Keith Madden

General Manager of Pattens Group

Keith Madden is the General Manager of Pattens Group, responsible for leading the firm’s national grant and R&D Tax Incentive advisory practice and overseeing delivery for clients across advanced manufacturing, food and agriculture, logistics, IT, Medical devices and Pharmaceuticals. He brings a long track record as a commercial adviser to SMEs, helping hundreds of Australian businesses improve productivity, compliance, adopt Industry 4.0 technologies and secure government funding to support investment and growth.

Keith’s career includes senior roles in both professional services and industry, including business advisory positions with the AusIndustry’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme and Enterprise Connect, where he consulted to more than 300 SME clients and helped them obtain millions of dollars in grants. Keith has also worked with the Australian Industry Group as well as Business NSW.

For more than 10 years, Keith was the CEO of Larson Juhl Australia Pty Ltd, a local subsidiary of the Berkshire Hathaway Group, where he delivered significant business turnaround and re-structuring, along with growth and market re-positioning of the Brand, that led to increases in market share.

In his Commercial Manager role at Letraset Australia Pty Ltd, Keith was instrumental in helping to deliver early-stage digital platforms to the graphics art industry, that revolutionised the sector and produced innovation that has now morphed across all industry sectors, into the platforms that we all use today. Keith was responsible for the export market development of these products throughout the whole of S.E Asia.

Keith has also served as the Finance Director for both Esselte Group in Australia, as well as Atlas Editions Australia Pty Ltd that is part of De Agostini SpA of Italy, that provides publishing, media and communication products and services worldwide.

Earlier in his career, Keith worked with KPMG in private client services, advising on business structuring, taxation, strategic planning and funding proposals for SME and mid-market clients.

A Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) from the University of NSW Sydney and graduate qualifications from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Keith combines technical, financial capability with practical operational insight. He has also been a Registered Tax agent.

Keith’s areas of expertise include strategic and operational planning, financial and tax management, LEAN and Industry 4.0 implementation, export development and end to end supply chain optimisation, all underpinned by a strong focus on measurable business outcomes. Keith regularly presents at Industry forums and is quoted in Industry articles where he shares his knowledge and experience. In addition to his role at Pattens Group, Keith is known online and within industry networks as a specialist in SME transformation and grant enabled growth, having been featured in government and industry program materials for his work helping businesses become more competitive and innovation ready. At Pattens Group, he works closely with owners, CFOs and boards to identify the right mix of grants, incentives and advisory support to accelerate their R&D, capital projects and commercialisation plans.