Our Executive Team
Peter McCloskey
Founder and Managing Director
With over forty years experience Peter McCloskey leads the strategic direction for The Fresh Collective. Originally trained as a classical chef, Peter launched the Mode Group Catering in 1989, which was to become one of the most successful caterers in Sydney. Peter founded Fresh in 1999 and has grown it to the successful company that it is today. Peter is known for his drive and passion and has been honoured with industry awards, both for his business ventures and charitable works.
Carl Contractor
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer Carl Contractor, has more than twenty years’ experience in luxury hotels and resorts including the Marriot, Hyatt, Four Seasons and Starwood. His key senior executive roles have made him a decisive leader with a track record of developing award-winning food and beverage operations, capturing market share and driving profitability. Carl has responsibility for overseeing the entire Fresh operation, including new openings and long-term strategic goals for The Fresh Collective.
Dana Fish
Commercial Director
Dana is a dynamic and passionate events and hospitality professional who brings infectious energy and unwavering dedication to every project she undertakes. With a career defined by building strong, lasting relationships across the industry, Dana thrives on creating meaningful connections with clients and stakeholders—always with a sharp focus on delivering sound commercial outcomes. Throughout her career, Dana has held key sales and leadership positions at renowned organisations including ICC Sydney, Arinex, and Nick’s Restaurant Group. Her track record of success reflects a commitment to excellence and a genuine love for the hospitality industry.
Nicholas Noonan
General Manager, Victoria
With over twenty-five years of experience in the hospitality and events industry, Nicholas is a passionate and driven hospitality professional with extensive multi-site experience and a proven record of achieving financial targets in busy and diverse food and beverage environments through a strong focus on operations, finance and change management, and a commitment to developing staff through continuous training, coaching and mentoring.
Eva Leung
Director of Events
Eva is expertly skilled in all areas of Catering, Food & Beverage, Event Planning, and Hospitality Management gained from her industry experience in Event Operations at the Hilton Sydney, followed by Event Manager roles with the Dockside Group, and now with The Fresh Collective. Eva has managed many projects including 4 years of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, Sydney Contemporary Australasia Art Fair, Sydney Festival, Vivid and Sydney Writers Festival.
Jason Burrows
Executive Chef
Jason’s experience spans over twenty years leading culinary teams in various food & beverage operations. Working for some of the best operators across Australia, including hatted restaurants and international hotel groups. Jason has been Executive Chef with The Fresh Collective since 2013 and is dedicated to providing an innovative, premium food offering to our clients.
Keith Higginson
Executive Chef, Retail Venues
Keith trained in Switzerland and London at Michelin starred restaurants including Satoria and Paul Rankin’s Roscoff. In Australia, he worked at Bistro Moncur and Bathers Pavilion, opened the fine dining Italian restaurant Aqua Luna and later, as Head Chef at the Tilbury. Keith has travelled through South America with celebrity chef Maximo Lopez and has worked on cookbooks with Bill Granger and with Gourmet Traveller. Keith is the Executive Chef for all retail outlets within Fresh’s portfolio.
Jay Deo
Director of Finance
Jay is a highly experienced finance professional with a strong academic background, holding a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in both Information Technology and Commerce. His career has been built on extensive experience within the Australian hospitality industry, where he has developed a deep understanding of the unique financial landscape of this sector. Complementing his Australian experience, Jay has also worked internationally, gaining valuable insights into global financial practices and diverse business environments. Jay brings a wealth of expertise to his role, responsible for overseeing all financial operations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving strategic financial planning. His combined expertise in IT and commerce allows him to effectively leverage technology to streamline processes, improve financial reporting, and contribute significantly to the overall financial health and success of the organization.
Grant Murray
General Manager, Queensland
With over 20 years in hospitality leadership, Grant is a General Manager passionate about culinary innovation and exceptional guest experiences. He specialises in managing diverse operations—ranging from fine dining to large-scale banquets—ensuring seamless execution and top-tier quality. His expertise in budget management, menu development, supplier negotiations, and staff training drives revenue growth and customer satisfaction. A strategic and collaborative leader, Grant crafts tailored plans that elevate brand reputation, foster high-performing teams, and anticipate industry trends for sustained success.
Mike Banks
Facilities Manager
Mike has worked with Fresh for the past eleven years. Starting in Logistics, Mike advanced to an operational role, overseeing logistics and stewarding. Currently, as Facilities Manager, Mike handles beverage negotiations and beverage menu creation for 27 venues, equipment purchasing, and maintenance, ensuring excellence in our services and events nationwide
Jacky Verberkt
Director of Event Operations
Jacky joined Fresh as the Venue Manager for Carriageworks and before becoming a senior event manager looking after all large public facing events, VIP corporate events and UNSW events at The Lounge Restaurant. Jacky now oversees the event operations and event service for The Fresh Collective.
Liz Dickson
Operations Manager
A proven track record of service, event and venue management, from large 4 to 5-star hotels and resorts, fine dining and casual restaurants, and public venues. Liz has strong planning and organisational skills with a focus on maximising productivity through skills training to achieve excellent service. Liz also has strong project management skills, demonstrated in multiple successful venue openings.
Benjamin Hansen
Director of Human Resources
A successful and passionate HR professional, Benjamin looks after the development of the HR strategy for The Fresh Collective, aligned to the business goals and objectives of the company. Benjamin comes with HR experience gained in manufacturing, corporate and hospitality industries, specialising in talent management, policies and procedures, coaching, performance management and recruitment.
