About Lismore Chamber
About
Business Lismore is the Lismore Chamber of Commerce, the region’s foremost business association and the collective voice of the Lismore business community. Everything we do is built around three core pillars: Advocacy, Connection, and Education. Together, these pillars form the foundation of a thriving, connected, and future-focused business community.
Through Advocacy, we give our members a powerful, unified voice that carries real weight with local government, policy makers, and decision makers at every level. As an alliance partner of Business NSW, we champion the issues that matter most to Lismore businesses, ensuring our community is seen, heard, and represented wherever decisions are being made.
Through Connection, we bring the Lismore business community together in meaningful ways. Our regular networking events, annual Business Excellence Awards, and vibrant member community create the kind of relationships that open doors, spark collaboration, and remind every business owner that they are not in this alone. Our members span every industry and reflect the remarkable diversity and strength of this region.
Through Education, we equip our members with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to grow with confidence. From access to Business NSW advice lines and professional development opportunities to practical support that helps businesses navigate challenges and seize opportunities, we are invested in your growth at every stage.
Lismore is the economic heart of the Northern Rivers, and our business community has proven time and again that when we stand together, there is nothing we cannot overcome. Business Lismore is where that strength lives.
Services
Advocacy and a United Voice:
Your business deserves to be heard. Business Lismore advocates on behalf of every member of our local business community, ensuring that the issues affecting businesses in the Lismore LGA are raised, represented, and acted upon at every level of government. Whether the challenge is widespread across the region or specific to a single member, we have the insight, relationships, and lines of communication to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.
From local government through to state and federal decision makers, we carry the collective voice of Lismore business into the rooms where decisions are made. Because when businesses stand together, that voice is impossible to ignore.
We advocate to local government on the issues that shape the business environment in our region. We engage with state and federal government where the stakes demand it. And we bring together every local business voice to ensure our community speaks with strength, clarity, and unity.
Networking and Connection:
Business is built on relationships. Business Lismore creates the spaces and opportunities for those relationships to form, grow, and generate real value for our members and for the wider Lismore business community.
Through our regular events, we bring together business owners, leaders, and professionals from across every industry in the LGA. Whether you are looking to expand your network, find new collaborators, or simply connect with like-minded people who understand the realities of running a business in regional Australia, you will find your people here.
Our signature events include Business After Hours, a relaxed and regular networking experience designed to foster genuine connection across the business community, and the Lismore Business Awards, our flagship annual event that celebrates the outstanding achievements, resilience, and excellence of local businesses across the region.
Business Education and Training:
Growth requires knowledge. Business Lismore is committed to ensuring every member has access to the education, training, and practical insights they need to run a successful business, no matter what stage they are at or what challenges they are facing.
We design and facilitate a range of educational events that address the real issues business owners are navigating, from the day-to-day demands of running an operation to the bigger strategic shifts required to grow and adapt in a changing economy.
Our education and training events include the Business Owners Summit, a dedicated event bringing together business owners for high-value learning and strategic conversation. The Business Before Hours Series delivers practical education in an accessible early morning format built for busy business owners. Our Flood Planning and Recovery Events provide critical support and guidance to help businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disaster, reflecting our deep commitment to the resilience of this community. And our Leveraging Events in Lismore series helps businesses understand how to capitalise on the major events and activations happening across the region to drive visibility, foot traffic, and growth
Business Lismore Board
Our board is made up of a passionate group of business owners who volunteer their time and expertise. From business management, marketing, financial, event, retail, industry and social welfare, we represent the business community every day and own, manage or are employed in businesses from micro to large. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month.
You can read a brief profile for each Board member below. and you can see previous board members here.
Board elected at AGM 20th November 2024
Michael Ackrell
President
I am an experienced and passionate leader with a demonstrated history of Management in the Customer Service industry. Skilled in all aspects of operations, people development, and business turnarounds.
Anthea Stevanoic
Treasurer
Director/Business Consultant at Intelligent Directions
I have a real passion for business, instilled in me from an early age, while growing up in the heart of a family business. Being part of a family in business means you are totally immersed in its culture – this is not a job your parents do that finishes at 5pm, it doesn’t take holidays – it’s always on.
I loved every minute of it.
I couldn’t wait to start work and found a job as soon as I was able. I love to work, to learn, and generally be involved with a business and its people, soaking up as much of their expertise and experience as possible.
Culturally, I always knew I wanted to help people and make a difference in the world. This quest took me to university to complete a degree in social work, before gaining a Bachelor of Business and Commerce, majoring in Management.
After gaining some amazing and invaluable management experience, with a variety of outstanding Australian companies, I established Intelligent Directions, which has allowed me to combine my two passions of business and helping people.
I’m so fortunate, every day to work with some truly incredible and inspirational people and help them to grow, scale, transform and triumph.
It all starts with a conversation and develops into a close collaboration to reveal and deliver a winning strategy for success.
My work is truly a labour of love and I treasure every minute of every business day.
Mike Ewing
Board Member
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Law & Arts at SCU
.Prior to relocating to the Northern Rivers, Mike served in leadership roles at Deakin University (2014-2023), Monash University (2002-2014) and Curtin University (1996-2002). And before that, he was the marketing research manager for Ford Motor Company’s South African subsidiary.
Mike has also held the position of Marketing Manager, Jaguar. More recently, he has consulted to such organizations as Coca-Cola (Asia), Hakuhodo (Japan), McDonalds and VW (China), AC Nielsen and DDB (Hong Kong) Unilever (Europe), DSM (Europe), Jollibee (the Philippines), and Telekom Austria. In Australia, he has worked with Holden, BMW, Argyle Diamonds, Levi Strauss & Co., Ansell, Glaxo Smith Klein, the CEO Institute, Isuzu, Nissan, Hawthorne, and Gold Coast Titans football clubs.
Anthony David
Public Officer/Board Member
Founder and principal of Owl Web Design
Anthony is the founder and principal of Owl Web Design, a local digital agency dedicated to helping small businesses establish and grow their online presence. With a career spanning more than 40 years in small business ownership, Anthony brings a depth of real-world experience and genuine passion to his role on the Board.
Over the course of his career, Anthony has built, grown, and successfully sold multiple businesses across a range of industries, giving him a practical, hands-on understanding of the full business lifecycle from startup to exit. His most notable venture was the development and management of a national franchise network of computer repair centres and retail outlets. Under his leadership as franchisor, the network expanded to more than 15 locations across Australia and a further two in New Zealand, before being successfully sold in the early 2010s. This experience gave Anthony rare insight into the challenges and rewards of scaling a business, managing franchisees, and building a brand.
He is a passionate advocate for the small business community, firmly believing that small businesses are the backbone of both local economies and the broader national economy.
Anthony’s commitment to business excellence extends to his professional development. He has undertaken formal studies in Business Management, Training and Assessment, and Workplace Health and Safety (WHS), alongside a range of other disciplines that have informed and strengthened his approach to business over the years.
Outside of business, Anthony is a proud husband and father of three adult children.
Tom Rocks
Board Member
Dealer Principal at Lismore Toyota
Tom Rocks is the Dealer Principal at Lismore Toyota, bringing 18 years of experience in the automotive industry. With a strong background in retail operations and finance, Tom is focused on driving performance and delivering results that consistently outperform the market. He is motivated by building high-performing teams and creating a culture of accountability, growth, and customer excellence.
Angela Slattery
Casual Board Member
Director/Osteopath – Evolve Osteopathy Lismore
Angela started her career early working her way through hospitality, retail, rural, construction and health sectors. Her experience in business has been influenced through family members owning and running successful businesses within Central West NSW and her own career as a large clinic owner and sole trader in the Northern Rivers. Angela was winner of Excellence in Micro Business at the 2025 Lismore Business awards, inspiring her to become a board member to give back to the business community that has supported her through the many ups and downs of business ownership over the past 10 years that she has resided in the Northern Rivers.
Alison Marchant
Casual Board Member
Manager, Invercauld House
Alison is an experienced and passionate business leader with a demonstrated history of owning and operating successful small businesses in the Northern Rivers. At Invercauld House, I play a key role in operational leadership, business performance and service delivery.