CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS – AUSTRALIA – APPOINTMENTS AND RETIREMENTS

NAB in turmoil as duo exit

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis, Ben Butler
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Feb-19

Phil Chronican will become acting CEO of National Australia Bank after Andrew Thorburn advised that he will step down on 28 February. Chairman Ken Henry will also step down when a permanent CEO is appointed. Thorburn and Henry in particular had attracted criticism in the financial services royal commission’s final report over their reluctance to accept responsibility for the misconduct that was exposed by the inquiry. Some fund managers expect NAB to choose an external candidate to replace Thorburn, although Mike Baird and Anthony Healy are said to be among the internal contenders.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, COMMONWEALTH AGRICULTURAL BUREAU INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, THE HUMAN GROUP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

REA boss Wilson pins growth hopes on Asia

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Original article by John Durie
The Australian – Page: 15 : 19-Dec-18

REA Group’s incoming CEO Owen Wilson says that continuing to provide value to customers and consumers will be his priority. Wilson also wants to expand the property listings group’s Asian operations, which currently account for about eight per cent of group revenue. Wilson will succeed Tracey Fellows, who will remain on REA’s board after becoming president of News Corporation’s Global Digital Real Estate business. News Corp has a controlling stake in REA.

CORPORATES
REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, REALESTATE.COM.AU, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

AMP’s new CEO starts in the hot seat

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 3-Dec-18

Francesco De Ferrari starts his first day as CEO of AMP on 3 December, having previously been head of Credit Suisse’s Asia-Pacific private banking business. De Ferrari says he is determined to make the most of the impetus provided by the banking royal commission to bring about change in the way that AMP does business. Hamish Carlisle from Merlon Capital says De Ferrari should give AMP shareholders the opportunity to vote on the proposed sale of the AMP Life division, as well as renegotiating the deal if possible.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AMP LIFE LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE AG, MERLON CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, ATLAS FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Fellows moves house to global News Corp role

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 21 : 16-Nov-18

REA Group is seeking a new CEO after Tracey Fellows resigned to become president of News Corporation’s digital real estate business. Fellows, who will be based in New York in her new role, has been CEO of REA since August 2014. Shares in REA have gained around 62 per cent during her tenure, and the real estate listings group recently posted strong growth in earnings and revenue for the first quarter of 2018-19. Fellows will remain on the board of REA, in which News Corp has a controlling stake.

CORPORATES
REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, REALESTATE.COM.AU, IPROPERTY GROUP LIMITED, HOMETRACK, SMARTLINE HOME LOANS PTY LTD, MOVE INCORPORATED, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIA POST, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, DELL TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, IBM CORPORATION

Warburton looks for next challenge

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 19-Oct-18

APN Outdoor Group will be delisted after the Federal Court approved the scheme of arrangement for its $1.2bn acquisition by JCDecaux. James Warburton has resigned as CEO APN Outdoor after 10 months in the role, and he will leave the outdoor advertising group on 31 October. He intends to seek another executive role, and says he has already received several approaches. APN Outdoor shareholders will receive $6.70 per share, including a special dividend of $0.30 per share.

CORPORATES
APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, JC DECAUX SA, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY TRAINS, NEW SOUTH WALES. ROADS AND MARITIME SERVICES, TRANSPORT FOR BRISBANE, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD

Board ordered inquiry before Guthrie’s firing

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 5-Oct-18

The ABC board has advised it decided on 23 September to hire an external adviser to investigate claims raised by then MD Michelle Guthrie against then chairman Justin Milne. Guthrie was sacked on the day after its decision, while Milne resigned a few days later. Guthrie claims that Milne had tried to pressure her to sack journalists because they had upset the federal government. It is understood that the external adviser has not yet been in contact with Guthrie, while the board has stated that as the investigation is ongoing that it will not comment further on the matter.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Google appoints Melanie Silva as Australia and New Zealand managing director

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 7-Sep-18

Melanie Silva has been announced as Google Australia and New Zealand’s new MD. Silva, who has been with Google for over a decade and who is currently based in Singapore, replaces Jason Pellegrino. Pellegrino has joined online real estate classifieds company Domain. Karim Temsamani, Google president of Asia Pacific, says Silva is a great leader who gets the best out of people. Silva takes up her new role on 1 October.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

CA in hunt for new CEO and new image

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Original article by Jon Pierik
The Age – Page: 38 : 6-Sep-18

Cricket Australia is continuing its search for a replacement for James Sutherland, who is stepping down as CEO after 17 years. The number of potential candidates has been whittled down to four, with Sutherland’s current deputy Kevin Roberts and Melbourne Grand Prix chairman John Harnden among the contenders. Meanwhile, CA will release its Australian Cricket Census on 6 September, with the number of Victorians who played cricket in the 2017-18 season up 13.46 per cent to 426,959. Female participation in Victorian cricket rose by 31 per cent, while multicultural participation increased by 33.13 per cent.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX ORGANISATION, WESTFIELD CORPORATION

Change agent’s mission to restore trust in AMP

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Original article by James Eyers, Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 22 : 23-Aug-18

AMP’s incoming CEO Francesco De Ferrari will receive a base salary of $2.2m when he takes up the role in December, while his remuneration package also includes incentive payments. He faces a major challenge in turning around AMP’s fortunes in the wake of the banking royal commission’s revelations. De Ferrari is currently the head of Credit Suisse’s private bank in Singapore, and AMP chairman David Murray has praised the corporate culture at Credit Suisse. Shares in AMP closed $0.06 lower at $3.39 on 22 August, after the stock began trading ex-dividend.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, CREDIT SUISSE AG, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Macquarie’s new chief sees upside

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis, Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 21 : 27-Jul-18

Macquarie Group has announced that Shemara Wikramanayake will succeed Nicholas Moore as CEO of the investment bank. Wikramanayake, who joined Macquarie in 1987, will take up her new job towards the end of November. She has been the head of Macquarie Asset Management, which has assets of $A534.1 billion since 2008. Macquarie’s shares closed 2.6 per cent lower at $A121.70 on 26 July.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, MACQUARIE ASSET MANAGEMENT, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, PERENNIAL INVESTMENT PARTNERS LIMITED, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, INDIAN PACIFIC ASSET MANAGEMENT