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Peter Lewis is a Principal with Gramercy Venture Advisors in Melbourne. In this role, he is responsible for working with clients to develop international business strategy, raise capital and enter US and Chinese markets. Peter leads Gramercy’s Security Technology and Wireless practices in Australia and is responsible for the development of Gramercy’s Private Equity and Venture Capital initiatives. Peter was previously the General Manager of Corporate Business Development with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and a member of its Executive Management Council. In that role he had responsibility for organisation-wide business development with some of the world’s largest corporations including IBM, Sun, 3M, P&G, Intel, News Corp., Boeing and numerous others, as well as advising on technology commercialisation and investment issues to the Divisions. In addition, Peter was responsible for government level business development activities, initiating a number of major projects with the governments of China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the USA. As Australia’s youngest ever appointed Consul-General and Senior Trade Commissioner with Austrade, based in Silicon Valley during the ‘dot com’ years, Peter assisted many hundreds of Australian technology companies to successfully enter the US market and raise significant US sourced venture capital. Peter and his team were directly responsible for generating AUD$400m in new investment and AUD$300m in new business. During that time Peter also led Austrade’s Global ICT Trade Team with more than 60 members in more than 50 countries focussed on developing innovative business development and marketing strategies. Peter also led the Biotech Trade Team across North and South America. In his prior role as National Manager Communications & IT with Austrade, Peter led a team was responsible for the promotion and export growth of Australia’s IT, Communications, Multimedia and Film & Music industries to global markets leading to more than AUD$250m in sales. Previous to these roles Peter held a number of senior positions in Engineering, Business Development and Marketing with a number of technology oriented companies based variously in the Asia, the UK and Australia. Peter has served on numerous Government and Industry Consultative committees including membership of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council's (PMSEIC) Working Group on Sustainable Technology SME Exports . He was previously a Board Member of the US based Churchill Club the premier technology Public Affairs organisation in Silicon Valley the US and was the founder of Anzatechnet.com, now the largest Australian/New Zealand/US technology networking group in North America with some 4000 members. Peter is a Founder and Board member of the Churchill Club Australia, a not-for-profit Technology Business, Innovation & Policy Public Affairs forum which brings experienced and insightful speakers together in a public environment to discuss emerging issues around technology business and innovation. Peter sits on the Governing Council of the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCAL) and is the Chair of their Professional Development Sub-committee. Peter has an MBA, a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and has completed a number of technology business oriented intensive executive courses at Stanford University, INSEAD and AGSM. | 