The Interview
Podcast
THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
PETER FREEDMAN AM
ILLAN SAMUEL
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF RØDE MICROPHONES
FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SAMUEL PROPERTY
EXCLUSIVE With Rob Langton
Ready Talk: Hosted by Jack Johnston
THE MAVERICK WHO PUT AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING ON THE WORLD STAGE
PRECISION, VISION, AND THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING MELBOURNE
Recognition has followed. In 2014, he was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2016, appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. But awards don’t define him. In his own words: “I’m not a capitalist. I just love winning.” Freedman is blunt, brilliant, and allergic to mediocrity. His story is not just about microphones—it’s about turning adversity into advantage, proving that a suburban Sydney factory can compete with, and often beat, the best in the world. This is Peter Freedman’s legacy: building an empire of sound, and proving that Australia’s future in advanced manufacturing is loud, proud, and entirely possible.
By the time Peter Freedman AM walks into a room, you already know he’s not going to play it safe. The Founder and Chairman of RØDE Microphones doesn’t just run a business - he wages a full-scale, unapologetic campaign for Australian manufacturing to lead on the global stage. His journey began in 1987, when the family’s small electronics firm was on the brink of collapse. Many would have folded. Peter didn’t. With equal parts grit, ingenuity, and stubborn optimism, he rebuilt from the ground up. Today, RØDE exports to more than 120 countries, operates cutting-edge factories in Sydney, and equips some of the world’s most influential content creators, filmmakers, musicians, and broadcasters. The turning point came in 1990, when Peter reverse-engineered his first microphone—an experiment born of necessity. That act of creative rebellion became the seed for a global brand. Over the decades, RØDE has launched category-defining products like the VideoMic and RØDECaster, and brought multiple international audio companies—Mackie, Lectrosonics, Aphex, SoundField—under the Freedman Group umbrella. His factories aren’t just production lines; they’re hubs of precision engineering, robotics, and vertical integration that most industry insiders doubted could ever be built in Australia. Yet Peter’s vision goes far beyond profit margins. He’s a vocal champion of design excellence, innovation, and keeping jobs and intellectual property onshore. His philanthropy is as headline-grabbing as his business wins—from multimillion- dollar donations to the arts, mental health initiatives, and design causes, to his audacious purchase of Kurt Cobain’s iconic MTV Unplugged guitar, which he leveraged to shine a spotlight on Australian culture.
Sometimes, career-defining decisions come from unlikely moments. For Illan Samuel, founder and managing director of Samuel Property, the first step toward building one of Melbourne’s most respected boutique development firms began with an offhand conversation over an unremarkable Mexican meal. By the next day, he had secured his first development site. A decade on, Samuel Property has grown into a leading force in Melbourne’s high-end multi-residential market. The family- owned firm is known for its design-led approach, rigorous feasibility discipline, and an ability to deliver projects that resonate with both buyers and the communities they serve. A Valuer’s Mindset in a Developer’s World With a background in property valuation, Illan approaches every project with a deep understanding of financial and market fundamentals. “The numbers have to work before the design can come to life,” he says. That philosophy has enabled Samuel Property to manage complex developments across Victoria while maintaining profitability and design integrity. Reading the Market Illan sees Melbourne’s residential market as dynamic and increasingly segmented. Downsizers are demanding larger, premium apartments with high-end finishes, while younger buyers are seeking sustainability and value. “We’re designing for a market that’s smarter, more discerning, and more focused on liveability than ever before,” he notes. Beyond the Balance Sheet A defining element of Samuel Property’s success is its proactive engagement with local communities and councils. For Illan, community consultation isn’t a regulatory hurdle—it’s
an integral part of project strategy. “When you work with the neighbourhood, you build more than a development—you build trust,” he says. Scaling With Discipline As Samuel Property enters its second decade, Illan’s focus is on sustainable growth. A strong project pipeline is in motion, but scale will never come at the expense of quality. “We’re measured in how we grow,” he says. “It’s about delivering projects that stand the test of time—both commercially and for the people who live in them.” From a single site acquisition sparked by a casual conversation to a portfolio of architecturally significant residential projects, I Samuel has built a business on equal parts precision, vision, and the ability to seize opportunity when it knocks.
Ready Talk
HOSTED BY JACK JONHSTONE
SCAN OR CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO INTERVIEW IN FULL
SCAN OR CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST
6 – August / September 2025
August / September 2025 – 7
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