Our Team
Brian Cole - Director/Principal Consultant
BBus (Law with Accounting) Grad Dip Prop (Dist.) CA CMC FIMC MAICD
Brian is the Director of Cole Advisory, a strategic property and business advisory firm. Prior to forming Cole Advisory in July 2011, Brian enjoyed a distinguished career as Managing Director of Pracsys Economics, and prior to this he led the Real Estate Advisory Services division in the Perth office of Ernst & Young. He advises clients in relation to strategic property development initiatives, business and asset management planning, financial and economic advisory and project management.
Brian’s specialist consulting relates to strategic management, asset optimisation, acquisition & divestment advice, project management, financial cost management, feasibility analysis, business reviews, government policy & process and investment analysis.
Brian is a qualified chartered accountant and has been a management consultant for over 25 years. He has significant financial, property and management experience in that Brian:
Brian has been fundamental in the development of a strategic focus to business management, and management of real property assets for a number of major public and private sector clients, including:
Brian is strongly credentialed in that he has:
Brian is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants. He is an ex-Board Member of the Western Australian Ballet and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Brian is also on the Finance Committee of St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Subiaco and the Finance & Risk Committee of John XXIII College.
Brian is the Director of Cole Advisory, a strategic property and business advisory firm. Prior to forming Cole Advisory in July 2011, Brian enjoyed a distinguished career as Managing Director of Pracsys Economics, and prior to this he led the Real Estate Advisory Services division in the Perth office of Ernst & Young. He advises clients in relation to strategic property development initiatives, business and asset management planning, financial and economic advisory and project management.
Brian’s specialist consulting relates to strategic management, asset optimisation, acquisition & divestment advice, project management, financial cost management, feasibility analysis, business reviews, government policy & process and investment analysis.
Brian is a qualified chartered accountant and has been a management consultant for over 25 years. He has significant financial, property and management experience in that Brian:
- has been conducting a wide range of financial analysis and due diligence assignments in relation to property developments for a variety of public and private sector clients over the last 20 years
- has performed a number of project manager roles for property development and investment companies over the last decade
- has advised strategically in relation to asset management for a wide range of property owners
- has been managing Government consulting within professional advisory firms in Australia for the last 25 years and accordingly has a close relationship and knowledge of Federal, State and Local Government regulations and standards
- has a strong financial/business law background and is therefore well-versed in financial, administrative and contractual matters
Brian has been fundamental in the development of a strategic focus to business management, and management of real property assets for a number of major public and private sector clients, including:
- Chrissie Parrott Arts;
- Bostech Drilling;
- MercyCare;
- Global Construction Services Limited;
- Charles Darwin University;
- Town of Port Hedland;
- Shire of Exmouth;
- The Western Australian Department of Housing;
- The Western Australian Planning Commission;
- The Western Australian Department of Planning;
- Fremantle Ports;
- LandCorp;
- The National Trust of Australia;
- The Public Transport Authority of Western Australia;
- Subiaco Redevelopment Authority;
- Brookfield Multiplex;
- Investa Property;
- Australand Holdings Limited;
- Star Energy Indonesia;
- Verticon Holdings Limited;
- The City of Fremantle;
- The City of Perth;
- Town of Cambridge;
- The Stirling Gateway Alliance
Brian is strongly credentialed in that he has:
- prepared business and management plans, as well as economic analysis, for a multi-purpose community facility in Exmouth, Western Australia;
- undertaken analysis to prepare a Masterplan Framework for Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory;
- acted as Strategic Advisor to the Port of Fremantle in the development of the Western End of Victoria Quay;
- provided assistance in the preparation and presentation of the Masterplan for Caboolture Morayfield Principal Activity Centre;
- prepared the business case for potential redevelopment of the Bill Sewell Centre in Geraldton, Western Australia by the National Trust of Australia (WA);
- undertaken analysis on behalf of the Town of Cambridge on a range of property development and disposal opportunities;
- provided property analysis for the City of Perth in considering the activation of upper floors in the CBD, acquisition of PCEC Parking and the proposal to underground the rail line between the Perth CBD and Northbridge now known as “The Link”;
- acted as advisor to Australand in the development and activation of residential and commercial real estate;
- advised Investa Holdings in the development of a range of land holdings throughout Australia;
- project managed for Westralian Airports Corporation the establishment of a Property Trust to enable the development of non-strategic airport land;
- assisted Western Australian Department of Housing and Works (“DHW”) in the preparation of the review of sustainability of public housing (2006), and Government Regional Officers Housing;
- reviewed DHW Home Ownership products (2008) and the Rental operations of DHW (1998);
- assisted Queensland Housing with a review of the Queensland Government Home Lending Operations and the establishment of a separate public rental housing business unit;
- reviewed the Home Lending portfolio of Queensland Housing;
- acted as Keystart Scheme Manager from 1989 to 1994.
Brian is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants. He is an ex-Board Member of the Western Australian Ballet and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Brian is also on the Finance Committee of St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Subiaco and the Finance & Risk Committee of John XXIII College.
Gavan Cruise
BEcon (Hons) (UWA)
Gavan has a strong technical background in economic and financial modelling through his academic research of the West Australian utility market; in particular his review of the arrangements for domestic recycled water supply and analysis of key areas of pricing policy and third party access to natural monopoly infrastructure.
Gavan garnered valuable industry experience and demonstrated his practical capabilities during his successful career at Pracsys Economics, where he worked on a broad range of projects for private and public sector clients and advised on the areas of data collection, scenario modelling, survey creation, regression analysis, report writing, economics impact assessment and client management and consultation.
Gavan has remained hands on in business and has recently been involved with the start-up of an espresso bar in Swanbourne; he also tutors Public Economics and Microeconomic Theory at Curtin University and is currently assisting with data management for a large critical care data-linkage project at Royal Perth Hospital.
Gavan has particular expertise in:
Gavan has been integral to a range of projects for private and public sector clients. Examples of the type of work are, as follows:
Peel Water reuse Pipeline (Peel Development Commission)
Modelled the cost-benefit of a large-scale infrastructure project to determine its feasibility and net public benefit, focussing on the issue of third party access and quantifying qualitative benefits to the community
Claremont NEP Governance (LandCorp)
Modelled the financial implications of proposed governance structures for the release of retail and commercial sites, as part of the Claremont North East Precinct Development. Led multiple model-building workshops with stakeholders, to refine project methodology, assumptions and inputs.
Gavan has a strong technical background in economic and financial modelling through his academic research of the West Australian utility market; in particular his review of the arrangements for domestic recycled water supply and analysis of key areas of pricing policy and third party access to natural monopoly infrastructure.
Gavan garnered valuable industry experience and demonstrated his practical capabilities during his successful career at Pracsys Economics, where he worked on a broad range of projects for private and public sector clients and advised on the areas of data collection, scenario modelling, survey creation, regression analysis, report writing, economics impact assessment and client management and consultation.
Gavan has remained hands on in business and has recently been involved with the start-up of an espresso bar in Swanbourne; he also tutors Public Economics and Microeconomic Theory at Curtin University and is currently assisting with data management for a large critical care data-linkage project at Royal Perth Hospital.
Gavan has particular expertise in:
- benefit-cost analysis and triple bottom line analysis
- forecasting and financial modelling
- econometric modelling to support development decisions
- third party access regimes
- market research
- feasibility and business planning
Gavan has been integral to a range of projects for private and public sector clients. Examples of the type of work are, as follows:
Peel Water reuse Pipeline (Peel Development Commission)
Modelled the cost-benefit of a large-scale infrastructure project to determine its feasibility and net public benefit, focussing on the issue of third party access and quantifying qualitative benefits to the community
Claremont NEP Governance (LandCorp)
Modelled the financial implications of proposed governance structures for the release of retail and commercial sites, as part of the Claremont North East Precinct Development. Led multiple model-building workshops with stakeholders, to refine project methodology, assumptions and inputs.