Keith has a background of over 20 years in construction, working across projects in London, Newcastle and Sydney. His carpenter trade means his expertise has spanned commercial, retail and residential apartment developments, and he brings his intuitive knowledge and hands-on approach to the team across all aspects of a development.

With 30 years of experience in the building industry and a Bachelor of Building Degree at UNSW, Ken specialised in large scale projects ranging from $100 million to $6 billion in Sydney, working on major residential projects. A Central Coast local, he brings his extensive experience to Central Real in key risk planning and financial forecasting, Safety in Design review (SID) and Value Engineering solutions, working to identify key design, delivery risks and opportunities to ensure highest quality outputs.

Lana completed a Bachelor of Civil Engineering in her home country of Belarus. Lana worked in property development and several high-profile commercial projects before moving to Australia in 2011. She gained qualifications in Business Administration, Bookkeeping, and Project Management. Leveraging her qualifications with her tenacious personality, high attention to detail and accuracy, Lana ideally suits roles in project cost management.