About Us - Amicum

At Amicum, we strive to go beyond expectations in everything we do — and we’ve got years of success to prove it.

Amicum’s experts are able to work separately in their areas of speciality, or join forces. This versatility is what enables us to achieve the very best results for our clients, every single time. Our extensive experience, specialised knowledge and ongoing engagement with the industry are what set us apart from competitors. We’re up-to-date with fluctuating market values and changes to legislation and regulations, so you can rest assured that you’ll receive the best possible results with us at every stage of your journey.

and regulations, so you can rest assured that you’ll receive the best possible results with us at every stage of your journey. Aged Care and Retirement Living can be confusing — but it doesn’t have to be. With Amicum, you’ll receive a personalised, positive experience tailored to meet your specific needs, and achieve great results along the way.

History

Amicum was established in 1997 by John Newman. It was then known as Cooper Newman Aged Care & Retirement Living. The idea was to deliver a more specialised, versatile, and corporate approach to the industry. The Amicum team have worked extensively on various projects in Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Meet The Team

Our clients have described us as dedicated, knowledgeable, professional, collaborative, and responsive, and we strive to continue developing this positive perception by going above and beyond in everything we do. We take a personal approach with every client, and our efficient team tailors their services to suit your needs.

John Newman

Director

John Newman

Director

Establishing Amicum (formerly Cooper Newman) in 1997, John Newman’s goal was to provide a more corporate and versatile approach to the sales and marketing processes within Retirement Living and Aged Care. With an extensive network of clients, which he has continued to nurture for more than 20 years, John’s strengths lie in delivering unique insights and a diverse range of end-to-end services in the highly specialised Aged Care and Retirement Living sector. From acquisition of sites, selling going-concern businesses to retirement properties, from concept to ongoing re-sale, his consultancy skills have allowed him to maintain long-term, ongoing relationships with clients. In addition to the Aged Care component, John is the Director of the Retirement Living Project Sales team. Amicum has continued to grow under John’s guidance, and his analytical strengths have served him and the Amicum team well.

Angus Kukura

General Manager

Angus Kukura

General Manager

Angus joined the Amicum team at the start of 2020 as the General Manager Retirement Living. Angus has been actively involved with all aspects of Retirement Living since 1998 and, over the years has gained significant insights and experience across all aspects of planning, construction, marketing, selling, feasibility reporting and the legislative framework and landscape. Angus was part of the executive team credited with developing Australia’s first multi-storey apartment style retirement estate in 1999. In that same year he collaborated to commence construction of the first ‘on-campus’ retirement estate at a tier one university. Angus has also been credited with developing the first ‘smooth move’ service into the retirement space to effectively control the customer’s journey and experience from the first point of contact. His most recent accomplishment is reflected in the development of a world class resort at Hidden Valley, Wallan. From vision to construction, Angus was integral to the planning, build and success of one Australia’s most iconic retirement estates. Angus’s sought-after skills and experience have resulted in him being the only person to be asked to Chair two state Retirement Living Councils (WA and Vic) in which he formed part of the industry working group to respond to the review of the Retirement Villages Act in WA and in the latter part of 2019 Victoria. Angus has formal qualifications in Business Management and is a Licensed Real Estate Agent in both WA and Victoria.

Arjuna Watawala

Analyst

Arjuna Watawala

Analyst

Arjuna has over 15 years’ experience including roles in Business Advisory and Capital Markets with tasks ranging from business valuations, due diligence, post-acquisition restructuring advisory and equity research. He has a deep understanding of the Mergers & Acquisition process having been involved in providing advice to both Purchasers as well as Vendors in transactions during his time with Ernst & Young and PWC. Arjuna obtained his Chartered Financial Analyst qualification in 2004.

Gerard Devaraj

Sales

Gerard Devaraj

Sales

Gerard’s work experience with Amicum commenced in 2016 and has come full circle in 2023 with him taking up full-time position. Having previously worked in sales and customer relations with Harvey Norman while completing his major in Psychological Sciences, Gerard’s communication skills, understanding of client expectations and ability to build healthy and strong client relationships serves him well as he assists the Amicum Aged Care team in the fulfilment of transactional requirements. Supportive, caring, flexible and personable, Gerard commands the respect of his colleagues and peers. His background and knowledge in IT have proven a valuable asset in advancing Amicum’s ongoing technology upgrades.

Glen O’Brien

Sales

Glen O’Brien

Sales

Glen began his career in the Residential Real Estate sector before transitioning to the specialist Aged Care Division.

He joined Amicum in 2012 and has completed numerous Aged Care transactions in Melbourne, Tasmania, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Glen completed a degree in Biological Science, which helped to develop his keen eye for detail and logical step-by-step methodology. Since his time in the Aged Care sector, he has formed relationships with Aged Care and Retirement Living operators throughout much of Australia and has helped grow the Amicum brand and business from Adelaide to Far North Queensland.

Glen has assisted clients with transactions ranging from parcels of Approved Places through to going-concern Aged Care portfolios and regularly deals with faith-and community-based groups and private operators, as well as large ASX-listed companies.

William Newman

Sales

William Newman

Sales

Time spent in the retail industry, uncovered William’s passion for understanding, assisting and supporting people in the local community. This passion steered William towards the Residential Aged Care sector where he spent 5 years working with Autumn Aged Care, mecwacare & Mercy Health. This included working on the floor and supporting new admissions for Respite and Permanent Care. During this period, William completed his Enrolled Nursing Diploma and developed critical skills, including superior customer service, relationship management, understanding of contract requirements and effective verbal and written communication. Coupled with William’s natural attributes of honesty, compassion, patience, and his desire to help the vulnerable sectors in the community, William is a perfect fit for the role of Sales Consultant in Retirement Living. With a strong focus on working with seniors and their families to support them to make important decisions about their living arrangements, William is an asset to the growing Amicum Retirement Living team.

Pauline Young

Sales

Pauline Young

Sales

Pauline has worked in Retirement Living sales since 2014. Coming from a background where family elders featured prominently in her life, Pauline’s passion has always been about supporting people to make positive differences in their lives. For 10 years, Pauline held the role of Administrator of the Lymphoedema Compression Garment Program at the Mercy Hospital for Women. This experience fuelled her desire to work with an older demographic and support them in making significant changes to their lives. This led to Retirement Living sales. She has degrees in Psychology and Psychophysiology, which have given her a unique insight into people’s everyday behaviours and communication styles and help her build strong working relationships with clients. Pauline’s ability to walk the walk with people of all ages and cultures means she has an enormous amount of empathy and regard for those contemplating the next major step in their lives. Her ability to make people feel comfortable and supported while making important decisions lies at the core of her modus operandi.

Robyn Baumgarth

Sales

Robyn Baumgarth

Sales

With 22 years sales experience in her own fashion business, Robyn has enjoyed building long term relationships with her clients. Customer service has been a priority and she is passionate about helping people feel good about themselves and making a difference in their lives. Over these years, Robyn has been involved with all ages and demographics and has organised many functions at Retirement Villages and loves the interaction with this age group. With a passion for Property marketing, moving to Retirement Living Sales was a natural progression. Robyn loves co-ordinating functions and events at villages that create a sense of community living and provide active lifestyle programs

Lynn Weston

Sales

Lynn Weston

Sales

Lynn Weston comes from a successful 14 year career in the Retirement industry and Residential Real Estate. Working with Ray White Mornington for 7 years Lynn found her empathy and caring nature led her into the Retirement industry, where she continues to provide excellent customer service backed with a wealth of knowledge. Lynn realises everyone has unique circumstances and needs that require different results. Lynn thrives on delivering the best experience possible for her clients taking the next step in their lives. Lynn is passionate about real estate and has previously renovated 2 properties of her own and is currently renovating her Mornington home which is near completion. Lynn is an animal lover with 2 dogs that keep her active and happy. Lynn is also very community focused and tries to keep everything local, in her bid to support the community.

Lynda Howlett

Sales

Lynda Howlett

Sales

With over 20 years’ experience in customer service, Lynda has the expertise to build great rapport with her clients. Lynda has had a versatile background; including owning her own business, working as a cabin crew member, and working with all kinds of demographics within the real estate sector. Lynda has the passion and drive to assist people of all ages to ensure that the transitions run as smooth as possible. Being involved and having a love and understanding in community living, Lynda will continue to provide support with honesty and integrity. Lynda is dedicated to work within her team to implement the most effective outcome.

Terry Watson

Sales

Terry Watson

Sales

With over 35 years’ experience in the banking industry with expertise in Retail, Compliance, Risk & Audit, the ethos’ around client service has always been Terry’s highest priority. Terry’s ability to build a relationship & repore’ with the client along their journey and to align their objectives with a results-based approach rests well with clients of all ages and backgrounds. Terry was born and raised in Bendigo, knows the local landscape and also owns his own accommodation business servicing visitors from all over Australia and combines his passion for property and meeting his clients’ needs plays an integral part in understanding community and lifestyle requirements. Terry is looking forward to working with the team at Amicum, a dedicated and caring group of professionals who hold the same client ethos’ of achieving the very best for our clients.

Susie Tan

Admin and Sales

Susie Tan

Admin and Sales

admin@amicum.com.au

With marketing and sales industry experience spanning over 20 years, Susie brings an outstanding record of client service and a wealth of expertise in executing seamless domestic and international campaigns. Having achieved her ambition of running her own successful advertising agency for almost a decade, she believed her skills in understanding the needs of her clients could best be utilised in marketing property. Susie’s passion for improving people’s lives led her into Retirement Living sales, where she could see the profound effects of honest and ethical customer service. Susie’s clients value her extensive knowledge of sales, financial acumen and strategic problem solving, as well as her amiable and approachable nature.

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