James Spenceley

www.mhor.com.au

F O U N D E R V O C U S C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

C H A I R M A N A I R TA S K E R

C E O & C O - F O U N D E R M H O R A S S E T M A N A G E M E N T

A W A R D - W I N N I N G E N T R E P R E N E U R

V C I N V E S T O R

Biography

It’s realising the potential in the little things that count, and there’s no one in the investment space who sees the future as clearly as James Spenceley, who built one of Australia’s largest telcos from the ground up—and then left it to focus on mentoring and investing in early-stage startups and small-cap businesses. James is the Chairman of Airtasker and Silver Heritage Group (ASX:SVH).

By the year 2000, he had seven years’ experience in internet services—almost unheard of in those early days—and was appointed head of network design at ISP COMindico, once slated as a Telstra rival. While the failure of COMindico taught him a lot about all facets of how to (and how not to) run a business, it initially drove him to a sea change. James bought a bar in Odessa, Ukraine and ran it for a few years, an educational but unprofitable venture that led him to realise his strength of experience in telecommunications.

James returned to Australia in 2006. By the following year, he realised that consumers needed choice beyond the telco duopoly of Telstra and Optus and decided to break it with a challenger ISP. Pioneering the new era of startups, he raised $1 million by selling his house and pouring in his savings to fund Vocus Communications, now Australia’s 4th largest telecommunications company.

By the time James stepped down as CEO of Vocus in February 2016, it had 1,500 staff, annual revenues of $1.8 billion, and a market capitalisation of $5 billion. In addition to twice being an EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner, James has featured several times on the BRW Young Rich List and is one of the youngest people in Australia to have run a billion-dollar company. In May 2018 he was inducted into the CommsDay Hall of Fame.

As someone who thrives on challenge, James has also given a hand up in the sporting arena, rescuing struggling basketball team the Illawarra Hawks when it went into voluntary administration in 2014. He financed it until February 2018, during which time the NBL team went from 8th in the league to grand finalists in the 2016-17 season, thanks to this support.

After divesting himself of Vocus, James co-founded MHOR Asset Management, returning to an early love of investing. MHOR is a specialist small capital investment fund, reflecting James’ love of startups and small things that make a big difference. James’ personal investment portfolio includes Airtasker, Marley Spoon, Spaceship and Integrated Green Energy Solutions (ASX:IGE).

Notable Achievements

James Spenceley is an Australian investor, award-winning entrepreneur and company director. He is the CEO and co-founder of MHOR asset management. He is also the Chairman of Airtasker and Silver Heritage Group. James is most widely known as the founder and former CEO of Australia’s 4th largest fixed line telecommunications company, Vocus Communications. When he stepped down as CEO of Vocus in March 2016, the company had a market capitalisation of $5 billion.

Here is a list of some of his most notable achievements:

• 2018 Ranked #11 Top 20 Influential People Lower North Shore

• 2018 CommsDay Edison Awards Hall of Fame

• 2018 Appointed Chairman Silver Heritage Group (ASX:SAVH)

• 2017 & 2018 Judge EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards

• 2016 Appointed Chairman Airtasker

• 2016 BRW Young Rich List with a reported net wealth of $51m

• 2015 Ernst & Young Australian Entrepreneur of the Year Winner (Listed)

• 2015 Ranked #8 AFR CEO’s who deliver

• 2014 Purchased Illawarra Hawks NBL Team

• 2013 Ranked #81 BRW Young Rich List

• 2011 Debuted at #91 on BRW Young Rich List

• 2011 Deloitte Technology fast 50, position 1

• 2010 Vocus Communications listed on the ASX

• 2010 Ernst & Young Australian Entrepreneur of the Year Winner (Young)

• 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Rising star award

• 2007 founded Vocus Communications

Speaking

James Spenceley is a regular commentator on the equity markets, startup investing, leadership, culture and the future of work. James is available to either speak on one of the following topics or can curate a topic to suit your event.

THE FUTURE OF IDEAS: HOW FOUNDERS & INVESTORS SHOULD THINK ABOUT STARTUPS OF THE FUTURE In the early 1990s, James realised the future value in the convenience of email, particular the ability to send large amounts of information. He used that understanding to launch Vocus Communications, a challenger ISP to the well-known duopoly of Telstra and Optus. Vocus was a disruptor before disruption became a well-known business tactic. In this keynote, James shares his strategy for ‘looking into the future’, a lesson in how to spot trajectories that can be applied across other industries, and offers insights from his personal investment experience.

PUT TING THE ‘ TEAM’ INTO LEADERSHIPWhen James speaks about starting Vocus Communications, he tells the story using ‘we’ rather than ‘I’. He says building Australia’s 4th largest telecommunications company would not have been successful without the power of the team. In this keynote, he reflects on his own experience and shares the five key things leaders should be doing to create a team environment that drives success.

DISCOVERING THE SMALL-CAP BREAKOUT STARSIn 2016, James co-founded MHOR Asset Management, which invests in a diverse portfolio of small listed companies across Australia and New Zealand. MHOR has returned more than 30% since February 2016 and Morningstar has rated the fund in the top quartile every month in the 12 months to February 2018. In this presentation, James reveals the three main factors he looks for when picking what to invest in and what preparation investors need for this journey.

STARTUPS: DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO INVEST?James now uses his knowledge and wealth from Vocus Communications to invest in and mentor startups. Some of his better-known include Airtasker and the Mike Cannon Brookes-backed Spaceship. James says investing in startups is not for the faint hearted and in this presentation shares his personal experience to serve as lessons for others.

In the Media

Contact For speaking engagements, media interviews and rate cards, please contact:Samantha Dybac – Managing Director, The PR Hub samantha@theprhub.com.au | +61 411 251 373 | 3/63 William Street, Darlinghurst 2010 NSW Australia