Mark Ostryn is a business sale advisor, mergers & acquisitions expert, and long-time champion of Australian entrepreneurs—particularly those in the food and beverage industry. With over thirty years of experience across startups, corporate finance, and advisory, he brings both strategic insight and personal empathy to every business he works with.
Mark is the founder of Strategic Transactions, a specialist firm focused on helping owners of $2–$20 million F&B businesses prepare for and execute successful exits. His approach is grounded in fact, not fluff—offering honest, commercial advice without hype or empty promises. Clients often describe him as both deeply analytical and unexpectedly right-brained: someone who sees value where others don’t, and who helps owners reframe their business in ways that make sense to serious buyers.
Having built businesses himself—in sectors ranging from marketing tech to financial software—Mark knows first-hand the emotional and operational rollercoaster of ownership. He’s also served as a venture capitalist, evaluating opportunities, negotiating exits, and helping shape the early landscape of online retail in Europe. His academic credentials include a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and lecturing roles in valuation, due diligence, and corporate acquisitions.
But more than the deals and qualifications, what drives Mark is a deep belief in the value of entrepreneurship. He sees founders as underappreciated economic heroes, and he’s on a mission to help them realise the full value of what they’ve built—especially when it’s time to step away. He believes that if more business owners could see a path to a strong exit, more of them would stay the course and keep contributing to Australia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Away from the deal table, Mark volunteers in mental health support through the MoWaNa community and brings that same compassion and care into his client relationships. Approachable, proactive, and always forward-thinking, he doesn’t just advise owners—he walks alongside them during one of the biggest decisions of their lives.