About us
The Urban Developer is Australia’s largest, most engaged and fastest growing community of property developers and urban development professionals.
Our vision is to develop an integrated platform of media, events, education and products that connect, inform and inspire the people and organisations that positively shape cities around the world.
Our mission is to positively influence the development of more sustainable, intelligent and equitable communities around the world to enable better quality of life for people in cities.
We believe that by creating a platform that connects people, ideas and businesses, that we have the power to connect cities in a way that delivers superior urban outcomes.
In doing so, we will empower our community to make better decisions about how to develop smarter and more sustainable cities.
The Urban Developer
Our Management Team
Adam Di Marco
Founder and CEO
With more than a decade of professional experience in property, Adam founded The Urban Developer in 2014 and has led its growth into an integrated media, events and education network that has established an enviable reputation in media and property circles.
Adam remains active within the property industry as a director of Brisbane-based property developer, Di Marco Group.
Taryn Paris
Managing Editor
As managing editor, Taryn is responsible for leading the editorial team at The Urban Developer. She brings a wealth of experience across print and digital news products, social media and communications to the property industry.
Previously, Taryn has reported on politics, business and community, including as a war correspondent in Afghanistan with News Corp.
Connect with Taryn on LinkedIn
David Di Marco
National Events Director
With more than 15 years’ experience in events management, David has spent the past seven years as The Urban Developer’s National Events Director.
Bridging skills honed in the music and entertainment sector with a deep passion for property, he artfully blends programming, production, partnerships, and event logistics.
David is committed to crafting industry experiences that are not only valuable but also leave a lasting impression.
Connect with David on LinkedIn
Corey Timms
Partnerships Director
With a strong passion for learning, Corey is always looking to expand his knowledge about the industry and build strong relationships with industry professionals.
Connect with Corey on LinkedIn
Our Editorial Team
Lindsay Saunders
News Editor
Lindsay is an international-award-winning journalist who has worked in print and digital spheres during a career spanning more than three decades, including as a newsroom leader for organisations in NSW and Queensland.
He has extensive experience as a freelance content creator and editor in areas including building technology, interior design, real estate, travel and automotive sectors. Lindsay also worked for three years as an entertainment agent.
Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn
Nick Moore
Copy Editor
Nick has worked as a reporter and copy editor at Australia’s largest media organisations—News Corp, Fairfax and Australian Provincial Newspapers.
At The Urban Developer, Nick is responsible for editorial quality control and compiling the daily subscriber newsletters, among other tasks. He has a strong interest in the user experience and the role of journalism in society.
Phil Bartsch
Reporter
With almost four decades of experience, Phil is considered one of the pre-eminent property journalists in Australia. He has worked for a number of News Corp titles across all facets of reporting before joining The Urban Developer, most recently The Courier-Mail as its commercial property and business writer.
Based on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Phil has his finger firmly on the pulse of that state’s property sector as well as the industry nationally. He brings a depth of experience, wide contacts in the sector and an incisive reporting style to the editorial team.
Clare Burnett
Reporter
Clare has worked in independent news media for the past 10 years, predominantly in online publications with a strong focus on quality, research-based journalism supporting niche and major industries at national and regional levels.
As a business journalist and editor from the UK, she covered professional, industrial and creative industries, and more recently the Australian brewing industry. Her diverse portfolio of work cover from breaking news and features to interviews with prominent figures in industry and major industry research reports.
Clare is undertaking a PhD, investigating editorial decision-making and the global dissemination of content in 19th and early 20th century Australia.
Connect with Clare on LinkedIn
Jessica Moloney
Social Media Reporter
Jess joined the team as a cadet journalist before transitioning to social and digital producer. She has extensive experience in a diverse range of roles and sectors, including marketing, nursing and hospitality, including a stint on Hamilton Island, and is undertaking a Bachelor of Communication and Journalism.
Based in Brisbane, Jess has a drive to create engaging and informative content across The Urban Developer’s social media accounts and is taking the lead in bringing our presence to a new level.
Renee McKeown
Reporter
After a decade working in print and online publications Renee joined The Urban Developer to expand on her interest and expertise in real estate markets, development and finance journalism.
Renee has a Master of Journalism from Queensland University of Technology as well as a Bachelor of Exercise Science from Griffith University, and during her years as a journalist for News Corp and independent companies has covered politics, law, crime, international stories, human interest and sport.
Connect with Renee on LinkedIn
Ralph Nicholson
Reporter
With more than 35 years’ experience as a journalist and senior executive in newspapers, television and multimedia in many parts of the world, Ralph brings an enviable depth of experience to The Urban Developer.
A foreign correspondent with international news agency Reuters, he was based in Jerusalem, Moscow, Washington DC, Rome and Cairo. Ralph also ran the company’s global television network from London for four years and has been a senior executive in Washington and New York. Most recently, he was publisher and editor of his own weekly newspaper on a beach in Central America.
In his native Australia, Ralph spent 10 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist and documentary maker.
Connect with Ralph on LinkedIn
Marisa Wikramanayake
Reporter
Marisa has worked as a freelance journalist and publishing editor in their native Sri Lanka as well as Australia in print, online, radio and TV during a career spanning almost two decades, covering science news, international politics, business and the arts, among other areas.
As an editor, they have worked with award-winning authors including Amanda Jay and Jane Rawson.
Marisa also holds an elected role as the Victorian Media Section president for the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and sits on its ethics and freelance committees.
Connect with Marisa on LinkedIn
Our Commercial Team
Lili Francis
Sales Cadet
Lili is studying Property Economics at Queensland University of Technology with an eye towards a career in property development.
She has experience in customer service across a number of roles including in the automotive, wellness, real estate and energy sectors.
As a sales cadet, Lili is not only supporting the commercial team but carving her own niche, ensuring our partners needs are met as she gains experience in the industry.
Steph Hewitt
Events Manager
Steph began her international career in hotels in Melbourne and Shanghai and has spent nine years in events management, initially at Hyatt Regency in Dubai before working on such events as the Family Business Australia national conference and three years at the Noosa Ironman event.
Steph has managed multiple cross-functional teams, delivering high-paced, first-class events for the highly demanding, perfectionist extreme sports world to the softer side of the sector, working at exclusive luxury accommodation experience Spicers Peak Lodge.
Stephanie Retallick
Business Administrator
Stephanie has worked across a range of sectors in administration and co-ordination roles, including content creation, transport and facility management, providing support and logistical assistance to internal and external teams as well as customers.
Building on this wide-ranging skillset, Stephanie looks after The Urban Developer’s Members as well as the business’s administrative needs and general support across all departments at The Urban Developer.
Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn
Greta Ryan
Events Manager
Greta brings more than five years of events industry experience to The Urban Developer. She began her career in the public sector, paired with studies in International Tourism and Hotel Management. After a decade in hospitality, Greta moved into events, working in such spheres as health, innovation, and festivals, cultivating strong skills in operations, logistics, and marketing.
Passionate about delivering memorable moments, Greta finds joy in witnessing people immerse themselves in the events she helps orchestrate.
