Board of Directors

Simon Wallace
Chairman

Simon Wallace is a corporate lawyer and, based in Melbourne, having previously been an equity partner of the largest law firm in the world, he is now the founder & Managing Partner of his own boutique legal practice.

With extensive legal and commercial proficiency, and particular expertise in the areas of project finance, fundraising and corporate governance, Simon has substantial professional experience in the areas of investment banking, structured and direct equity investments, product formulation and sales.

Simon is admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Federal Court of Australia and the High Court of Australia, and he holds degrees from the Australian National University in both Law and Commerce.

Since its inception in August 2018, Simon has been a Director of Zoleo Inc. the joint venture entity of which the Group is a 50% partner with Roadpost Inc of Canada.

Simon Wallace has been a Director of Beam Communications Holdings Limited since 5 February 2015 and was elected Chairman on 22 December 2016.

Michael Capocchi
Managing Director

Michael Capocchi has over 25 years’ experience in the ICT industry and has held several senior management positions. Michael is based in Chicago, USA, which places him closer to the important centres for satellite communications in the USA and UK/Europe.

Michael joined Beam Communications Holdings Limited as the General Manager of the subsidiary, Beam Communications Pty Ltd, in 2003 and was appointed as Managing Director of Beam Communications Holdings Limited in March 2008.

Prior to joining Beam, Michael was the Regional Sales Director for Iridium Satellite LLC, directly managing the sales, distribution and channel management strategies for the Asia-Pacific region. Michael has held senior management positions as the Sales and Marketing Director of Pacific Internet responsible for establishing the Australian operations of the company and with Optus Communications.

Since its inception in August 2018, Michael has been a Director of Zoleo Inc. the joint venture entity of which Beam is a 50% partner with Roadpost Inc of Canada. Michael Capocchi is an integral part of the Beam business, including managing the day to day operations of the group which occasions extensive domestic and international travel when possible.

Mark Chartres
Independent Non-Executive Director

Mark Chartres brings deep capital market and investor relations experience to Beam’s board. He has been in financial markets for nearly two decades providing advice, structuring finance, raising equity and advising companies on their position in the market.

Mark has a Diploma in Financial Services after completing a degree in New Zealand in his earlier years. He spent five and a half years at Macquarie Group Ltd in its private wealth division before moving to Shaw and Partners in 2017 where he currently holds the role of senior investment adviser.

Further, Mark is very familiar with Beam’s operations, aspirations and investment profile, and has in the past assisted in furthering the Company’s funding requirements as well as providing counsel on key investor expectations and priorities.

Mark was appointed a Director of the Beam group of companies on 1 February 2022.

Peter Kopanidis
Independent Non-Executive Director

Peter Kopanidis is a seasoned finance professional with over three decades of experience and has a proven track record in Corporate Treasury, Investor Relations and Corporate Finance including M&A.

He has a diverse industry background, both as an Executive and a Consultant. This has encompassed roles with some of Australia’s leading brands in Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Insurance, Financial Services, and FMCG. Peter served as Senior Executive – Corporate Finance at Medibank, overseeing Investor Relations and Treasury & Investments. At Telstra, he was Executive Director – Investor Relations and was also Treasurer for a twelve-month period. Peter also held senior management positions at Treasury Wine Estates and at Foster’s Group, as Treasurer and Head of Investor Relations. He also spent twelve years at Mayne Nickless / Mayne Group in various Treasury related roles.

Peter is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting). He started his career as an Auditor at KPMG and is currently a Director at Petra Investor Relations & Debt Advisory Pty Ltd, a service provider to ASX-listed companies.

Peter Kopanidis was appointed a Non-Executive Director of the Beam group of companies on 15 January 2024.