
A weekly look at current Australian business finance issues and events, as seen through the eyes of corporate and commercial “special situations”, “workout” and industry experts.
Nick Samios hosts a panel comprising Australia’s leading restructuring, capital raising and industry sector specialists for views and analysis from these practitioners who have “skin in the game” – either as hard currency or through their PI policies!
Fund Manager Nick Samios is the Managing Director of Hermes Capital, a wholesale fund specialising in event-driven funding.
This podcast was formerly Lunch Money, rebranded as Hermes Ledger.
Episodes

Oct 23, 2020
Oct 23, 2020
37 min
This week, Nicholas Samios is joined by David Gandolfo (CAFBA President & Director at Quantum Business Finance) along with Gary Tescher (Managing Partner at Promentor) as they discuss financing the capital equipment needed to ramp up the manufacturing sector. What are the challenges for brokers & their clients? Where do the opportunities lie? Tune in to find out! We also had a special appearance from Tony Sykes (Owner of General Insurance Brokers Australia) on his recent article "How to Protect Your Manufacturing Business from These Important Risks".

Oct 16, 2020
Oct 16, 2020
38 min
Tune in as Director & Fund Manager Nicholas Samios joins special guests Michael Corcoran (Director at Solido Capital) and Ryan Eagle (Partner at KPMG Australia).
The spotlight is on property development and corporate restructuring, with special "Diggers & Dealers" insights from JP Equity Partners' Director Nicholas Brownbill.

Oct 9, 2020
Oct 9, 2020
35 min
So far, this year, the Covid crisis has given us interest rates heading for zero and anomalies in asset pricing: from used cars, to luxury property and…stocks?
How does money printing and near-zero interest rates affect the fundamentals of corporate finance – debt vs. equity and business valuations? Why are luxury properties selling like hot-cakes, and why are used car values so high?
In this week's Lunch Money, we put these questions to Dr Paul Mazzola (Academic at University of Wollongong), along with Ian Hyman OAM (CEO at Hymans Valuers and Auctioneers) - tune in for more!

Oct 2, 2020
Oct 2, 2020
37 min
With unemployment projected to reach crisis levels – can self-employment be part of the solution?
This week, guest panellists Paul Nicoloau (Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry) and Steven Phelan (Fayetteville State University) share their insights on “boot-strapping” – starting a business with little or no capital. Is there an alternative to welfare? Should the government find ways to better encourage start-ups and encouraging job-creation?
Don't forget to check out Steven's book "Start-up Stories: Lessons for Everyday Entrepreneurs" - available on Amazon and Kindle!

Sep 25, 2020
Sep 25, 2020
36 min
Family businesses are often riven with entitlement and rivalries at the best of times – how are they coping under the extraordinary health and economic pressures brought by 2020? Is the family a burden in these trying times, or bulwark against forces that may otherwise bring the business asunder?
How are family businesses dealing with challenges the Covid-19 economy has brought to intergenerational wealth and succession planning? This week, guests Sally Nicholes (Nicholes Family Lawyers) and Mark Robinson (de Vries Tayeh) share their insights.
Don't forget to check out Sally's insightful podcast at: https://www.nicholeslaw.com.au/podcasts/

Sep 18, 2020
Sep 18, 2020
35 min
How are companies navigating the challenges of capital raising to get them through special situations in this Covid-19 recession? What role are asset based lenders playing in making capital available? Uncertainty, debt moratoriums and government financial support packages abound, making the money business challenging on both sides of the desk.
This week, guest panelists Stephen Mitchell (CEO of Resicom Group & Oak Capital) and Lina Kolomoitseva (Investment Manager at Litigation Capital Management) gives us front-line perspectives.

Sep 11, 2020
Sep 11, 2020
36 min
Payment shenanigans, phoenix activity and insolvency: sub-contractors in construction and civil engineering have always been particularly vulnerable to all three. What are the special problems they are facing today given the nations lockdowns, closed borders, insolvent trading moratorium and tightened credit conditions? This week on Lunch Money we focus on the construction industry with special guests Anthony Igra (Founder & Director at Contractors Debt Recovery) and Michael Caspaney (Principal at Menzies Advisory).

Sep 4, 2020
Sep 4, 2020
36 min
A surge of corporate collapses is anticipated in Australia when government assistance and debt moratoriums end. So, the government is revisiting the rules of the game – and features of the US-style Chapter 11 are said to be on the table.
Considering, shouldn’t we also be looking at the way “pre-packs” are done in the UK? Or is our current system of Voluntary Administration and Safe Harbour working just fine?
This week we are joined by Carl Gunther (President of TMA Australia) and Paul Apathy (Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills), to share their thoughts on the topic.

Aug 28, 2020
Aug 28, 2020
34 min
What does it take to be a successful Australian manufacturer in 2020?
This Friday we put the question to Todd Alder, CEO of Orbital UAV (ASX: OEC) – the Australian world-leading designer and manufacturer of engines for tactical drones. Todd was joined by Jason Skinner, Managing Director of corporate advisors JP Equity. Jason has been acting as lead manager and corporate advisor on several interesting capital-raising and IPOs in the tech and mining space this year.
2020 has alerted Australians to two strategic challenges – a depleted manufacturing sector, and growing challenges for our regional defence as relations between our biggest trading partners become fractious.

Aug 21, 2020
Aug 21, 2020
35 min
How do you build a team in the face of adversity - deciding who stays, who gets sidelined and how to find and make the right draft picks? Join host Nick Samios and special guests Deanne Tindale (CEO, DreamVast Executive Search) and Bryan Hughes (Executive Chairman, Pitcher Partners) as they discuss managing executive talent in special situations companies.
