Alison Broinowski
Ali Broinowski was educated in Regional NSW and attended Sydney University to study a Bachelor of Pharmacy. Following graduation, she worked in the corporate sector for ‘Big Pharma’ before a tree change and a farmer brought her to Central West NSW.
During that time, she worked in community pharmacy as a consultant pharmacist for The Outback Division of General Practice as well as consultant pharmacist in Coolah, Muswellbrook, Kandos, Mudgee, Merriwa, Dunedoo and surrounding locales. In her time in regional NSW, Ali has volunteered as pharmacy-mentor to two students – one now living and working locally, and another at Goulburn Hospital. More recently, Ali was fortunate to work as a volunteer coach for the Max Potential project in 2020.
Ali is currently the owner, CEO, ideas lady, employer, counsellor, confidante and friend at ‘Cloth & Feather’. Though still a registered pharmacist, she has not practiced for a number of years – instead she has chosen to launch and grow a small business, providing services for clients she adores.
Ali enjoys the opportunity to share her vast experiences with others. Past mentoring/coaching roles have been extremely rewarding and she is proud of the people those mentees and coachees have become.
A ‘gentle persuader’ is the style of leadership she feels she undertakes. As a great believer of “lead by example” Ali would never ask her staff, children, or mentees to do anything that she is not comfortable in undertaking. Encouraging others to see opportunities, then exciting and nurturing them into great things is how she prefers to operate and looks forward to sharing those philosophies
with others, where she can make a positive impact on someone else’s path be it personal or professional.
Cameron D’Arcy
Cameron D’Arcy is a founder-operator who blends brand storytelling with hard-nosed operations. He began in feature film (including Fool’s Gold, Australia, Wolverine) before co-founding Brightworks in 2013, producing high-end commercials and content for brands such as LEGO, LinkedIn, Destination NSW, Amazon, Canon, McDonald’s and Hoyts.
In 2017, Cameron (along with his wife Natascha) launched Sierra Escape, a multi-award-winning luxury glamping retreat in Mudgee and in 2024 took out the gold award in the Australian Tourism Awards. They are also currently developing Escape Bathhouse, a heritage wellness venue in Sydney.
Cameron mentors with a sleeves-rolled approach: clear strategy, measurable execution, and honest feedback. His strengths span brand and growth strategy, guest experience design, premium positioning, pricing and revenue, compliant build-outs, and the unglamorous plumbing; APIs, automation, payments, and tooling, that makes a business scale. He believes Mudgee’s best decade is ahead and wants to help the next wave of founders move faster, avoid avoidable mistakes, and build resilient, profitable businesses.
Kamran Malik
Kamran Malik was born and raised in Mudgee. He holds a Diploma of IT Network Engineering, two Bachelor Degrees (IT and Computer Science) as well as various other industry certifications
Kam started his career working for a Multi-National Internet Service Provider and then moved into a Network Engineering role for an IT Business in Newcastle which he later acquired in 2009 at the age of 24 and at its peak it had 8 staff. In late 2011, Kam moved back to Mudgee to raise his family and started working with Hi Tech ITworX which was started by his now business partner David Cooper in 2009. Kam alongside David, built the business from just the two of them to what it is today.
In tandem, Kam ran his business in Newcastle until 2014 when he sold that. He became Managing Director of Hi Tech ITworX in 2017 and since then has grown the business into one of the largest IT service providers in regional NSW with 22 Staff (soon to be 23). Originally started in Mudgee, the company now has offices in Mudgee, Orange, Bathurst, Parkes and Dubbo, as well as remote workers in QLD and Newcastle. Hi Tech ITworX is known for its efficient, effective support and its ability to custom-build and upgrade computer systems to precise specifications, with all work carried out and tested in-house by qualified technicians.
When asked to describe his leadership style, Kam shared that he loves speaking with other business owners and genuinely loves helping others find solutions to problems. His leadership style is very much ‘lead by example’ - he would never put his staff in a position that he wouldn’t want to be in himself. Kam treats his staff with respect and aims to lift them up to get the best performance out of them. He shares that he used to be highly strung and stressed all the time and a micro-manager to boot however over the years he has worked hard on trying to better his management methods. He stands by the motto “kill them with kindness” which he also attributes to having helped his overall stress levels.
With regard to Mentoring; Kam is passionate about wanting to offer advice and assistance when he can to help other people grow their respective businesses like he has grown his. That being said, he also looks forward to learning a thing or two from other business owners also.
Deborah Patison
Deborah Patison’s career spans more than 30 years across marketing, PR, sponsorship, and advertising. Until 2010, she was based in Sydney, where she built her career working with national organisations. She also ran her own marketing and events company, specialising in not-for-profit, sports, and membership marketing. During her career in Sydney, Deborah worked with organisations in the sporting, education, finance, and charity sectors, adapting her expertise to deliver strong outcomes across diverse industries.
Deborah worked with and for major corporates such as Macquarie Bank and MBF, to national charitable and membership organisations including The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. She also held senior roles as GM of Marketing at The Taxation Institute of Australia and as National Sponsorship GM at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Earlier in her career, she enjoyed working with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles - a role that cemented her lifelong support for the club.
Since relocating to Mudgee in 2010, Deborah has built a wonderful portfolio of clients, from ongoing partnerships to those who call on her as needed. They represent a wide variety of industries, and she welcomes the diversity and fulfillment this brings.
Throughout her career, she has also continued to invest in professional development, undertaking executive management programs, business psychology training, and numerous sales and marketing courses to ensure her skills remain sharp and relevant.
Deborah is the owner and lead consultant of Splice Marketing & Communications, based in Mudgee. She provides independent marketing, PR, and communications consultancy to clients seeking tailored expertise and impactful strategies. With a passion for creating compelling content, she also offers business mentoring services, helping clients strengthen their brand presence and achieve enduring success.
Deborah has always been passionate about giving back to the community in some way. As mentioned earlier, she thoroughly enjoyed working in the not-for-profit sector for many years, where the personal satisfaction of “doing good” while building a successful career gave her immense fulfillment both professionally and personally. Helping individuals or businesses succeed continues to provide Deborah with that same sense of purpose - knowing that her skills and experience contribute to others’ growth, confidence, and long-term success.
Phillip Petrie
Philip Petrie completed a Bachelor of Business in Marketing from Charles Stuart University (1989) and then joined the family business after completing his studies. He’s currently the Managing Director – Petrie’s Group, a role he has held for almost four decades. The Group includes Petrie’s Mitre 10 stores, Design 10 stores and Total Tools stores across NSW – namely Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Gunnedah, Mudgee, Orange, Port Macquarie and Taree.
When asked how he would describe his Leadership style, Philip responded that he practices ‘Servant Leadership’ and believes his role is to make his people successful. When asked why he wanted to partake in the Mid-Western Mentoring Program, he shared that he has had many people provide great learnings and support over the years and that he really enjoys seeing people improve in whatever they are aspiring to.
Annie Sievers
Annie Sievers has had a wide and varied career to date. Post securing a Bachelor of Education (PDHPE) she became a high school teacher then completed her Masters in Sport Science (Majoring in Behavioural Psychology) and began a career in personal training. She owned and operated ‘Fit Living Pty Ltd’ a Sydney-based Personal Training business which she successfully ran in Sydney for over a decade.
Upon completion of a Dip Law (LPAB) and Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice she became a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and was a Senior Associate Solicitor with DLH Solicitors in Mudgee for over 8 years. She is now the Founding Director of ‘Bodies Before Business’ a personal coaching business and of ‘Divorce in Order’ wherein she is a Divorce Coach helping people during what is quite a stressful time of life.
When asked to describe her leadership style Annie shared that she leads with curiosity then questions and challenges as needed with the goal of getting people to jump off the proverbial bridge and grow both professionally and personally. Annie is a part of the Mentoring Program as she likes to see people thrive on their journey, particularly if they doubt their ability.
Ed Turner
Ed is an investor, mentor, and business builder with over 20 years of experience helping entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial-led organisations clarify, simplify, and achieve their visions.
Originally on a banking and finance career path in London, Ed was called back by his father to help grow the family business, Frog Rock Wines. Over a decade, he witnessed the rise and transformation of the Australian wine industry—scaling production from 500 cases to 60,000 cases annually and expanding sales across four continents. Alongside this, Ed launched and managed multiple ventures including a vineyard contract services business, a commercial composting operation, a contract vegetable growing enterprise supplying major fast-food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway, and built a carwash business from a greenfield site, which he has owned and operated for the past 21 years.
Having founded, led, and successfully exited nine companies across diverse industries, and now involved in the acquisition of his tenth, Ed brings deep practical knowledge in business creation, growth, and leadership development. He is passionate about empowering business owners and leadership teams to build sustainable independence, maximise results, and make meaningful impacts in their industries.
Currently, Ed has been actively involved in the search, acquisition, and operational strategic leadership of a Sydney-based business, further broadening his portfolio and hands-on operational expertise.
In his spare time, Ed enjoys quality time with family and friends, reading, staying fit, and indulging his passion for racing cars.
Alyse Withers
Growing up within the beautiful Mudgee region, Alyse Withers knows the area like a local should. With a Bachelor of Business Accountancy, Alyse understands the importance of business transactions for her clients, yet always takes a personal approach to ensure processes are straightforward and problem-free. A licensed real estate agent, stock and station agent, and business salesperson, Alyse is currently a Real-Estate Agent and Director at 'The Property Shop'.
Alyse is passionate about Mentoring because she believes in giving back to the business community that’s given her so much. She understands that while being in business can be incredibly rewarding, it is also challenging, especially in the early stages of someone’s career / business.
Describing her Mentoring style as supportive, approachable, and honest; while leading with empathy Alyse also believes strongly in accountability. In her Mentoring, she focuses on building confidence, encouraging initiative, and helping others to think strategically about their business. Being a highly skilled negotiator, Alyse does not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, she therefore adapts to the individual’s learning style and goals while also aiming to empower them to become the best version of themselves. Ultimately, Alyse will seek to support her Mentee to build a sustainable, value-driven career (in real estate or beyond), and know that they have someone in their corner backing them as they grow.