Team
Managing Partner
Mark Stevens
Mark Stevens is a 1984 graduate of the RMC Duntroon and served in the Australian Army for ten years as an infantry officer. He is Australia’s leading advisor to Defence Industry and the Founder and Managing Director of Arican, Australia’s and AUKUS’ leading Defence and National Security Industry advisers and commentators. He leads complex transaction projects, advisory engagements, and capital raisings mostly in the Defence and National Security market segments. Mark is the Chairman of ASX listed Defence Company HighCom (ASX:HCL) and a Board member at Eptec Group. Mark has a unique skill set with deep experience in both national security and private equity. He is well known to Defence senior leadership and has a range of relationships with staff across the ADF, Department of Defence and Australian Intelligence Community. He has led over 275 deals into Defence and in 2018 was instrumental in originating the first acquisition by Private Equity of an Australian Defence Industry company, Marand Precision Engineering, by CHAMP. Mark holds a B.Arts, B.Business and an MBA, attended Oxford University’s Strategic Leadership Program and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has also lectured in Strategic Management on the Masters of Management Program at the UNSW (ADFA Campus).
Investment Committee
To Be Confirmed
Operating Partners
Where Periscope deploys capital, that investment will come with the focus and assistance of both the management team and a dedicated Operating Partner, whose role is to work with management to realise the investment thesis and to optimise returns to Periscope’s investors.
Ian Langford
With 31 years of experience as an officer in the Australian Defence Force, Ian has led teams in complex and ambiguous environments, and brings a wealth of knowledge to Periscope’s clients. Ian has held a range of senior appointments in the Australian Army and Special Forces throughout his career including commanding the 2nd Commando Regiment, as well as multiple Special Operations Task Groups in Afghanistan, Iraq, and on domestic counter-terrorism duties.
Ian has led strategic level initiatives, been responsible for Army’s future strategic investments, future concepts and capabilities and major capital acquisitions and critical sustainment systems as the Head of Land Capability on two separate occasions in both 2019/20 and again in 2022. Following this position in 2022, Ian retired from the Army as a Brigadier.
Ian is a highly qualified national security adviser, recognised thought leader and an accomplished academic. He holds a Bachelor in Management, a Master of Arts, a Master of Defence Studies, a Master of Strategic Studies, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Deakin University. He is a well-published independent author, essayist, and editor.
Peter Davies
Peter is an accomplished Veteran and management adviser with over 27 years of military service and over 15 years of management, operations, and business development experience, with a focus on operating in Southeast Asia. Peter offers Periscope clients unique insights into doing business in the APAC region, as well as leveraging his British Army experience and network to support clients working in the AUKUS environment.
Graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1981, Peter’s 27- year service concluded with senior Strategy and Policy roles in the Ministry of Defence. Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts, Masters in Operations Management and is GAICD (International Directors’ Course Singapore) qualified. Emigrating to Australia in 2008, Peter’s initial commercial role was in Operations Management and Business Development for a Defence and Security Technology services and materiel provider, managing their primary customer – the Department of Defence.
Peter offers strong Defence and Energy (Mining, Oil & Gas, Floating Gas Production and Renewables) sector experience. Informed by over 40 years of working in complex, multi-jurisdictional environments, Peter provides Defence Industry clients and new entrants with strategic and operational advisory that enables them to achieve competitive market positioning and bidding into Defence.