Team Arron Wood revealed
Deputy Lord Mayor and former Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood AM has revealed his independent Team Arron Wood ticket to contest the City of Melbourne election.
Arron is delighted to reveal his candidate for Deputy Lord Mayor is founder and director of content and digital marketing outfit CODI Agency, co-founder of Lisnic, a platform designed to help the business community find mentorship, and co-founder of natural cosmetics brand 101 Lifestyle, Lisa Teh.
“Team Arron Wood is focused on one thing: Revive Melbourne,” Arron said.
“As a fellow small business owner, Lisa understands the concerns of businesses who feel they have been let down and are not well represented.
“Lisa brings enthusiasm, knowledge and fresh ideas for reviving Melbourne and I really hope we have the opportunity to work together to make Melbourne an economic powerhouse once more.”
Arron said he has consulted widely with thousands of small business operators, crippled by COVID-19, about what is needed to revive Melbourne.
“Team Arron Wood is led by small business owners who truly understand what it is like to be a ratepayer in the City of Melbourne right now and we know what the City needs to get us back on top as we ease out of this pandemic,” Arron said.
“When putting my team together, I wanted a mix of experience and innovation, corporate knowledge coupled with youthful enthusiasm. I wanted hope for our city’s future. I have achieved that with the Team Arron Wood line up.
“Number one on my ticket is successful businessman Jason Chang – a classic Melbourne success story – who employs hundreds of people in his restaurants and knows all too well the effect that COVID is having on our beloved retail and hospitality industries.
“Peter Clarke, former Melbourne City Councillor and Chair of Planning, deepens that depth and breadth of experience as number two on the ticket. Peter has previously served on Melbourne City’s Business Attraction Taskforce, the PM’s Gold Medal Access Strategy Reference Group and is a former Chairman of VicUrban, Executive Director of the Property Council and Executive Director of the Institute of Architects.”
“My good friend and colleague, Cr Beverley Pinder, brings experience on Council, as well as in PR and marketing, and compassion to the ticket with her 50-year record of committed charity work in the youth, disability and homelessness sectors with passion that echoes daily through Council chambers. She is also a mentor to several international students.
Following Cr Pinder on the ticket is Clinical research professional and small business owner Abdirahman Ali.
“I was blown away by Abdirahman’s passion for his North Melbourne community during the housing commission tower lockdown when I came to know him as part of a small group who ensured that food and supplies were given to those vulnerable residents. He held both the capability and sincerity to fight for progress in his community,” Arron said.
Arron announced that judge, lecturer and businesswoman Beverley Honig will round out the Team Arron Wood ticket.
“Beverley is an inspiration: she was in the top ten female entrepreneurs in the AFR’s 100 Women of Influence and is listed in the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame. She gets corporate Melbourne and next-generational needs,” Arron said.
“I could not be prouder of Team Arron Wood: a mix of energetic and authentic business zeal and council experience to take on the enormous task of reviving Melbourne post-COVID.
“They’re committed Melburnians from diverse ethnic backgrounds – a mirror of the textured tapestry that is our city. They’ve contributed to Melbourne’s growth through a breadth of commercial experiences; building successful businesses here, creating jobs and contributing to Melbourne’s rich social fabric.
“If elected, the sky is the limit for what this formidable group of people could achieve and we very much hope that the ratepayers of Melbourne believe in us enough to give us that opportunity. We stand ready and willing to serve.”
TEAM ARRON WOOD TICKET
Deputy Lord Mayor: Lisa Teh, founder and director of CODI Agency, a content and digital agency focused on lifestyle; and co-founder of natural cosmetics brand 101 Lifestyle. Passionate about promoting healthy work-life balance, Lisa is also the author of best-selling books Australian Style and Australian Beauty. She is also the Co-Founder of Lisnic, a platform that helps connect mentees with business mentors globally. This service especially helps small businesses, who often have very little support during their business journey. Lisa also spends time helping children’s cancer, women’s mentoring and food sustainability charities amplify their invaluable work in the digital space.
Jason Chang: Co-Founder & CEO of Calia, a restaurant-to-retail brand created in Melbourne specialising in quality products and ingredients. Founded in 2014, Calia has grown to employ 250 staff and expanded into Indonesia and Malaysia. The son of immigrant parents, Jason was born in and lived all his life in Melbourne. His hero is his dad, who was Chinese born and raised and moved his family to Melbourne in the 1960’s where he opened some of the first Asian grocery stores.
Peter Clarke: A property consultant and architect with a focus on community building, Peter brings a wealth of business, Board membership and Council experience to the team. His high-level experience overseeing and providing strategic direction to government started in 1993 when he was appointed to the Planning Minister’s Advisory Council. He’s been appointed to numerous local, state and federal government roles since, including Melbourne City’s Business Attraction Taskforce, the PM’s Gold Medal Access Strategy Reference Group and Chairman of VicUrban. He is also a passionate member of the Melbourne Football Club.
Beverley Pinder: A public relations specialist and current Melbourne City Councillor, Beverley’s strong focus has always been on connecting people with the city. Re-elected as a Councillor in January 2018, she chairs the People City portfolio and was responsible for selling the delights of Melbourne as chair of the Marketing Melbourne portfolio during her first Council stint between 2012-16 when Melbourne consecutively retained the title of the World’s Most Liveable City. Beverley has more than three decades experience in PR and marketing and has been deeply committed to charity work for 50 years.
Abdirahman (Abdi) Ali: A clinical research professional and small business owner that has lived and worked in City of Melbourne, particularly North Melbourne, for the past 17 years.
Abdirahman was raised by his single mother who ensured he attended University.
He is passionate about community and youth development and has worked in the sector for over a decade, volunteering in leadership roles at local sports clubs, organisations and service providers. Abdi also has a keen interest in business and business development having run his own niche small business for a number of years. He is committed to supporting small business and communities to be more prosperous than ever before.
Beverley Honig: A qualified lawyer, Appeals Judge, Monash law lecturer and entrepreneurial businesswoman, Beverley understands next-generational needs, and the balance between justice and harmony. Chief of city-based corporate advisory business Honeylight Enterprises, she develops managers into leaders and is a catalyst for business improvement. She is author of best seller book “Making Contracts Work”, co-founder of an Indigenous enterprise, and with a retail property background, was known to shape the fabric of some of our City’s retail hubs, propelled by her passion to keep Melbourne thriving.
Beverly is the recipient of many business awards, including winner AFR’s 100 Women of Influence (top 10 female entrepreneurs), Westpac’s 200 Businesses of Tomorrow, and is listed in Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame.
