MAKE is led by Managing Director, Matt Ablethorpe, a highly experienced real estate executive with over 18 years working across the residential, commercial, retail and industrial sectors. An experienced leader, Matt has a demonstrated ability of building and developing cross-functional, resilient, high performing management teams spanning finance, investment, portfolio and development and marketing.

Matt’s property experience spans a range of sectors and disciplines which is applied at MAKE’s communities comprising a portfolio of projects with a combined end value of over $1.8b comprising 2,400 apartments and over 20,000sqm of non-residential programming with key responsibility of business strategy, site acquisition assessment, capital management, feasibility and risk analysis, due diligence and project strategy implementation including design, planning, stakeholder engagement.

Most recently, Matt lead a multi-disciplined team as Director, Development and Director, Portfolio in areas of transaction, development and portfolio management at Assemble Communities, an end-to-end build-to-rent development, investment and community manager, with an objective to affordably house moderate- and low-income Australians in response to the rise of housing affordability issues across Australian capital cities.

Matt played a key management role in scaling and structuring the Assemble business to facilitate institutional investment into affordable housing, with AustralianSuper owning a 25 per cent share in Assemble with an equity commitment of $500m for the investment into institutionally owned residential housing. Previously a subsidiary to the MAKE Group, Assemble is now a key investment and housing partner to MAKE following further investment into Assemble by AustralianSuper and Hesta in 2024.

Matt has a Bachelor of Planning & Design and a Bachelor of Property & Construction (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and is also a qualified valuer and Associate at the Australian Property Institute.

MAKE’s projects are managed by Development Director, Jason Wood, a senior property professional with 25 years’ experience in property development and urban planning. With expertise spanning across the delivery and development phases, Jason brings a demonstrated track record in leading multi-disciplinary teams of design, development, construction, marketing and sales professionals to deliver on project objectives. 

Jason has worked across most asset classes for leading listed and private companies in Australia and the United Kingdom.  His project portfolio comprises industrial estates, strata offices, apartments, residential communities, townhouses and mixed-use communities.

A collaborative and hands on leader, Jason has developed a unique ability to manage the complete property development process from site acquisition through to practical completion. This skillset, combined with his strategic and analytical mind, passion for design and exceptional eye for detail, enables Jason to remain intrinsically connected to his teams and projects to deliver high quality market-facing projects. 

Jason provides advice and reports to the Managing Director and Board and is responsible for MAKE’s development pipeline, including strategy formulation, implementation and delivery planning, to ensure alignment to both company and project strategy. 

Jason holds a Graduate Diploma in Management from the Melbourne Business School in addition to a Graduate Diploma in Property and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Planning, both from RMIT University.

Tom has more than 20 years’ experience in the environmental services industry, both as a consultant and client. He is an experienced project manager with a strong technical background spanning a broad range of environmental assessment and remediation activities. 

Tom assists MAKE with the environmental management of its portfolio projects, including strategic project management across numerous assessment and remediation projects. Tom is conversant in State and National environmental legislation, guidelines and policies regarding land, water and groundwater management.

Tom has held a variety of roles including director, environmental consultant, project manager, senior environmental adviser and client manager. 

Tom holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and Science from the University of Melbourne.

Stuart is an Associate at MAKE and supports the financial and investment management of our existing portfolio of projects, including input into and execution of strategy. Stuart also works closely with the directors to assist with the analysis, endorsement and execution of new property acquisitions and debt/equity proposals.

With 8 years prior experience working on complex commercial advisory and financial transactions across the infrastructure and property sectors at organisations including Deloitte, KPMG and Westbourne Capital, Stuart brings expertise in investment analysis and business case development, including the execution and management of specialised funding solutions within the infrastructure asset class, specifically energy, digital infrastructure, water, utilities, ports, toll roads, social housing and infrastructure, property, defence, and telecommunications sectors. 

Stuart has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance and Management) from Monash University.

MAKE’s Single Family Housing strategy is led by General Manager, Callum Knight, a highly accomplished property executive with over 20 years of experience across residential, commercial, mixed-use, and masterplanned communities. With a strong background in development strategy, stakeholder engagement, and asset optimisation, Callum brings deep expertise in delivering large-scale, high-impact projects through both private and institutional capital partnerships.

Callum’s experience spans the full property lifecycle from site acquisition, feasibility analysis, legal structuring and funding, through to planning, delivery, and exit strategies which is now applied at MAKE.

Prior to joining MAKE, Callum was Director of Property at Dorman Capital, the family office of Bryan Dorman (co-founder of Regis Healthcare), where he led the group’s property strategy, overseeing a diverse portfolio of assets and development projects across Victoria. He was also Victorian State Lead and Development Director at Cedar Woods Properties, managing a portfolio of masterplanned communities, townhouses and infill apartment projects. Earlier in his career, Callum held senior roles at PEET and Links Living, developing deep expertise in growth area development and residential planning.

Callum holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management from RMIT, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance, and is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, bringing a strategic, commercially driven, and values-led approach to development and housing delivery.

MAKE’s Single Family Housing development operations are supported by Development Co‑ordinator Thomas Barbuto, an organised and solutions focused professional who plays a key role in ensuring the smooth delivery of projects across MAKE’s Single Family Housing program. With a strong foundation in workflow management, stakeholder communication, and digital systems, Thomas brings a detailed and highly efficient approach to supporting both strategic and operational development activity. 

Thomas specializes in coordinating documentation, tracking project milestones, and maintaining the accuracy, structure, and reliability of critical development processes. His strengths in process optimization, operational structure and system improvement support MAKE's mission to deliver efficient, scalable, and high‑quality outcomes across its growing portfolio. 

Prior to joining MAKE, Thomas worked as a digital solutions consultant, where he specialized in technology innovation and workflow enhancement for clients within hospitality, packaging, and education.  

Thomas is currently undertaking a Certificate IV in Building Project Support (Contract Administrator), further strengthening his capability in development operations and project administration. With a commitment to strong operational foundations, continuous improvement, and scalable system design, he brings a valuable blend of technical acumen and project support expertise to MAKE’s development team.