VIC | SME Workshops: How to manage your business successfully?

Raphael is a self motivated, IT enthusiast. He has always been fond of software development, starting with developing games in Basic on 8 bit computer when he was 10 y.o.

Since then, he has acquired a wealth of experience in the IT industry, where he has been a software developer, analyst, software architect and most recently a business owner and team manager.

He has also experience in working with offshore teams in a multicultural environment.

Francois de Meneval has over 30 years of senior management experience in French and Australian companies. He started his career with KPMG (1986-1990) and then the M&A department of Banque de Gestion Privee (1990-1994).
From 1994 to 2012, he worked at AXA in various senior executive roles (Head of Strategy, Regional Director, CEO, etc…) in Europe, Asia and Australia.
In 2012-2013, he worked at NAB as Head of Strategy for their wealth management and insurance division.
In 2013, he founded his own investment holding company Astrolabe Pty Ltd which has invested in various internet start-ups and new ventures in both Financial Services and French know-how or franchises.
He is the co-owner of Mosaic Patisserie, a wholesale manufacturer of cakes and pastries.
He has also developed his own advisory business in corporate finance and partnerships.
He was President of the French Australian Chamber of Commerce from 2002 to 2004 and was a Board member of the Chamber from 2014 to 2019. He is also a Conseiller du Commerce Exterieur de la France (CCEF) and a member of the CCEF Bureau in Australia. He is an active member of La French Tech in Australia.
Francois is a graduate of ESCP (1985) and Harvard (2001). He also holds a Master of Law from Paris II (1986) and a diploma of European Financial Analyst (1993).
In 2016, he graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (A.I.C.D.).

Jan Domantay is the founder and Managing Director of the firm. Jan graduated at Monash University in 2007 from his double degrees in science (major in Psychology) and Law and was admitted to practice in 2008. Jan is passionate about solving clients' challenges, particularly in business, property, and estate planning. He has a strong background in Litigation in all levels of courts including VCAT, Magistrates, County, and Supreme Courts.

Michal Golas is a designer with 15 years of experience in creative, brand, and digital product design, dedicated to helping organisations achieve their goals through Human-Centered Design methodologies. He specialises in creating experiences that seamlessly integrate brand communication with UX research and user needs. Throughout his career, Michal has worked in various industries, including agriculture, automotive, art and culture, education, finance, MedTech, and real estate. His expertise focuses on e-commerce, custom web development, mobile applications, and software development solutions.

Studio Morellon is a boutique creative agency that combines French artistry with storytelling to create purpose-led brands and impactful animations. Laura Morellon partners with organisations striving to make a positive social and environmental impact, advocating for a more equitable and sustainable world. Through custom design and storytelling as tools for evolution, she empowers clients to present their groundbreaking projects and purpose-led narratives in ways that resonate deeply and inspire action.

Surayansh Surana is the CEO of Founder's Go2. Born and raised in a family of entrepreneurs, he was immersed from an early age in conversations about business growth, from dinner table discussions to family gatherings. This environment, combined with his personal experience working with over 100 businesses worldwide, has equipped him with deeply intuitive and practical problem-solving skills for key revenue challenges and opportunities.

Some of his accomplishments include:
• Best-Selling Author, Advisor, Keynote Speaker, Investor & Strategist
• Advisor and Sounding Board to leaders at Google, NVIDIA, and Apple
• Founder/Co-Founder of 5 successful businesses
• Former Oracle Director; Former Aconex Director
• Fractional Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) for three SMBs
• Breath Worker and Nature Enthusiast

His greatest passion lies in driving business growth, followed closely by a commitment to self-development.

One of Australia’s most knowledgeable and reputable visa and immigration experts, Amanda leads a national team of migration agents and solicitors that help clients bring talented employees into Australia through effective visas and migration law compliance.

With more than 20 years’ experience in immigration, Amanda is a tenacious and values-driven company owner who models a consultative client service approach. She launched Visa Executive in 2005 and oversaw its evolution to a registered law firm in 2021.

Amanda began her career with the Department of Immigration at the Australian High Commission in London, then progressed to various research and consulting roles focused on business migration, immigration law, and global relocation services.

She’s a registered migration agent, has a Bachelor of Arts, and has received industry plaudits including being awarded a prestigious Migration Institute of Australia fellowship and being nominated for a Global Mobility Professional of the Year award.

Pascale Toussat was born in France and has been in Australia since 1991. She called herself a ‘fraussie’.

She first came to Australia for her holiday and then managed to secure a role with a French Chemicals Company call Rhone-Poulenc in 1991.

With a Graduate Diploma of Business (Human Resources Management) undertaken at Swinburne University in 2001 she has experience across multi-national (Rhodia), shipping (CMA CGM Group), software engineering (Thales), sales and distribution-driven organisations (MYOB, AGL).

Pascale Toussat more recently worked as General Manager Human Resources & Office Administration for a shipping company, ANL, until the end of December 2020. ANL belongs to the French Group CMA CGM, the 3rd largest shipping company in the world.

Pascale firstly joined the FACCI VIC Chapter board with Rhone-Poulenc in the mid-1990s and after a 4-year family experience working in France between 2001-2005 she returned to the FACCI in 2015 and is part of the Federal and VIC Chapter boards. With over 15 years working in HR in Australia she acts as the HR Advisor for the Federal Board.