Asset condition & lifecycle planning
Independent assessment of buildings, plant and infrastructure to identify risk, establish condition baselines and prioritise maintenance and replacement.
Independent business advisory
Clearer decisions.
Stronger businesses.
Senior commercial experience for owners and professional firms navigating performance improvement, acquisition, asset value and exit.
Initial discussions are confidential and obligation-free.
Executive perspective
Built through decades of accountability for business performance, capital and investment decisions.
35+Years in finance, operations and asset performance
$27mAsset optimisation following reconstruction and efficiency improvements
$500mBusiness acquisitions and sales overseen
$2m p.a.Sustainability and energy savings · Environmental Excellence Award, UDIA Queensland 2019
Advisory services
Support at the moments that shape business value.
Each engagement is defined around the decision at hand — from a focused independent review to ongoing owner-side support.
01
Asset management
Independent owner-side oversight to improve operating performance, manage capital priorities and protect long-term asset value.
Explore service02
Business exit readiness
A structured review of earnings, risks, owner dependency and value drivers before taking a business to market.
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Business sale support
Vendor-side preparation, financial normalisation, information materials and practical support through the sale process.
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Business plans
Commercial plans and financial models that connect strategy, operational priorities, funding needs and measurable outcomes.
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Performance reviews
Clear diagnosis of revenue, margin, cash flow, working capital and operating performance, with an action-focused improvement plan.
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Acquisitions & due diligence
Client-side commercial and financial assessment to test assumptions, identify risk and strengthen acquisition decisions.
Explore serviceAsset management
Protecting performance today. Building long-term asset value.
Silver Downes Advisory provides independent owner-side asset management across the full asset lifecycle — connecting physical condition, operating performance, capital investment, risk and sustainability.
The focus is practical: make risk visible, direct capital to the right priorities, improve reliability and give owners better information for decisions.
Preventive maintenance systems
Practical maintenance programs, asset registers and performance disciplines designed to reduce unplanned downtime, control cost and extend asset life.
Capital improvement planning
Long-term capital plans that rank projects by criticality, return, compliance and guest or customer impact, supported by procurement and delivery oversight.
Energy & emissions management
Energy audits, procurement strategy, emissions baselines and improvement plans for existing assets, new developments and major energy-using systems.
Project & contract oversight
Independent owner-side governance across design, tendering, construction, commissioning and tuning to protect scope, cost, quality and operating outcomes.
Risk, resilience & compliance
Assessment and mitigation of climate, natural-hazard, insurance, environmental, marine, safety and operational-continuity risks.
Technology & asset intelligence
Building management systems, data analytics and asset-management platforms that improve visibility, accountability and evidence-based decisions.
Capability & knowledge transfer
Training, operating standards and retained asset knowledge that help management teams sustain improvements despite turnover or changing contractors.
Specialist experience
Island resorts and remote coastal assets
Remote assets require a different level of planning. Logistics, contractor access, ageing infrastructure, extreme weather, environmental obligations and seasonal demand all affect cost and resilience.
Scott’s experience includes desalination and sewage-treatment infrastructure, HVAC and building-management systems, marine and marina assets, cyclone and flood mitigation, energy procurement, insurance risk works and long-term capital programs.
Lower maintenance and energy costs
Longer asset life and improved reliability
Stronger climate and operational resilience
Better capital allocation and asset value
Scott DownesFounder & Principal Advisor
Experience behind the advice
Commercial judgement earned on the owner’s side of the table.
Scott Downes is an experienced asset manager, CFO and commercial executive who has spent more than three decades improving businesses, assessing investments and protecting owner value.
His career spans privately owned enterprises, international hotel groups and complex multi-entity organisations. He has worked directly with owners, boards, lenders, operators and professional advisers on turnarounds, acquisitions, refinancing, capital programs, governance and business exits.
Scott’s strength is connecting financial analysis with operational reality. He understands how decisions move from the boardroom into the business — and how strategy, people, capital and execution combine to produce sustainable value.
Contact ScottExecutive strengths
A broad commercial lens, applied with financial discipline.
Commercial and financial strategy
Business performance and turnaround
Acquisitions and client-side due diligence
Business exits and sale preparation
Asset management and capital planning
Funding, refinancing and feasibility
Governance, risk and internal controls
Board, owner and stakeholder communication
Selected achievements
A track record measured in outcomes.
Selected examples from senior finance, asset management and commercial leadership roles.
Turnaround & performance
Converting operational insight into measurable results
- $27 million in asset optimisation following reconstruction and efficiency improvements.
- $2 million tactical cost reduction program at The Westin Sydney, helping position the hotel for record profitability.
- Achieved #1 revenue performance in the competitive set, with RevPAR growth 50% above competitors.
Acquisitions & finance
Experienced across the full investment decision
- Oversaw $500 million in business acquisitions and sale transactions across senior finance and asset-management roles.
- Facilitated multiple hotel and management-rights acquisitions for The Oaks Group across Australia.
- Secured a $30 million construction loan and managed acquisition funding, valuations and lender relationships.
Sustainability & efficiency
Turning responsible investment into lasting value
- $2 million per annum in sustainability and energy savings through infrastructure, technology and efficiency initiatives.
- Environmental Excellence Award at the 2019 UDIA Queensland Awards for sustainable reconstruction initiatives.
- Integrated energy, emissions and lifecycle considerations into asset planning and capital decisions.
Growth & exits
Building value before a transaction
- Grew a management-rights platform from one to eight properties, with five more under contract valued at $15 million.
- Developed exit strategies with the CEO to maximise partner returns.
- Led feasibility analysis, valuations, funding and due diligence for acquisitions and development opportunities.
Governance & scale
Financial control in complex organisations
- Oversaw centralised finance for more than 70 companies operating across three countries.
- Led a 20-person professional finance team and coordinated external, internal and parent-company audit requirements.
- Strengthened governance through group finance policies, procedures, reporting systems and internal controls.
Selected executive experience
Leadership across ownership, operations and investment.
Asset Manager
Mulpha HotelsOwner-side asset performance, operator oversight, capital projects, contracts and acquisition due diligence.
Director, Finance & Infrastructure
One&Only Hayman IslandFinance, infrastructure, capital works, yield, IT and a major performance turnaround.
Chief Financial Officer
Reign Group of CompaniesGrowth, acquisitions, refinancing, asset valuations, governance and exit strategy.
Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
The Oaks GroupGroup finance, governance, integration, banking facilities and hotel acquisitions.
Director of Finance
The Westin SydneyHotel performance, business and capital planning, leadership and strategic advisory.
Regional Director, Finance
Orient-Express Hotels AustraliaOperational reviews, acquisitions, due diligence, refinancing and major capital projects.
Earlier roles included Aman Resorts, The Observatory Hotel, Sheraton Wentworth and Sheraton Ayers Rock.
Professional references
Trusted in complex, high-stakes environments.
Scott’s work is recognised for combining financial discipline, technical understanding and calm stakeholder leadership.
“I found Scott diligent and knowledgeable in understanding the technical implications and associated costs of the works, and how this related to the overall budgets.”
“Scott was a driving force behind the resort’s successful repositioning. He combines strategic judgement with disciplined execution and understands how to translate complex asset and operational challenges into stronger investment outcomes. I have every confidence he will deliver transformative value for clients.”
“Scott was an invaluable support to hotel operations, taking ownership of major responsibilities including maintenance contracts, marine operations and transfer logistics. His ability to bring clarity, structure and efficiency to complex operational matters materially improved the resort’s functionality. His commitment, reliability and collaborative approach were integral to our success.”
Who we help
Independent expertise, tailored to the engagement.
SME owners
For owners preparing to grow, improve, acquire or exit — particularly where the decision needs experienced financial and operational judgement.
Law firms
Independent commercial support for firm performance, financial planning and transaction matters requiring an experienced business lens.
Accounting firms
A complementary advisory resource for client projects that need hands-on implementation, asset insight or transaction support.
How we work
Direct, rigorous and built around action.
- 01Understand
Clarify the decision, objectives and commercial context.
- 02Test
Interrogate the numbers, assumptions, risks and opportunities.
- 03Act
Set practical priorities, ownership and measurable next steps.
Start a conversation
Facing an important business decision?
Let’s discuss the situation, what you need to know and where independent advice can add value.
Prefer email? scott@silverdownes.com