About Camellia Core Advisory

Our firm

Camellia Core Advisory Pty Ltd is a Canberra-based advisory practice specialising in merger preparation and transition support for private firms. We were established in 2011 by Helen Camellia, who spent fifteen years in corporate advisory roles before recognising that private firm owners — particularly in family businesses and regional markets — needed dedicated preparation support that large firms rarely provided.

The firm operates from Office 7, 58 Test Street, Canberra ACT 00000, with advisers travelling nationally for on-site engagements.

What we do

We help owners, boards, and leadership teams prepare for mergers and acquisitions. Our work sits in the months before a transaction — organising documentation, aligning stakeholders, and building the operational readiness that due diligence demands — and in the ninety days after closing, when integration decisions determine whether the combined firm succeeds.

We are not lawyers, accountants, or valuers. We work alongside those professionals, filling the gap between legal structuring and day-to-day operational readiness.

Our approach

Every engagement begins with listening. We spend time understanding the firm’s history, ownership structure, culture, and the specific concerns that brought the owners to consider a transaction. Our recommendations are practical and sequenced — we do not produce hundred-page reports that gather dust.

We believe that the best merger outcomes come from preparation, not from negotiation tactics alone. A firm that understands its own position, has its documents in order, and has had honest conversations with its stakeholders enters any transaction from a position of strength.

Our team

Helen Camellia

Founder & Principal Adviser

Helen founded Camellia Core after two decades in corporate advisory and family business consulting. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Australian National University and is a member of the Family Firm Institute. Helen leads merger readiness reviews and stakeholder alignment engagements.

Marcus Tan

Senior Transition Adviser

Marcus joined the firm in 2016 after managing post-merger integrations at a mid-market industrial group. He specialises in the ninety-day transition period following closing, supporting retained leadership teams through operational integration and cultural alignment.

Priya Sharma

Advisory Associate

Priya supports document review, contract indexing, and readiness report preparation. She previously worked in compliance at a regional accounting practice and brings meticulous attention to the due diligence preparation process.

Values that guide our work

Confidentiality. Merger discussions are sensitive. We treat every engagement with strict confidentiality and work under formal engagement letters that define information boundaries.

Honesty. We tell owners what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. If a firm is not ready for a transaction, we say so and explain what preparation would require.

Respect for the business. We understand that for many owners, their firm represents decades of work, family legacy, and community relationships. We never treat a merger as a purely financial exercise.

Registered details

Legal name: Camellia Core Advisory Pty Ltd
Established: 2011
ABN: 52 123 456 789
Registered office: Office 7, 58 Test Street, Canberra ACT 00000