Stopline has been acquired

As Stopline marks 25 years in business, it is excited to announce its acquisition and transition to its next generation of leadership. 

Josh Sharma-Marabel has been appointed as its Chief Executive Officer to run the day-to-day operations of the business. Andrew Mcleish, Stopline’s long time owner and operator, will remain actively involved in the business, working alongside Josh to continue to support the business through a transition period.

As part of the acquisition, the ownership of Stopline has transferred to an Australian group who, alongside Josh, also includes Martin Tavella and Bryce Adams.

Established in 2001, Stopline was the first Australian independent Whistleblowing service and is a trusted leader in its field. And now is an exciting moment for the business as it looks towards its next chapter.

For existing clients, Stopline’s services continue as normal. The same team will continue delivering services, existing reporting channels and team contacts will remain available, and confidential reports will continue to be handled under Stopline’s established controls.

Andrew (left) and Josh (right)

Building on 25 years of experience

Andrew joined Stopline in 2010, following a career with Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police, where he developed extensive experience in investigations and forensic work. He followed in the footsteps of the original founders, Wayne Bruce, Alan Pocock and former Western Australian Police Commissioner Bob Falconer. And since becoming Stopline’s sole owner and CEO in 2014, has played a central role in building the business, its team and its reputation.

Under Andrew’s leadership, Stopline has developed longstanding relationships with organisations across corporate Australia, servicing over 600 organisations across a variety of industries - from technology, investment and education to government and not-for-profit.

“Stopline has been an important part of my life for many years, and selecting the right group to lead its next chapter was a significant decision,” Andrew said.

“Josh, Martin, Bryce and I have spent more than a year getting to know one another and discussing the business, its customers and its future. I will remain actively involved and look forward to supporting Josh and the team as Stopline continues to develop.”

As CEO, Josh will lead Stopline’s operations and future direction. His initial priorities will be focussed on continuity for the team, the customers and the service delivery.

“Andrew and the Stopline team have built a highly respected business, handling sensitive information and supporting people through difficult situations. My immediate responsibility is to listen, learn and protect what makes Stopline valued.”

Whistleblower Programs are more important than ever

The leadership transition comes at an important time for Stopline and the wider Australian community. Recent high-profile cases have reinforced that having a whistleblower policy or reporting channel is not, in itself, enough.

“Organisations often put considerable work into their whistleblower policy and reporting channel,” Andrew said.

“They also need to be clear about what happens when a report arrives. Responsibility for assessment, escalation and investigation should be understood before the organisation is dealing with a sensitive allegation.”

Stopline will continue helping clients operate external reporting channels and strengthen the procedures surrounding them.

Supporting Stopline’s leadership

Josh is supported by fellow owners Martin Tavella and Bryce Adams to build on Stopline’s 25 year legacy.

Josh previously supported high growth technology companies in his previous role as Director of Growth and Strategy at LUNA, a legal and accounting firm for technology-led businesses. He is also an Associate Professor at Monash University where he teaches Law for Entrepreneurs to post-graduate students.

Martin is the Chief Investment Officer of Somar Capital Partners, a global public equities fund that manages capital on behalf of family offices and high net wealth individuals. Martin also sits on the investment committee for the C&D Capital Family Office.

Bryce Adams is the Founder of Metorik, a leading e-commerce analytics and email marketing platform, servicing over 10,000 stores worldwide. Bryce is an active investor in and recognised leader of e-commerce businesses, regularly speaking at conferences globally.