Meet the Owner

John Austen enjoys spending his weekends walking the labyrinth with his staffie, Sassy. Outside of his corporate responsibilities, John enjoys crafting, and sampling, his own Dam Fine gin in the Dam Fine Distillery at R’new. Driven by a desire to create a tranquil retreat from the bustling city, he has dedicated the past decade to developing R’new into a sanctuary where others can also find peace and relaxation.

Passionate about uplifting others, John leverages his extensive knowledge as the Director of Governance on the board of Seeds of Africa, a non-profit focused on social and enterprise development in disadvantaged communities. He is a Chartered Secretary (Int) and holds a higher diploma in corporate governance.

Before founding Southern Cross Risk Management in 2003, John established and led a specialist Financial Lines division at a listed insurance brokerage. He also actively contributes as Chairman on several financial service company boards, where his expertise in best practices and strategic direction is invaluable.