Daniele Maisano, who hopes to joint failing Johnny’s Furniture chain, caught inflating online CV

The businessman behind a push to save a national furniture chain from collapse has been caught embellishing his CV with what appear to be inflated claims of his academic and sporting prowess.

The businessman behind a push to save a national furniture chain from collapse has been caught embellishing his CV with what appear to be inflated claims of academic and sporting prowess.

Administrators for Johnny’s Furniture Group, which has 15 stores in three states, revealed businessman Daniele Maisano had been in talks to save the chain. Johnny’s went into voluntary administration earlier this month.

Mr Maisano is founder of the Home Sweet Home furniture stores, a group which is itself in liquidation with debts of more than $2m.

Mr Maisano’s LinkedIn profile said he’d been a “Golf Professional with PGA of Australia” from 2005-2011, and listed a Bachelor of Sport Science from Griffith University in his education history.

Daniele Maisano Linkedin profile

Daniele Maisano Linkedin

But a spokeswoman for the golf association said Mr Maisano “has never been a PGA Professional with the PGA of Australia”.

“He was completing his traineeship through the PGA Trainee Program (at the time), however, did not complete the requirements to graduate to a PGA Professional,” she said.

“His status during the time he was with the PGA was a PGA Trainee.

“He withdrew from this program in 2008.”

There is no record in Griffith’s online verification system of Mr Maisano graduating from the university, which does not offer a specific Bachelor of Sports Science.

The professional golfing claim has been repeated in multiple news reports about Mr Maisano’s Sydney-based charity, Streetworx, in the past decade.

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission revoked Streetworx’s registration in 2019 after it failed to meet its reporting obligations.

Streetworx founder Daniele Maisano in a promotional photo shoot for a Charity Golf Day 2006.

The PGA reference was removed from Mr Maisano’s LinkedIn profile after the Gold Coast Bulletin reported on his link to Johnny’s earlier this month.

The entire profile was removed on Friday after the Bulletin contacted Mr Maisano for a response - he had not replied by deadline.

Johnny’s Furniture, which has 15 stores in three states, has left hundreds of unhappy shoppers without products or refunds.

The company, with stores in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Sunshine Coasts, owes money to lenders, staff, customers, the ATO, related parties and other government revenue offices.

Mr Maisano, 45, registered a swag of new companies under the Johnny’s Furniture name last month, including locations of current Queensland stores at Bundall, Helensvale, Kawana and Virginia.

Documents lodged by Johnny’s administrator Shumit Banerjee of Westburn Advisory revealed director John McDonald, 37, had been negotiating with Home Sweet Home on a possible joint venture before it went into administration.