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Abacus Property Group – Annual Financial Report 2018

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DIRECTORS’ REPORT<br />

30 June <strong>2018</strong><br />

ABACUS PROPERTY GROUP<br />

The Directors of <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Group</strong> Holdings Limited (“AGHL”), <strong>Abacus</strong> Funds Management Limited (“AFML”) <strong>–</strong> the<br />

Responsible entity of <strong>Abacus</strong> Trust (“AT”) and <strong>Abacus</strong> Income Trust (“AIT”), <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Group</strong> Projects Limited<br />

(“AGPL”), <strong>Abacus</strong> Storage Funds Management Limited (“ASFML”) <strong>–</strong> the Responsible Entity of <strong>Abacus</strong> Storage<br />

<strong>Property</strong> Trust (“ASPT”) and <strong>Abacus</strong> Storage Operations Limited (“ASOL”) present their report for the year ended<br />

30 June <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

IN MEMORIAM<br />

In April <strong>2018</strong>, Dr Frank Wolf, <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Property</strong> <strong>Group</strong>’s co-founder and Managing Director for the last 12 years<br />

died following a short battle with cancer. <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Property</strong> <strong>Group</strong>, led by Frank, became well known as a strong<br />

Value Add/Core Plus investor in real estate. Frank’s expertise over 30 years of experience was able to see the<br />

value in assets that most could not or were unable to extract. The <strong>Group</strong> was known for delivering strategies to<br />

unlock and crystallise capital growth over the short, medium and long periods of time and was often an early<br />

mover into sectors or geographies of the real estate market, uncovering value in asset classes as they became<br />

more institutionalised including retirement, aged care and particularly self-storage.<br />

Early in his career, Frank graduated from The University of British Columbia, with a doctorate in accounting whilst<br />

considering a life in academia. Frank ultimately entered the corporate world becoming a partner of Touche Ross<br />

& Co and later senior management roles throughout the insurance and financial advisory industries. During this<br />

time Frank had been instrumental in over $5 billion of property related and corporate acquisitions and divestments<br />

within the retail, commercial, industrial and hospitality sectors in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.<br />

Outside of his professional life, Frank was meaningfully involved in multiple philanthropic activities, particularly as<br />

a major donor and strong advocate of the Jewish community. Frank was heavily involved in multiple charities,<br />

most notably with the Jewish Community Appeal where, since 2005, he chaired a number of important<br />

committees and was an integral member of the charities executive team.<br />

Frank brought to <strong>Abacus</strong> his incredible work-ethic, energy and a willingness to give anyone with an idea an<br />

opportunity to succeed. He had a wicked sense of humour. Frank was extremely humble yet very generous. He<br />

was 64 years of age when he died.<br />

MANAGING DIRECTOR SUCCESSION<br />

As announced by the <strong>Group</strong> in January <strong>2018</strong>, Mr Steven Sewell was appointed Managing Director elect. Mr<br />

Sewell was appointed to the role of Managing Director and to the Board upon Dr Wolf’s passing in April <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES<br />

The principal activities of <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Property</strong> <strong>Group</strong> are investment in self-storage, office, retail and industrial<br />

properties, participation in property and residential developments and property funds management. The retail<br />

funds management activities continued to be substantially reduced during the year as the <strong>Abacus</strong> Hospitality<br />

Fund and the <strong>Abacus</strong> Wodonga Land Fund are managed through to wind up in the short to medium term.<br />

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW<br />

The operating and financial review is intended to convey the Directors’ perspective of <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Property</strong> <strong>Group</strong> and<br />

its operational and financial performance. It sets out information to assist securityholders to understand and<br />

interpret the financial statements prepared in accordance with Australian International <strong>Financial</strong> <strong>Report</strong>ing<br />

Standards (“AIFRS”) included in this report. It should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and<br />

accompanying notes.<br />

Listed Structure / Entities<br />

The listed <strong>Abacus</strong> <strong>Property</strong> <strong>Group</strong> is a diversified property group that operates predominantly in Australia. It<br />

comprises AGHL, AT, AGPL, AIT, ASPT and ASOL (collectively “<strong>Abacus</strong>”) and its securities trade on the<br />

Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) as ABP. <strong>Abacus</strong> was listed on the ASX in November 2002 and its market<br />

capitalisation was over $2.18 billion at 30 June <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

Shares in AGHL, AGPL and ASOL and units in AT, AIT and ASPT have been stapled together so that none can<br />

be dealt without the others and are traded together on the ASX as <strong>Abacus</strong> securities. An <strong>Abacus</strong> security<br />

consists of one share in AGHL, one unit in AT, one share in AGPL, one unit in AIT, one share in ASOL and one<br />

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