Community Collective

Dimitri Bacopanos brings more than thirty years’ experience in debt advisory, operational reviews, business restructuring, corporate finance and strategic business planning across a variety of sectors. Mr Bacopanos has served as Executive Director in the Transaction Advisory Services team at Ernst and Young, overseeing a number of mergers and acquisitions. He also brings a significant level of product market entry expertise for primary industry products into new markets throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Ian has been involved in the Western Australian Fishing Industry since 1975. The Ricciardi Family group have interests in Shark Bay prawn trawlers. Ian has worked on and operated trawlers in Shark Bay, Gulf of Carpentaria and Kimberly Prawn Fisheries. Ian also has interests in the South West Trawl Fishery, through One Sea Pty Ltd – Rottnest Island Scallop. The Ricciardi Family built and operated an Export Food Processing Facility in North Coogee and holds 50% interest in Fremantle City Coldstores. Ian held the position of Chairman of Shark Bay Prawn Association for 10 years and has significant experience in WA Fisheries-related processes.

Ian has been a Director of and served in an executive capacity for Rare Foods Australia Limited (formerly Ocean Grown Abalone Limited) since July 2013.

Brad is a third-generation fisherman and has worked as a commercial abalone diver along Western Australia’s south coast for 12 years. Brad also has extensive aquaculture experience having worked in Tasmania in the 90’s on abalone, Atlantic salmon, oysters and mussels.

Brad has been actively involved in Abalone Aquaculture research and development in Western Australia since 2000. Brad was a director of the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council from 2009 to 2011 and Chairman from 2011 to 2013. He holds a MBA and Bachelor of Applied Science, Biology from Curtin University of Technology and a Graduate Diploma, Aquaculture from the University of Tasmania.

Brad is a founder of the business and has been a Director of and served in an executive capacity for Rare Foods Australia Limited (formerly Ocean Grown Abalone Limited) since July 2013.

Paul Italiano joins Rare Foods following a forty-year career across the Insurance, Corporate Finance and Energy sectors, culminating in CEO roles with both Transgrid and Western Power. Paul brings a unique blend of government and private sector expertise, combined with both an operational and capital market understanding.