Maurice Romano
Co-Founder & Group Managing Director of Romano Property Group (RPG)
Romano Property Group (RPG) 联合创始人兼董事总经理

Celebrating 15 years with the Romano Property Group

“The definition of success is having a good business with a clear strategic vision, looking after all stakeholders in your business and being able to provide for your family”.

These are the confident words of Maurice Romano, who has been the co-founder and group managing director of the Romano Property Group (RPG)¸ since 2005. Driven by the ethos of dynamic collaboration and creativity, this market-driven, innovative property development business is 100 per cent privately owned by Maurice Romano and his family since 2016. RPG champions itself in its ability to manage and control a project from its conceptual genesis through all stages of its development cycle by establishing itself as a distinctive, trustworthy and resilient player in the property market.

The Romano family’s professional experience in the art of property construction and development can trace its roots back to when his first-generation Italian immigrant parents settled in Ballarat during the 1960s. “My dad was a solid plasterer and concreter by trade. My parents started a small construction business in renovation, plastering, concreting and building townhouses”, said Mr Romano. His parents were pioneers in the construction of one of the first boutique triple-storey apartments in Ascot Vale. With an entrepreneurial spirit fostered since young, Romano studied a Bachelor of Economics in Melbourne and was told by his father to, “go work for the bank”.

Despite a series of failed interviews and being told that he simply “didn’t have the right personality for banking”, the persistently diligent young graduate found his niche in sales and marketing when he joined Rexona Unilever as a sales representative. This would then usher in a rewarding 25-year career for Romano, where he excelled, to hold several senior executive positions and directorships across prestigious corporations within the Australian and New Zealand fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry such as Amcal, Pacific Dunlop Food Company, Valcorp Fine Foods and the Australian Convenience Foods Group (ACFG). Romano is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and successfully obtained a postgraduate degree in marketing to complement and consolidate theoretical business principles for practical applications.

Being the eldest of three brothers, Romano led his younger brother to take reign of the Romano construction and development family business to form RPG in 2005. In a decade, the brothers delivered over AUD400m worth of projects across medium-density residential, retail, student accommodation, commercial offices and high-rise medical within the Melbourne metropolitan area. The longevity and trust in RPG within the property market has also enabled it to attract foreign capital from a myriad of international investors. After a fruitful partnership of 10 years, the Romano brothers decided to pursue separate business interests in 2015.

In the spirit of continuing the Romano legacy, Romano then moved RPG to Collins Street and restructured the company to operate under a triumvirate division structure through RPG Capital, RPG Projects and RPG Real Estate. Where RPG capital facilitates debt and equity funding structures for high net worth investors, RPG projects are focused on sourcing, planning and construction of projects which are then complemented by project marketing delivered by RPG Real Estate. Romano holds a full Real Estate licence and is OIEC of this real estate arm. “Real estate development is not for the faint-hearted. You really need an extraordinary team and some robust financing behind you.”

Unlike RPG’s competitors who leverage debt and equity capital from other investors to fund their projects, Maurice is a staunch believer in co-investing his own capital with a suite of trusted partners. RPG’s successful 15-year partnership with trusted financial institutions like the Bank of Melbourne and National Bank is also a testament to RPG being a paragon of excellence and trust within the property development market that is often riddled with volatility. Romano believes that investing 50 percent to 100 percent of RPG’s own capital into every project translates to a symbiotic enhanced cooperation and understanding between the developer and investors.

Adopting both a horizontal and vertical organisational structure enables RPG to focus on core elements of the stages of property development through its “inhouse” staff without losing strategic direction. As “buyers want to deal directly with their developer”, RPG conducts project marketing alongside its inhouse sales team. This successful formula has not only resulted in its developments being sold out 100% but allowed RPG to effectively build and manage a rent roll of 400 plus properties in a manner that always prioritises customer’s needs.

Good rapport with principal consultants like KCL Law, Thompson Geer, Charter Keck Cramer, external accounting firm Hall and Chadwick, and a thorough appreciation of one’s internal talents, are essential elements for a successful property development firm. Romano cares about the career fulfilment and wellbeing of his staff. “You are not only there to keep people employed but, you are actually adding value to someone else’s life. I think that’s something that people tend to disregard.”

Assisted by powerful project development and, sales and marketing teams, RPG has multiple promising projects in premium locations, in the pipeline. These projects are set to deliver long-term value for the company, the community at large and investors over the next 5 years.

One of RPG’s exciting new ventures is their acquisition of 8-10 Grattan Street, Hawthorn a once-in-a-lifetime development of 15 over-generous, luxurious and unique residences within the premium location of St James Estate. Partnered with the architectural genius of Ewert Leaf and the creativity of noted landscaper Jack Merlo , marketing of this Hawthorn project is to commence in August 2020.

Romano is confident that the 15th anniversary of RPG in September 2020 will inaugurate the dawn of a new age and RPG’s continued journey of longevity within the Melbourne property market.

与Romano Property Group共庆15周年

“一个成功者的定义是拥有一个有清晰战略眼光的公司，能够照顾每一个和公司利益相关的人，并同时能支撑和守护你的家人。”

这是出自2005年以来担任Romano Property Group联合创始人兼董事经理Maurice Romano的自信之言。以精诚合作和锐意创新作为企业的精神，这家以市场为主导的创新的房地产开发公司由Maurice Romano及其家族完全私人所有。RPG通过自身庞大的地产开发网络，使其能够控制从概念策划到项目完工的每一个环节，成为行业内独特的，值得信赖的和充满生机的一员。

至于Romano家族在房地产建设和开发方面的专业经验要追溯到上世纪60年代，他的父母是第一代意大利移民，并定居在巴拉瑞特(Ballarat)。“我父亲从事固体抹灰和混凝土贸易。父母开了一家小型建筑公司，提供翻新、抹灰、浇注混凝土和建造联排别墅等业务。双亲也是在阿斯科特谷(Ascot Vale)建造首批精品三层公寓的先驱者之一。Maurice Romano从小就培养了创业精神，他在墨尔本取得经济学士学位后，父亲当时希望他去银行工作。

尽管在面试时候经历一连串的失败，也被告知根本就缺乏“适合从事银行业的性格”，但这位奋发的年轻毕业生却在作为销售代表加入联合利华(Rexona Unilever)后，迅速在销售与营销业务中找到了自己的定位。这也开启了他25年的超卓职业生涯，涉足于澳大利亚和新西兰快速消费品(FMCG)行业领域。包括Amcal，Pacific Dunlop食品公司、Valcorp Fine Foods和澳大利亚方便速食品集团(Australian Convenience Foods Group-ACFG)。Maurice Romano同时也是澳大利亚公司董事机构(Australian Institute of Company Directors – AICD)的研究员，并获得市场营销的研究生学位，辅助和巩固理论商业原则，致力应用于实践。

身为三兄弟中的大哥，Maurice Romano在2005年带领弟弟们接管Romano建设和发展家族企业，并创立了RPG。在10年的时间里，这家兄弟公司成功地交付了超过4亿澳元的项目，这些项目计划横跨墨尔本市区内的中密度住宅、零售、学生宿舍、商业办公和高层医疗中心。RPG在房地产市场上展现出的高度生命力和可信度，也成功地吸引许多国际投资者的投资。经过10年卓有成效的合作，他们决定在2015年寻求独立的商业盈利模式。

本着延续Romano家族文化的精神，Maurice Romano随后将RPG迁移至柯林斯街(Collins Street)并对公司进行重组，通过整合把RPG Capital、RPG Projects和RPG Real Estate作为三大业务框架运营。RPG Capital为高净值投资者的项目提供债务和股权融资结构，而RPG Projects则专注于寻找、规划和构建项目，然后再由RPG Real Estate进行项目营销。Maurice Romano持有正式的房地产执照，也是该部门全权有效管制人员。

“太过谨小慎微的人并不适合房地产开发，你必需要有一个非凡的团队和强力的资金支持。”不过，他们与竞争对手利用其他投资者的债务和股票资本进行项目融资的情况不一样，坚定秉持诚信观念，与一批值得信赖的合作伙伴共同投资自有资本。他们与墨尔本银行(Bank of Melbourne)和国家银行(National Bank)等金融机构以互信互惠的方式成功携手15年，这也证明RPG在房地产开发市场中是卓越和信任的典范，在形势起伏不定的房地产开发市场实属少见。他相信将RPG自有资金的50%到100%投入到每个项目中，能够更紧密增进开发者和投资者之间的合作和理解。

运用牢固的横向和纵向组织结构，使RPG能够通过其“内部”员工专注于房地产开发阶段的核心元素，不会因外包事务可能导致丧失战略方向。正如“买家想要直接与开发者交易”一样，RPG与内部销售团队一起进行项目营销。这个优化的公式不仅让开发产品能百分百售罄，而且使RPG可以在优先考虑客户需求的前提下，顺利的构建并管理逾400个物业租赁。

对外，RPG长期与KCL Law、Thompson Geer、Charter Keck Cramer及会计事务所Hall Chadwick等主要咨询顾问保持良好关系。对内，一家卓越的房地产开发公司必须具备充分的内部协调和善于发掘成员天赋的才能，Maurice Romano非常关心员工的职业成就和福利。“你不仅仅是为了让人们保有工作，实际上是在为别人的人生增值。我认为人们往往会忽视这一点。”在RPG强大的项目开发团队和市场营销团队的开拓下，RPG在优越地段中拥有多个前景无限的项目进行中。这些项目将为公司、整个社区及其投资者带来长远价值。

RPG令人振奋的新投资之一是他们收购了位于Hawthorn的 8-10 Grattan Street，在St James最优质的房产地段开发15座非常气派、豪华和独特的永久发展住宅区。这个与建筑奇才Ewert Leaf和著名园林设计师Jack Merlo创意联手的Hawthorn项目将于2020年8月上市销售。

2020年9月，RPG成立15周年纪念将开启一个新时代的曙光，Maurice Romano深信RPG的光芒将长久照耀墨尔本房地产市场。”

Bryan Yeoh 

Executive Director of Starhill Hotels, Australia

澳大利亚Starhill 酒店执行董事

The YTL group of companies have always stood steadily against the test of time by turning the right opportunity into the right entity with enduring values. The YTL name is about building properties, businesses and services that are not simply lasting, but worthy of longevity.  

Executive director for Starhill Hotels in Australia, Bryan Yeoh took a bit of time to talk to us about the impressive YTL legacy and powerhouse. “Part of the YTL Corporate Group in Malaysia, Starhill Hotels, namely Sydney Harbour Marriott, Melbourne Marriott and Brisbane Marriott are under the listed arm of YTL Hospitality REIT, while Westin Perth is under YTL Hotels and Properties – the hospitality arm of YTL Group.”

From Yeoh’s standpoint, the hotel industry in Australia has a lot to offer and provides good investment returns. It is the backbone of the tourism trade that produces a sustained growth in visitors, business travellers and strong trading fundamentals with a balanced long-term supply and demand. This makes Australia an attractive and ideal investment location for YTL. “The opportunity came when the Commonwealth Property Hotel fund wanted to offload their hotels of which YTL was successful in bidding.”

YTL hotels are perpetually improving and focussing on achieving customer satisfaction, optimal profit margins and maintaining competitive advantage. These attributes empower us to gain an aura of success and desirability, that set us apart from our competitors.

They managed to turn the properties into thriving holiday destinations. “We are very passionate, we manage every hotel through an owner’s perspective, and upon building trust, understanding and cooperation with its partners.” With discipline, commitment and value-added products, YTL offers memorable guest experience and consistent world-class service. Their high-performance team is powered by family culture that encourages honesty, diligence, moral responsibility, vitality and togetherness. “We like to invest in people to bring out the best in them. The staff would need to have passion in what they do and share the same ideas, to believe in themselves in delivering YTL’s vision.”

The healthy and vibrant tourism market, particularly in Melbourne, will attract investors and propel the hotel industry to the next level of maturity.

With the YTL brand, quality and return-of-investment are not mutually exclusive. “Disregarding the star level of hotels, guest experience and staff service will always make a difference. The extra mile will go a long way.” YTL hotels are perpetually improving with a great degree of consistency and competitive innovation.  

Yeoh has an even more accomplished team keeping the home fires burning. “My wife Cassy and I have three children – one son and two daughters. My son Ivan specialises in interactive digital media. My elder daughter Rachel is married and my youngest daughter, Theresa is currently pursuing a master’s degree in optometry in the University of Melbourne. Very soon Cassy and I will be empty nesters.”

He loves golf but does not have much time to indulge. In the early years, this exuberant personality wanted to pursue a more creative profession in design but unfortunately that was not on ‘mom’s-choice-list’. Therefore, he ended up studying accountancy.

Where do you see yourself ten years from now? “I hope to be lazing on the beach with my wife, enjoying our favourite drinks. I’ll be 67 years old by then… what more can I say?” 

YTL集团酒店一直不断前进，并专注于完美实现客户满意度、最佳利润率和保持竞争优势。这些属性使我们笼罩在成功和备受欢迎的光环中，有别于竞争对手。

杨忠礼集团(YTL Group)始终坚持不懈地经受住时间的考验，将准确的商机转化为具持久价值的实体产业。YTL这个品牌阐述了不仅是恒久运用的房地产、商业和服务理念，还有保值效应。

澳大利亚Starhill 酒店执行董事Bryan Yeoh花了点时间介绍让人印象深刻的杨忠礼集团传统精髓和商业实力。“Starhill酒店作为马来西亚杨忠礼集团的一部分，也即是悉尼海港万豪酒店、墨尔本万豪酒店和布里斯班万豪酒店，皆隶属于杨忠礼酒店房地产信托基金(YTL Hospitality REIT)的上市子公司，而珀斯威斯汀酒店则是集团旗下酒店房地产部子公司。”

从Bryan Yeoh的角度解析，澳大利亚的酒店业存在许多投资亮点，也具备丰厚的投资回报，其中包括旅游贸易的支柱因素，带来了游客、商务旅客的持续增长和强劲的贸易基本面，以及平衡的长期供应和需求。这促使澳大利亚成为吸引该集团的理想投资点。“当时机会降临，因为英联邦产业酒店基金(Commonwealth Property Hotel Fund)希望转手他们的酒店，而YTL成功中标。”

他们设法把境况欠佳的房地产蜕变为繁荣的度假胜地。“我们怀抱热情，以业主的视野来管理每一家酒店，并与合作伙伴建立稳固的信任、理解与协作关系。”

健康且充满活力的旅游市场，尤其是墨尔本，将大量吸引投资者，推动酒店业迈入更成熟的下一个阶段。

而凭借严谨的管理、敬业的精神和高附加值的产品，YTL为宾客提供令人难忘的最佳体验和始终如一的世界级服务。他们的高效团队以鼓励诚实、勤奋、道德责任、活力和团结等家庭文化方式提供动力。“我们喜欢投资于人，让他们发挥出最好的一面。员工需要对本身的工作充满激情，分享共同的信念，相信自身能够实现YTL的愿景。”

对于YTL品牌来说，质量和投资回报并非相互排斥的概念。“其实如果忽略酒店的星级，客人的感受体验和员工的服务才是造就与众不同的关键。多走一英里路会走得更远。“YTL集团酒店一直不断前进，保持高度的一致性和富有竞争力的创新。

至于 Bryan Yeoh 还有一支更出色的团队，延续家庭的激情燃烧。“我的妻子Cassy和我有三名孩子，一名儿子和两名女儿。儿子Ivan专门研究交互式数字媒体，长女Rachel已结婚了，小女儿Theresa目前正在墨尔本大学攻读视光学硕士学位。当然在不久的将来，Cassy和我将成为空巢老人。”

他热爱高尔夫球，但没有太多时间纵情享受。早年，这位精力充沛的人士原想追求更有创意的设计领域，但不幸的是，这并不是“母亲的选择”。因此，他最终选择了会计专业。

而关于十年后你会怎么样的问题，他的回答是：我希望和妻子在海滩上慵懒地躺着，享受我们着最喜爱的饮料。那时候我已经67岁了……还有什么可说？”

By Billie Ooi-Ng Lean Gaik