About Us

Cathryn Lyall
President

About Cathryn

Partner Seed Space: Cathryn leverages her 30 year career in capital markets as a derivatives trader, exchange executive, NED on a UK Bank Board, strategic advisor and markets infrastructure specialist.

She Co-Founded Seismic Foundry in 2017, a discretionary fund investing in UK capital markets fintech. She has a portfolio of start-up and scale-up NED roles including on the Board of the peak industry body Fintech Australia. Through her founding Board role for Women In Listed Derivatives (WILD) she has spent 10 years developing networking, mentoring, & educational opportunities for women in Capital Markets.

She has been listed in Financial News 100 Most Influential Women, Innovate Finance 100 Women in FinTech, Cranfield FTSE Index 100 Women to Watch, Brummell Most Influential Women in the City and Qantas Australian of the Year (UK).

Marie Beikmanis
Immediate Past President

About Marie

Marie Beikmanis (Marie’s Favourite Things)

Marie served at Chamber President for 6 years. Now running an online business, Marie’s Favourite Things following 7 successful years as owner of Lush Flowers and Gifts, Marie was named Kiama Local Woman of the Year in 2017.

Marie is a strong advocate for local businesses in Kiama and surrounds.

Matthew King
Vice President

About Matthew

I’ve called Kiama home for nearly a decade and am deeply connected to our vibrant community. After working in the coal mines for several years, I made a life-changing decision to leave that career when my daughter was born, choosing to spend more time with my family.

I founded Creative Kooks, a community-driven initiative that brings people together through art, surfing and sustainability. Our workshops repurpose old surfboards that would otherwise end up in landfills, transforming them into unique pieces of art. It’s incredibly rewarding to provide a platform where people can collaborate, express their creativity, and contribute to environmental preservation.

Greg Langford
Treasurer

About Greg

Greg has lived in Kiama and Gerringong since the very early 70s and is father of 4.

Currently working across the region with NAB as Senior Specialised Relationship Manager – Health, Greg provides financial solutions for corporate health business, health professionals and high net worth individuals.

Greg has been a Director of Kiama Business Network since 2014 and enjoys connecting and supporting the Kiama local business network.

Rachel Edwards
Secretary

About Rachel

Rachel Edwards is currently the Organisational Change Manager on a large Microsoft D365 (ERP) project at BlueScope Australian Steel Products.  She is a Human Resources professional who has worked in the FMCG and manufacturing industries for over 20 years. She has led projects in Australia, Asia and Europe and brings experience in project management, organisational design, employee relations and communications, recruitment, governance and administration.

Rachel is currently on the Australian Human Resources Institute NSW Illawarra Committee and is a member of the UOW Human Resources Advisory Committee. She is a past President of the Kiama & Jamberoo Preschool Committee. Rachel lives locally with her family and is passionate about Kiama businesses and the local community.

Tanya Emmett
Secretary

About Tanya

Tanya is a partner at RMB Lawyers based in its Kiama office. She lives locally and is an active member of the Kiama community.

Tanya’s legal work centres around the local government, commercial and property law sectors, in which she has 20 years experience.

Tanya combines her extensive legal and local knowledge with a keen interest to support and connect with the Kiama business and local community.

Michael Emmett
Director

About Michael

Michael is an active member of the Kiama business and sporting community. Michael is a Director of Bluestone Building Group and father of two young children.

Michael is passionate about assisting local businesses to connect and grow.

Michael also represents the Kiama region with a board position at the Regional Advisory Council.

Elizabeth Burnett
Director

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth Burnett and husband Andrew established professional tree care business, Burnett Trees, in Jamberoo in 2000 and opened Burnetts On Barney Landscape Supplies and Garden Centre in Kiama in 2012 and The Quarry Cafe in 2022.

Elizabeth has a background in Journalism and Public Relations and is a member of Independent Garden Centres as well as Nursery and Garden Industries Association of NSW and ACT.

She believes that local business should be at the heart of creating healthy communities and she values the work she and her businesses do to maintain connection and build a strong local economy in the Kiama District.

She is a mother of three adult children who sometimes finds a business and life balance by growing roses, gardening and cattle farming.

Anne-Marie Esler
Director

About Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie Esler is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Padua Solutions, a fin-tech company specialising in tech-enabled services for financial advisers. As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) with over twenty-seven (27) years’ experience in the financial services industry, Anne-Marie is a technical advice expert who has spent the majority of her career advising financial advisers on the best strategies to implement for their clients.

Prior to starting Padua with her brother Matthew in 2013, Anne-Marie managed technical and training teams at Centric Wealth, now Findex, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, and Zurich Financial Services. She is currently a member of the judging panel for Financial Newswire’s Women in Wealth Awards.

Anne-Marie and her family have been living in Kiama for over 12 years (her husband having grown up in Kiama) and are actively involved in many sporting organisations. Anne-Marie joined the Kiama Business Network Board to promote and support businesses within the Kiama LGA, especially those providing professional financial services to local residents.