Our Executive Team
The Stevens Group is led by Managing Director and Owner, John Stevens. John’s leadership and entrepreneurial skills, have enabled him to assemble a highly experienced team of qualified professionals, many of whom have been with the group for more than 10 years.
Our team of industry professionals include: Engineers, Project Managers, Architects, Town Planners, Property Sales, Asset Managers, Financial Controllers, Lawyers, Leasing and Marketing, Hoteliers, Residential Building Managers and Cost Estimators.
John Stevens
Founder and Managing Director
John is the Founder and Managing Director of the Stevens Group and the driving force behind the success of over 250 + development projects to date. John’s passion to embrace the industry, has seen him grow the company to specialise in projects across the commercial, retail, residential and retirement living sectors. With over 36 years at the helm, his passion and natural intuition for this industry are still as focussed today, as it was in the beginning. He unites an experienced senior level management team, to strategically drive the company’s objectives in design, delivery and quality standards, to not only meet expectations but exceed them. John is fully immersed in all of the Stevens Group projects. John’s proven track record of bringing concepts for developments to life, has resulted in a number of National and State Awards being delivered to his projects including the Vintage Residential Golf Course Project, Glengara Retirement Village, Forresters Beach Retirement Village and the recent National AHA Award for Headlands Hotel at Austinmer as the Best Regional Hotel in Australia. John sits on the board of Hunter Valley Wine Tourism Association in the Hunter Valley and is also the long term President of the Terrigal Trojan Rugby Club on the NSW Central Coast.
Brett Harrod
Property Group Director
Brett is the Property Group Director for the Stevens Group and is responsible for the acquisition and management of new development projects as well as overseeing developments through to delivery. Throughout the development process Brett holds a key primary role in the ongoing management, consultancy and delivery of projects. Brett has an in-depth knowledge of property development from over 40 years’ experience in the industry and has been involved in the delivery of commercial, residential, retail and industrial property projects. Having started his career in Real Estate, Brett’s industry knowledge and experience is instrumental when it comes to delivering the best possible outcomes for both the Stevens Group and our clients.
Michael O'Brien
Finance and Operations Director
Michael leads the finance team and is a qualified CPA accredited Accountant, having gained tertiary qualifications in Financial Administration, Accounting and Finance from the University of New England. He is responsible for overseeing all functions of the organisations financial operations and forecasting for the Stevens Groups diverse range of assets and brands. With a wealth of experience in the field of finance within the building, construction and funeral services industries, Michael’s leadership, combined with his considered approach, is credited to the group’s profitability and financial capability to fund future projects.
Janine Jeffery
Executive Assistant and Office Manager
Janine is responsible for providing a high level executive support to John Stevens the Managing Director of Stevens Group. Her extensive experience, dedication and commitment enable her to adapt to a fast paced work environment with professionalism and accuracy. Having worked for the Stevens Group for nearly 20 years, Janine is highly regarded among her colleagues and clients and is the heart of the Stevens Group team.
Lin Armstrong
Planning Services Manager
Lin is a qualified town planner and holds the key position of Manager for Planning Services within the Group. Lin has over 25 years experience in both the public and private sectors having held senior positions in both Local and State Government. In her role with Stevens Group, she is responsible for taking projects from inception through to construction and negotiating the raft of approvals required in property development. Lin’s knowledge of the NSW planning approval process and legislation allows her to respond to the varying demands of regulatory authorities with expertise and professionalism. Lin is highly regarded within the planning industry and is a corporate member of the NSW UDIA.
Ben Johnson
Senior Development Manager
Ben Johnson is a qualified Civil Engineer with tertiary qualifications from the University of Queensland with over 20 years’ experience in the engineering and building industry. Ben is responsible for the management and delivery of projects including overseeing the Stevens Group hallmark site The Vintage in the Hunter Valley. Ben brings his technical understanding and experience, as well as his hardworking and meticulous approach to all aspects of his role with the Stevens Group.
Emma Sharp
Finance Manager
Emma works closely with the development team providing group cashflows and insightful reporting to enable business decisions. As a qualified ACCA Accredited Accountant with over a decade of team management experience, Emma is responsible for group consolidation of financials and supporting the Finance and Operations Director in overseeing the group’s finance teams. Having previously worked for two of Australia’s largest commercial real estate groups, Emma has gained a passion for continuous improvement taking the lead on information system and process improvements.
Jason Capuano
Development Director
As Development Director, Jason’s role is focused on acquisition and new site development. Jason works closely with all major fuel and fast food retailers to find new development site opportunities and also manages the end to end delivery of many of our residential apartment development projects.
Mackenzie Stevens
Development Manager
Mackenzie joined the Stevens Group development team in 2016 and has been involved with all aspects of development. Mackenzie is responsible for both acquisition and the management and delivery of projects. He is dedicated to his work and keen to take on projects of all asset classes to further his experience in the development industry.
Morgan Petherbridge
Project Manager
Morgan is a Project Manager with a Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours) from the University of Newcastle. With nearly 10 years’ experience in the construction industry, she has worked closely with project stakeholders to successfully deliver projects across a range of construction sectors, including residential subdivisions, tourism, education, industrial, multi-residential and commercial developments. Managing numerous multi-residential projects contributes to her detail orientated management style. She takes pride in the full life cycle of projects with the Stevens Group.
Josh Harrod
Development Manager Acquisitions
Since joining the Stevens Group in 2015, Josh has been involved in a number of our landmark commercial, industrial and residential developments. His role as a Development Manager primarily focuses on site identification and acquisitions as well as managing relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. Josh is a member of the Australian Property Institute and is passionate about continuing his professional development.
Corbin Bond
Project Manager
Corbin’s role as a Project Manager focuses on the delivery of many of our commercial projects including major fuel and fast-food retailers. Corbin provides a high-level of expertise in project management and client-side construction management to deliver exceptional results. His experience stems from a background in the QSR system delivering over 30 projects in this space as a Client-Side Project Manager and Superintendent in Sydney, Greater Sydney and regional NSW. Corbin’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Construction Management and a Masters of Project Management in the Build Environment from the University of Newcastle.
Lisa Kennedy
Development Manager Industrial
Lisa has gained extensive experience across the property sector including over 20 years working in legal and retail leasing for major national landlords and retailers. Her experience in residential construction and commercial property management as well as facilities and asset management have also been an invaluable contribution to the Stevens Group team. Lisa manages competing priorities and adapts effortlessly to a fluid work environment to meet the needs of the team and our clients.
Eliza Giles
Cadet Project Manager
Eliza has recently joined the Stevens Group as a new Cadet Project Manager. During her cadetship she will learn the various streams of our development business. Eliza is currently completing a four year degree in a Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours). She will continue her studies in conjunction with her new role and her focus for 2021 will be on subdivisions, working under the expertise and mentorship of Ben Johnson.
Kelly Sentance
Assistant to Brett Harrod
Kelly worked in management roles within Local Government and Universities for 20+ years before joining the Stevens Group. Her experience in financial management, governance, town planning and project management assists her in responding efficiently and effectively to the fast-paced nature of the Development Group’s business. She demonstrates a positivity and level headedness when interacting with all stakeholders and her colleagues.
Shannon Smith
Management Accountant
Shannon brings over 20 year’s accounting experience and is responsible for providing accurate financial & management accounting. Leading the Head Office finance team, she brings a wealth of experience in Financial Controlling and Administration Management holding roles in construction, agriculture and automotive sectors.
David Burgin
Solicitor
David is a lawyer consulting to and operating out of the offices of Stevens Group offices, for the past eight years. Admitted as a solicitor in 1979 he has almost 40 years’ experience as a sole practitioner and law firm partner on the Central Coast of NSW. In all that time he gained experience in most areas of law and has developed a keen interest in property and development law.
Darren Nichols
Finance Consultant
Darren comes with a history of banking experience and expertise. He started his career working with a major Bank and after 15 years working in the Banking sector, specialising in property finance, Darren joined Stevens Group. With Darren’s experience in the Banking sector comes an invaluable insight into funding arrangements and structuring when discussing projects with prospective financers.
Wendy Eschler
Residential Sales Manager
Wendy is an experienced Marketing and Sales Manager and specializes in residential land subdivisions. She is dedicated to assisting buyers when securing residential land by utilising her detailed knowledge and experience in assessing the slope, orientation, and aspect of each block to help take advantage of the best design solutions possible. Wendy offers her clients expert design advice for their new home, based on over 15 years’ experience working with quality residential subdivision designs.
Kim Waterhouse
Marketing and Communications Manager
Kim’s experience in the Marketing and Communications industry has spanned over 20 years. Primarily working in Hotels, Tourism and Brand Agencies both within Australia and Overseas, her specialty areas focus on Digital Marketing and Innovative Brand Identity. She has worked in senior management roles for some of the world's leading hotels; including Leading Hotels of the World, Mirvac Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Hayman Island Resort and the Golden Door Resorts and Spas. With a degree in Marketing and in Communications, Kim believes the key to success is that we must stay ahead of our client’s needs and discover what they want before they do!
Natalie Herb
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Natalie is responsible for the coordination and supporting implementation of marketing campaigns across the broad spectrum of development projects and hospitality for the Stevens Group. She graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Communication in 2018 and brings an integrated approach to the digital marketing landscape with a background in Public Relations. She continues to expand her breadth of experience and technical knowledge within her role as an integral part of the Stevens Group marketing team.
