Leadership
Experienced leaders driving strategy, execution, and long-term value across our portfolio
Our Firm
We invest with conviction, partnering closely to scale resilient, high-growth businesses.
PermaInvest is built on a simple premise: while capital is abundant, truly risk-calibrated mid-market opportunities are not. We invest on a deal-by-deal basis, committing our own capital first and completing full underwriting and commercial diligence before introducing external investors.
Capital is selectively sourced from partners aligned to the sector, jurisdiction, and stage of each opportunity. We originate investments year-round through trusted advisory networks, focusing on growth industries with clear, actionable value catalysts. By deploying capital from the outset, we ensure alignment from day one. External investors access the same institutional-grade diligence, supported by flexible, tailored structuring. Our approach is disciplined and principled. We apply strict exclusion criteria and prioritise responsible stewardship across all investments. Transactions are structured as full acquisitions or staged investments, enabling founders and shareholders to transition ownership while preserving continuity, culture, and enterprise value.
PermaInvest is an active partner. We work closely with management teams to strengthen strategy, operations, and governance, and to deliver practical, execution-led value creation that supports sustainable long-term growth.
We structure transactions for speed and certainty, underpinned by pre-arranged financing and bespoke capital solutions. The originating deal team remains actively involved throughout the lifecycle, targeting ~2.0× MOIC or c.25% gross IRR over a typical three-year hold, subject to market conditions.
We partner with founders, boards, and investors to deliver outcomes defined by discipline, integrity, and aligned value creation.
Chairman : Perpetuity Capital Pty Ltd (responsible Manager and Key Person on the Australian Financial Services License)
Chairman : Perma Funds Management Pty Ltd
Director : (Non for profit) Asteroid Foundation, Luxemburg
Chairman : Talent Acquisition Group Pty Ltd
Hussein Rifai
Executive Chairman & Founder
Hussein Rifai is an investor, entrepreneur, and Executive Chairman with extensive experience building, acquiring, and growing businesses across a range of industries. He has led numerous acquisitions, recapitalisations, and strategic investments, earning a reputation for identifying opportunities, navigating complexity, and delivering outcomes in challenging environments. Combining commercial acumen with a hands-on approach, Hussein works closely with founders, management teams, boards, and investors to create long-term value. His expertise spans corporate strategy, capital allocation, governance, and transaction execution, with a focus on aligning interests and driving sustainable growth. Known for his decisive leadership and pragmatic approach to investing, Hussein brings deep transactional experience together with the perspective of a business owner, enabling him to assess opportunities quickly, manage risk effectively, and execute with confidence.
Qualifications
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Bachelor Science Electrical Engineering (San Jose State University, San Jose, CA)
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Masters Business Administration (University of Technology, Sydney, NSW)
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Graduate Diploma Supply Chain Management (Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA)
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Doctoral in Business Administration (London School of Management and Technology, London, UK)
Chairman : College Circle Creamery LLC)
Managing Director : Talent Acquisition Group Pty Ltd
Executive Director : Hunter Bay Silica Pty Ltd
Pascal Gouel
Managing Partner - Permainvest
Pascal is a senior private equity and M&A deal maker with over 25 years’ experience executing operational turnarounds, organic growth strategies, and acquisition-led expansion across South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He has led complex cross-border transactions and post-merger integrations, consistently driving performance improvement, margin expansion, and scalable growth in founder-led, institutional, and carve-out situations. He brings deep expertise in post-deal value creation, combining disciplined operating-model redesign with technology-enabled transformation. Pascal has hands-on experience deploying AI and Generative AI to automate core processes, enhance commercial and investment decision- making, and accelerate growth. He currently sits on multiple investment committees advising superannuation funds, technology funds, and other institutional investors, providing a practical, execution-focused perspective on capital deployment and risk.
Qualifications
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Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (University of Sydney )
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Masters of Engineering Management
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Masters of Business Administration (University of New South Wales, Australian Graduate School of Management )
Qualifications
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Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (University of Sydney )
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Masters of Engineering Management
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Masters of Business Administration (University of New South Wales, Australian Graduate School of Management )
Director : Perpetuity Capital Advisory Pty Ltd
Director : Perma Funds Management Pty Ltd
Director : (Non-for-profit) The Wolper Hospital
Andrew Cohen
Investment director
Andrew is an experienced investment banker and deal maker with more than 30 years’ experience as a Chartered Accountant, specialising in corporate advisory, investment banking, and transaction execution for Australian and international clients. As Managing Director of the advisory business, he leads complex transactions with a strong emphasis on financial, legal, tax, and commercial due diligence, risk allocation, and deal structuring. He has advised on a broad range of transactions including initial public offerings, public and private capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and special situations across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Asia (including China), and Russia. He is regularly engaged by boards and shareholders on high-stakes transactions involving regulatory strategy, governance, and value protection
Qualifications
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Bachelor of Commerce (Honours, Tax) (University of Cape Town)
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Certificate of Theory of Accountancy (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
Founder and CEO : George Capital Finance Solutions
George Frazis
Head of Marketing
George is one of Australia’s most accomplished banking and finance executives, with more than 30 years’ experience leading major financial institutions and advising businesses on growth, capital, and strategic transformation. As the Founder and CEO of George Capital Finance Solutions, he specializes in providing customized debt capital solutions for family businesses and individuals. Throughout his distinguished career, George has held premier executive leadership roles across the financial sector. He previously served as Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Queensland, where he led the transformation of the Group and the landmark acquisition of ME Bank. Prior to BOQ, he was Chief Executive of Westpac's Consumer Bank and CEO of St.George Banking Group, successfully overseeing lending portfolios exceeding $500 billion. Earlier in his career, George held senior executive roles with NAB and Commonwealth Bank, and was a Partner and Vice President at Boston Consulting Group across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Europe.
Qualifications
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MBA (AGSM / Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania)
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Bachelor of Electronics Engineering (Honours)
Executive Director : Aster Alliance
John Ricciotti
Head of Marketing
John brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate advisory, capital markets, and asset management to the team. He currently serves as Executive Director at Aster Alliance, a leading risk and asset recovery adviser to the private credit sector, where his extensive experience across credit, capital markets, and corporate finance provides valuable insight into complex investment and risk management processes. Prior to his current role, John was the General Manager of Fixed Income at FIIG Securities, where he oversaw the firm's asset management business and managed more than $5 billion in fixed income investments across a broad range of sectors. Earlier in his career, he held senior corporate advisory positions with global institutions including Lloyds Bank, JP Morgan, and Deloitte. In these roles, he specialized in advising institutional, corporate, and financial sponsor clients on major mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, and debt capital markets transactions.
Qualifications
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Bachelor of Commerce (University of Melbourne)
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Graduate Diploma in Finance (University of Melbourne)
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Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting (CA ANZ)
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Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
Director : Talent Acquisition Group Pty Ltd
Amanda Glaser
Head of Marketing
Amanda is a creative and design-led marketing specialist with extensive experience working across global markets, supporting professional services firms and growth businesses with internationally consistent, locally relevant brand and digital strategies. Her expertise spans brand identity, visual communication, website design, social media, and online marketing, with a strong focus on clarity, credibility, and commercial impact. She advises Australian and international brands on end-to-end creative execution, including global brand systems, digital platforms, advertising campaigns, and content strategies. Collaborating closely with senior leadership and marketing teams across jurisdictions, Amanda helps build scalable brand identities, strengthen global brand awareness, and engage diverse audiences through thoughtful design, effective digital marketing, and a strong online presence.
Qualifications
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Marketing Communications (University of Sydney)
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Social Media Marketing (University of Sydney)
Our Portfolio
We combine operational expertise, financial discipline, and a values-led approach to build market-leading businesses.
