Where are they now?- Old Boys
Name:
Ray Ashan
What year did you graduate from Epping Boys?
I graduated from Epping Boys High School in 2016.
Most memorable moment from Epping Boys.
One of the most memorable aspects of my time at Epping Boys was the impact some of the teachers had on me, particularly during times in my earlier years when I struggled with direction and discipline.
Looking back, there were a few teachers who saw potential in me long before I was able to see it in myself. During some challenging periods at school and in life, their guidance, patience and belief were incredibly important and played a significant role in shaping how I began to think about my future.
Your favourite subject in school, and why?
My favourite subject was Business Studies, taught by Mr Kinsky. I found it fascinating to learn how businesses operate, how decisions are made and how markets work.
During my earlier years at school, I often struggled to stay focused in class, but Mr Kinsky had a way of making the subject engaging and practical. Business Studies quickly became one of the few subjects that genuinely captured my interest and sparked my curiosity about the business world.
Looking back now, it was one of the first times I began thinking seriously about business and property, which ultimately influenced the career path I chose.
What did you do straight after school?
After finishing school, I spent a couple of years figuring out what direction I wanted to take before eventually entering the commercial real estate industry at the age of 18. Rather than going straight to university, I chose to begin my career in the workforce and joined a commercial real estate agency to learn the fundamentals of the industry.
A year later, at the age of 19, I was recruited by CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm, becoming the youngest broker across the Asia-Pacific region in the company’s history.
More recently, alongside my professional career, I am currently finalising my MBA at AGSM, UNSW Business School, which I began a few years ago to further strengthen my leadership and business skills.
What career have you pursued?
I have pursued a career in commercial real estate, specialising in capital markets transactions.
Today, I work as a Senior Broker at CBRE Australia, focusing on the sale of commercial investment properties and development sites across Western Sydney.
Over the course of my career, I have transacted more than $1.5 billion worth of commercial property, including several of the largest commercial investment and development site sales across the region.
One notable transaction included the $30 million sale of one of Eastwood’s largest commercial properties to Westfield co-founder Frank Lowy.
In 2024 I was awarded the Excellence in Capital Markets Award, and in 2025 I was ranked among the top three Private Wealth brokers across Australia.
Advice to current students at Epping Boys?
My biggest piece of advice would be that your path in life is never defined by your worst years. School is a time when everyone is still figuring things out, and not everyone finds their direction straight away.
What matters most is developing discipline, resilience and the willingness to keep improving, even when things don’t go your way.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that progress is built through consistency. Small actions taken every day, working hard, staying curious and learning from mistakes, add up over time and create opportunities you might never have expected.
I am also very grateful to the teachers at Epping Boys who believed in me during times when I didn’t yet believe in myself. Their guidance played a major role in shaping my future.
If there is one message I hope students take away, it is that your circumstances today do not define your future. With the right mindset, discipline and support from people around you, you can achieve far more than you might think.
We’re on the lookout for Old Boys to feature in ‘Where are they now?’ Contact Aida Ghorayeb at aida.ghorayeb@det.nsw.edu.au for more information.