M69 Professional Scientific and Technical Services

CEO turnover soars in Hayne wake

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 23-Sep-19

Recruitment firm Robert Half has reported that 22 per cent of S&P/ASX 200 CEOs are new from the previous year, up from 20 per cent in 2018. The number of external hires of ASX 200 CEOs has increased, as has the number of CEOs with a background in technology. Just six per cent of ASX 200 CEOs are women, down one per cent, while 14 per cent of ASX 200 CEOs do not hold a diploma or degree.

CORPORATES
ROBERT HALF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AFTERPAY TOUCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX APT, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT

The $10m men reap benefits of high returns

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Sep-19

Australian Council of Superannuation Investors research reveals Australia’s 10 highest paid CEOs earned over $10 million in realised pay in fiscal 2018, with realised pay including the actual value of vested equity. Only one eligible ASX 100 CEO did not get their bonus in fiscal 2018, compared to six in fiscal 2017. ACSI CEO Louise Davidson says corporate Australia appears to view bonuses as "fixed pay under another name", rather than as a reward for "stretch performance"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP

Ombudsman warning over unfair clauses

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 6-Sep-19

Small business ombudsman Kate Cornell suggests that around 50 per cent of all ‘standard form contracts’ offered to small businesses by service providers outside the banking sector could contain clauses that deemed to be unfair. Carnell says that some of the worst offenders in this regard include companies in the advertising and rubbish removal sectors. She has called on companies that may have unfair terms in their contracts to remove them, as to avoid being sued. Bendigo & Adelaide Bank and the Bank of Queensland are being sued by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

BHP only local to make global top 100 list

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Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 19 : 19-Aug-19

BHP is ranked 63rd in PwC’s latest list of the Global Top 100 companies by market value. BHP’s market capitalisation was estimated to be $US131bn at the end of March, according to the PwC report. The resources giant is the only Australian company to have made the latest list, with the Commonwealth Bank falling out of the top 100. Microsoft has topped the list with a market capitalisation of $US905bn ($1.33trn). The US accounts for 54 companies in the list, while 15 are based in China.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, APPLE INCORPORATED, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, GRUPO SANTANDER, JP MORGAN AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED, TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES, SALESFORCE.COM, ELI LILLY AND COMPANY

Freeze on fixed pay for one in three execs

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 19-Jul-19

Just six CEOs from Australia’s top 25 companies did not get their fixed pay frozen in 2018, according to a report from PwC, while over a third of the top 100 CEOs had their fixed pay frozen. Seventy-seven per cent of CEOs of financial services companies had their fixed pay frozen, which was not surprising given the findings of the banking royal commission. The freeze at the top of company ranks is expected to extend further down, with a recent survey showing that over 37 per cent of CEOs are likely to either keep wages steady or adopt pay rises of between zero and two per cent.

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, JAMES HARDIE INDUSTRIES PLC – ASX JHX, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP

Sims wants to hit companies in the share price for misconduct

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Original article by Andrew White, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 27-Feb-19

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims has outlined the competition watchdog’s priorities for 2019. They include greater scrutiny of advertising services on digital media platforms, customer loyalty schemes that collect and use data, and consumer protection guarantees for large household items. Sims also says he hopes courts will use consumer penalty laws passed in 2018 to impose fines for corporate misconduct that are sufficient to have a material effect on a company’s share price.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Little time for strategy on busy boards: Mullen

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Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 7-Jan-19

Telstra chairman John Mullen says there is a greater degree of resentment towards those who make it to the top of the business world when compared to those in fields such as sport and entertainment. Mullen, who is also the chairman of Toll Holdings, is also concerned that company boards do not have enough time to deal with strategy, due to having to spend too much time on corporate governance issues. He is worried that it will be harder to attract quality people to become company directors in the future.

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, ASCIANO LIMITED

Directorships now a risky business

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 4-Jan-19

Business executives say there is a growing reluctance to take on board seats due to heightened financial and reputational risk in the wake of corporate scandals and revelations of misconduct in the financial services sector. CSL non-executive director Christine O’Reilly says personal liability has become a key concern for many company directors. She stresses the importance of undertaking due diligence on a company before accepting a directorship. Hugh Morgan notes that a director’s reputation can be tainted by a scandal of which they were not aware.

CORPORATES
CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, WESTERN MINING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, SORRENTO SAILING CLUB

Directors back tougher corporate penalties

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 25-Oct-18

Rising global protectionism has been identified as the biggest economic challenge facing local companies, according to a new survey by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. The bi-annual sentiment survey also shows that long-term growth prospects is the key issue that keeps directors awake at night. Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of respondents have expressed support for the federal government’s push to increase the criminal and civil penalties for misconduct in the corporate sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, FISHBURNERS LIMITED, SIRTEX MEDICAL LIMITED – ASX SRX

Roy Morgan releases 2018 pre-tax profit of $1.8 million (EBITDA $3.2m)

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Original article by Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Oct-18

Financial Year 2018 for Roy Morgan was one of transformation and new opportunities for Roy Morgan’s staff, clients and partners. The full year pre-tax profit of $1.8m (EDITDA $3.2m) was below the previous pre-tax profit of $5.1m (EBITDA $6.1m), reflecting the ongoing world-wide structural changes in the information and market research industry. The above results include Roy Morgan’s small profits in the UK & USA, and small losses in New Zealand & Indonesia. In Indonesia Roy Morgan invested in new products including "Helix Personas for Indonesia" which should grow revenue streams in the coming years. Roy Morgan is well placed for the Financial Year 2019 with a first Quarter unaudited pre-tax profit of $988,000 (EBITDA $1.45m). Roy Morgan’s latest pre-tax profits are after continued investment in the critical R&D and innovation that is the future. In the year ahead Roy Morgan will continue to focus on providing accurate information to those people in businesses, companies or institutions who believe this is essential for a democracy to survive. Click here to view the full report

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED