ANDREW BATURO - Hospitality
Andrew Baturo is one of Brisbane’s hospitality legends, having been in the industry for over 30 years. He started his hospitality career at Fridays in 1989 with Nigel Kilvington and at 21 was the youngest ever duty manager at Friday’s.
In 2002 Andrew Baturo was the General Manager for the first Wagamama in Australia, part of the team that gained the Aus/NZ franchise rights from over 1700 applicants. In 2003 Andrew travelled to Orlando to be involved in Hospitality and Leadership workshops with elite participants from around the world. Baturo has worked with the best restaurant and retail businesses in the world and spent 4 months in London working with the likes of Ian Neil. During Andrew’s tenure at Wagamama as the Operations Manager he assisted in growing the business to 11 stores Australia wide.
In 2005 Baturo started his own venture, Libertine in Sydney’s Kings Cross. Heading north in 2009 he opened Libertine in the Paddington Barracks (Brisbane). In addition to operating DAP and Co and Libertine, Baturo is also the Director of Naga Thai, located on Brisbane’s iconic Eagle Street Pier.
FAVOURITE DRINK: Clover Club | FAVOURITE DINING EXPERIENCE: Hakkasan, London, Mott 32, Hong Kong
PAUL PITICCO - Business
Paul Piticco is an Australian music, property and hospitality entrepreneur. He is notable for managing Australian band Powderfinger and founding Splendour In The Grass and recording label Dew Process.
Co-founded by Piticco with his business partner Jessica Ducrou, Secret Sounds Group promotes and operates some of Australia’s top festivals including Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festivals nationally. Secret Sounds also promotes the tours of several international artists in Australia, including The Strokes, Mumford & Sons, London Grammar, Foster The People, James Blake, Mark Ronson, The Flaming Lips, Blur and many more. In 2019 Piticco along with JC of Powderfinger fame and Brisbane Property Mogul Scott Hutchinson developed The Fortitude Music Hall, Australia’s largest ballroom style concert hall. This was their second venue together after the Triffid in Newstead. Most recently, Paul and JC have developed the Hindley Street Music Hall in Adelaide.
In 2002, Paul started an independent record label called Dew Process. Since then they have worked with a handful of notable acts including Mumford & Sons, London Grammar, Bernard Fanning, James Vincent McMorrow, and The Hive, amongst others.
Paul has managed Powderfinger since the early ’90s and still takes care of their affairs to this day. They have won multiple ARIAs and have shaped the musical fabric of Australia. This culminated in promoting the farewell tour in 2010. The record-breaking tour was a massive success, selling over 310, 000 tickets across 34 different cities and grossed over $35 million.
Furthermore, this past year Paul was named alongside his business partner, the fourth most influential and important figure in the Australian music industry by AMID Power 50 this year. The Australian Newspaper also listed Paul at number 11 in their national poll of Top 20 influential people in the Arts.
FAVOURITE DRINK: Belvedere Martini, Lillet and a lemon twist | FAVOURITE DINING EXPERIENCE: French Laundry, CAL, Peter Luger, Brooklyn
DENIS SHEAHAN - Project Management
Denis Sheahan is the Director of GREENFIELD EVENTS (formerly DSEM), one of Australia’s most prominent event and project management companies.
Denis has operated the company since 1989 from Melbourne, London and New York. Since 1999 GF has been based in Brisbane and is currently managing annual arts and festival events Australia-wide, including Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival Byron Bay, and Groovin The Moo, averaging 12 major events annually.
Greenfield Events have also looked after the entertainment production management for the Royal
National Association of Queensland annual show - The EKKA, since 2003. Greenfield has been engaged by government bodies for events of significance, including Premiers Department Queensland Flood Relief Concerts, Premiers Department G20 Delegates & Media Welcome Event Southbank, and Queensland Music Festivals and Brisbane Economic Development Agency inaugural "Fireside" event.
Greenfield has worked closely with a range of high-profile artists including Powderfinger and Bernard Fanning. Recently, Greenfield produced several shows for the Elton John Tour, the Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu event, Scone Racing Carnival, Harvest Rock, Spin-off and Heaps Good Festivals
FAVOURITE DRINK: Old Fashioned (easy on the sugar) | FAVOURITE DINING EXPERIENCE: Peter Luger, Brooklyn
BRIAN QUINN - Finances
Brian Quinn is a chartered accountant with over 30 years experience in both practice and business settings. While in practice, Brian established a specialty division for the arts, specifically the film and music industries, and has advised some of Australia’s leading artists. In 2002 Brian took up a financial role with a collective of music industry businesses which subsequently evolved into Secret Sounds Group, now a subsidiary of a US listed company, where he was CFO until 2023. Brian retains an advisory role with Secret Sounds Group, is a director of Dew Process Records and Dew Process Publishing, and provides advice to a small group of related businesses, including DAP & CO.
He provides advice on all commercial matters including leases and other agreements, as well as overseeing the financial and taxation elements of the DAP & CO business.
FAVOURITE DRINK: A nice craft beer and Tasmanian Pinot (Bream Creek, TAS) | E’CCO Bistro and Gerard’s
KELLY-RAE FEHLBERG - Group Operations Manager
Kelly-Rae has been working in hospitality for 20 years. She has worked for some of the largest Hospitality Groups in the state. Kelly started in fast paced take away service starting at her local fish and Pizza capers. Later honing her skills into more fine dining at Michaels riverside restaurant, CJs Griffith University training facility understanding the back of house operations, Rydges and then to Victoria Park Golf Complex learning large scale functions and bistro operations.
Kelly prides herself on a can-do attitude and the relentless pursuit for hitting financial targets, all whilst upholding the ethos of the group.
Kelly’s responsibilities include;
Overseeing group performance
Supplier and stakeholder engagement
Disseminating financial targets to management teams
Stakeholder engagement
Analysis of PnL’s
Lease interpretations and executions
Compliance Implementation
Licensing
Negotiating group contracts
Recruitment
Training and Development
HR Responsibilities
FAVOURITE DRINK: Bloody Mary | FAVOURITE DINING EXPERIENCE: Lakehouse at Daylesford
SEAN WATERS - Communications and Marketing Manager
Sean has been in the restaurant industry since 2007. Whilst studying for his Bachelor of Science at UQ, he became the manager of the iconic Gunshop Café, for many years. During this time he travelled extensively notably in South America, and his passion for Hospitality became cemented. Returning from a stint of teaching English in Poland to managing Popolo, he pursued his interest in communications and moved into the position of Marketing and Events manager. In 2022, he became the DAP & Co. Communications and Marketing Manager.
With a focus on the details and with a genuine interest in problem-solving, Sean’s responsibilities include;
Internal and external communications
Social media/Content strategy
Media monitoring
Internal and external events
Corporate relations
Business development
Hosting Key target familiarisations
PR and media handling
Advertising purchasing
Copywriting
Influencer engagement
Management of digital platforms
Graphic design production and coordination
Branding (development, execution and maintenance)
CRM/database management
IT Support
FAVOURITE DRINK: Any rosé from Provence and espresso | FAVOURITE DINING EXPERIENCE: Astrid de Gaston, Lima, Peru and Ormeggio, Sydney
MORGAN GRAHAM - Business Development Manager
Morgan began with DAP & CO in 2018 as Assistant Manager at Walter's Steakhouse. Having studied International Hotel and Tourism Management at UQ, she enjoyed eight years in Marketing at Channel Nine before making the leap into the hospitality industry. After a four year run at Walter's, she has taken a step away from the restaurant floor and transitioned to the role of Business Development Manager. Morgan has an eye for detail and looks forward to helping DAP & Co. grow and develop all while delivering exceptional events and functions across the group.
Morgan's responsibilities include;
Development of key contacts within the event industry
New business opportunities
Function procurement and management
Internal and External Events
Venue site visits
Catering requests
FAVOURITE DRINK: Tommy’s Margarita | FAVOURITE DINING EXPERIENCE: Granger & Co. for brunch, Notting Hill. Gramercy Tavern for dinner, NY