Owi Weerawardena

Avani Solutions is a property-technology company which has developed demand and response technology to optimize the operations of buildings to facilitate the decarbonisation of the built environment. The company is in its growth phase, expecting to increase headcount from 22 to ~40 in the next 18 months.

Working directly alongside the CEO in a second-in-charge role to create and execute business strategies to optimize the growth of the business. Directly managing Finance, Strategy, Operations & Marketing divisions. Key roles include the strategic growth an financial viability of the business, predominantly focusing on a pathway to profitability and capital raises.

Goldman Sachs AWM is a global leading asset and wealth management platform with $3.8tn assets under supervision (“AUS”).

My focus was in the Alternatives (Real Estate) sector. I worked across both Credit & Equity in Investing and Asset Management. Experience across major asset classes including Office, Industrial, Disability Housing, Hotels, Residential etc. Experience across the entire investment cycle, from inception, underwriting, execution, asset management and disposition. Roles and responsibilities have varied from underwriting / due diligence on investments, helping to manage operating companies / existing assets, selling assets and capital raising. Roles have required financial modelling, creating information memorandums/ deal memos, management of operating / joint venture partners, strategy and asset management of existing assets/ operating companies and sales.

Monash University is one of the most well renowned universities in Victoria and is ranked 44th in the world rankings.

I was a Teaching Associate for 2nd year subject Sports Economics at Monash University. I was nominated to teach this class following 1st Class Honors for my thesis in the subject matter. I taught 6 weekly tutorials, which required an in-depth knowledge of the subject to teach students and answer their questions. I was also required to mark all in-semester assessments as well as all final exams.

I was part of the Summer Graduate Program (cohort of 25 interns nationally) at Goldman Sachs.

I interned in the same team that I would later join as a full-time employee (detailed above). I worked across both Real Estate Credit & Equity in Investing and Asset Management. I was involved in new deals, disposition of assets and the opportunity to work with operating partners as well as aiding in the management of diverse assets.