Sean Rothsey
Sean Rothsey (Australian businessman), born in Sydney, April 16, 1960, Chairman of MDS Financial Group Limited, is also prominent in film and large-scale organic cattle farming in Australia and New Zealand. Sean is a proponent of Australian business, helping to raise equity and initiate joint venture agreements to facilitate business growth, and a promoter of regional economic development with strong environmental responsibility. Has lived and worked throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North America, the United Kingdom, Africa and Bahamas.
Business Life
MDS Financial Group Limited (ASX: MWS)
MDS Financial Group Limited (MDS) is a full service corporate advisory and capital markets specialist. A publicly listed company on the Australian STOCK Exchange, it is also an ASX market participant, with institutional and third-party brokerage facilities and data services.
The company has proprietary technology and recognised brands, The Bourse, Financial News Network, Trader Dealer Online, Market Analyser and D2MX Institutional Equities.
As chairman, Sean Rothsey directs the company’s strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and adds value to the Corporate Advisory and Corporate Finance divisions, responsible for a diversified array of Equity Capital Markets transactions.
The Merkin Group
Established in 1981 by Sean Rothsey, The Merkin Group is a professional investment and management company run by Sean Rothsey and his daughter Trish Rothsey.
The Merkin Group has invested in a diverse range of businesses across finance and equity markets; property; agribusiness; diversified financial services and capital markets, trading and investment technology solutions; film investment, acquisition and distribution; media and entertainment.
The Merkin Group owns and manages Merkin Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd and Pinefilm Entertainment Pty Ltd. Sean Rothsey oversees The Merkin Group’s infrastructure, finance, strategic alliances, business and legal affairs.
Pinefilm Entertainment Pty Ltd
Pinefilm Entertainment Pty Ltd is an all rights film distributor in Australia and New Zealand, established in 1999, working across finance, acquisitions, sales, distribution and marketing. It has a substantial library of art house, independent and foreign language films, documentaries, special interest, sports, mainstream theatrical and direct-to-video/DVD/TV films.
Horizon One Entertainment Pty Ltd
Until 7 March 2010, Horizon One Entertainment was managed by Pinefilm Entertainment Pty Ltd, in which The Merkin Group invested in 2006 and with which it merged its distribution and acquisition operations. Sean Rothsey was chairman of Horizon for the period 2006 to 2010. Co-founded by Sean Rothsey with Scott Clayton and Jeff Harrington, Horizon One is now one of the largest packaged media content owners in Australia. Pinefilm Entertainment continues to consult to Horizon One Entertainment.
In 2009, through Horizon One Entertainment, Sean Rothsey co-founded New Zealand company, Revolution Entertainment Ltd, which is now also independent of Horizon One and The Merkin Group.
Merkin Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd
The legal entity preceding Merkin Pastoral Holdings, the family company Merkin Pastoral and Land, managed by Sean Rothsey, developed and operated Noosa Hinterland properties ‘Merkin Park’, ‘Whyamba Station’, ‘Beauty Falls’, ‘Highfield’ and ‘Garryowen Park’, owned and operated iconic Queensland pastoral properties such ‘Eskdale West Station’, ‘Eskdale South’ and ‘Avonmore’ in the Brisbane Valleys, and ‘The Glen’, ‘Fallowfield’, ‘Sugarloaf’, and ‘Liscard’ in the Pilton Valley. Merkin Pastoral and Land partnered with key genetic providers and other suppliers to deliver environmentally clean beef.
Merkin Pastoral demonstrated the partnership between food production and the environment that has seen Sean Rothsey receive local, state and federal government recognition for his achievements in this area.
In addition, Merkin Pastoral undertook large-scale creek bank rehabilitation projects with the support of Landcare and Noosa Shire Council in the Noosa Catchment area as the largest landholder in the district and a facilitator of others doing the same. Sean Rothsey also negotiated extensive inaugural Carbon Sequestering Agreements with Greenfleet Australia. Merkin Pastoral continues the commitment demonstrated by Sean Rothsey to organic beef farming practices, environment and community.
Bluegum Group Ltd
In 1998, The Merkin Group provided and facilitated $12 million investment capital to Bluegum Group Ltd and co-facilitated a $72 million ANZ facility to become a founding shareholder. Sean Rothsey was appointed executive director in the MBO of IBM’s Australian manufacturing facility at Wangaratta. Bluegum subsequently purchased Alcatel’s Liverpool manufacturing operation, to create an outsourced electronics contract manufacturer. Making computer servers, mainframes, telephone equipment, defence equipment, the company also provided contract ADSL and photonics research.
In 2000, Sean Rothsey led negotiations for the sale of the business to Silicon Valley’s Solectron Inc, for $185 million, further assisting Solectron to secure a US $55 million facility with Bank of America.
The company was described by BRW Magazine as Australia’s 30th largest private company and the country’s largest electronics manufacturing company. At the time of sale, Bluegum was the 15th largest electronics manufacturing company in the world with revenue in excess of $1 billion, and nearly 1,000 staff.
Solectron Corp (SLR) was subsequently acquired by FLEXTRONICS INTL (FLEX) (2007).
Armacup Maritime Services Ltd
Founded by Sean Rothsey in 1981, New Zealand-based Armacup began as an International Freight Forwarder and NVOCC in Auckland. Chaired by Sean Rothsey until 1992, the company grew to include customs clearance; port agency services; slot, time and voyage chartering; ship management and operation, specialising in port agency services in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Ireland. When sold in 1992, the business had annual revenues exceeding $250 million with substantial operations in four countries.
Personal life
Sean Rothsey is an accomplished sportsman, having been a Schoolboy and Club 1st 15 Rugby breakaway in Sydney and Auckland, a NSW Schoolboy Athletic Champion for many years over a number of middle and long distances, as well as a State Cross Country Representative. He also achieved Intermediate Star, Bronze Star and Bronze Medallion from the Royal Life Saving Society Australia, is a competent body surfer, motor cross rider and also trained for several years in equestrian endurance.
Public Life
Sean Rothsey was a co-founder and Deputy Chairman Noosa Institute for Socio-Economic and Environmental Research (2006–2010). A not-for-profit public unlisted company dedicated to help individuals, sports and recreational clubs, businesses, corporate organisations, government and non-government sectors achieve improved socio-economic outcomes. Funding and grant writing, business incubation, National Stock Exchange of Australia Regional Representative, Sirolli Institute Enterprise Facilitation representative and liaison for Federal Government Business Enterprise Schemes.
Sean Rothsey was a member of the Community Rating Reference Working Group for Noosa Shire Council, 2007, and an active founding member of the Lake MacDonald Catchment Coordinating Committee for Noosa Shire.
He is recognised for building strategic relationships with and providing large-scale funding of Greening Australia, Green Corps, Mary River Catchment Co-Ordinating Committee and National Heritage Trust.
Past President of the Sunshine Coast Combined Equestrian Group Inc and past Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Doonan Eventing Group (Noosa, QLD) (2006–2009), he is also accredited as a Level 2 National Eventing Technical Delegate under the EFA National Officiating Accreditation Scheme having trained under EFA EFNZ and FEI, and has organised EFA Accredited Course Design Seminars and an EFA Accredited Technical Delegates Clinics. Sean has previously organized EFA Accredited Course Design Seminars and an EFA Accredited Technical Delegates Clinics.