CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS – AUSTRALIA

Australia lags in female CFOs

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 8-Mar-16

Boral, Origin Energy, Dexus Property Group, Perpetual, GPT Group and Magellan Financial Group are the only top-100 listed companies in Australia that have a female CFO, according to research by Conrad Liveris. In contrast, 11 of the 100 largest companies globally boast a female CFO. The research also shows that women now account for 13 of the CFOs at Australia’s 200 largest listed companies, compared with 10 in 2012, while 12 of these companies have a female CEO.

CORPORATES
BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX MFG, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC INSTITUTIONAL BANK, DIVERSITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, ARETE EXECUTIVE PTY LTD

Hopes high for a better year in media

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 16 : 14-Dec-15

Data from ZenithOptimedia shows that advertising expenditure across all media is expected to reach a record $A13.4bn in Australia during calendar 2016. Meanwhile, a survey of the CEOs of 23 media companies has identified key issues for the industry in 2016. They include cross-media ownership reform, government measures to stimulate economic growth following the end of the resources boom, and the need for Australia to become more innovative.

CORPORATES
ZENITH OPTIMEDIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, IPROPERTY GROUP LIMITED – ASX IPP

Gyngell may be switching channels

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Original article by Elizabeth Knight
The Age – Page: 21 : 13-Oct-15

The contract of Nine Entertainment Company CEO David Gyngell expires in November 2016. He is required to give 12 months’ notice if he does not want to renew the contract, and is widely tipped to do so. Nine has been restructured under Gyngell, selling assets and expanding into the subscription video-on-demand sector. Should the Australian Government implement changes to cross-media ownership laws, his last major deal at Nine could potentially be the acquisition of a regional affiliate or a non-TV media asset.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NINE LIVE PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR

Gyngell cleared of insider trading claims

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 17-Aug-15

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has decided not to take further action against Nine Network CEO David Gyngell. ASIC officers examined a large number of email and text message records but found no evidence supporting insider trading allegations. The investigation was triggered by the sale of 700,000 Nine shares by Gyngell on 20 May 2015

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

Ex-Sigma CEO faces jail for falsifying company accounts

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Original article by Sarah Danckert
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 3-Jul-15

Two former senior executives of Australian-listed Sigma Pharmaceuticals will return to court in September 2015, after pleading guilty to charges of falsifying the group’s financial accounts. Elmo de Alwis was CEO until 2010, while Mark Smith stepped down as CFO in the same year. They have also been charged with providing false and misleading statements to the group’s board of directors and auditors.

CORPORATES
SIGMA PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED – ASX SIP, COUNTY COURT OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Sutton to take helm at BoQ

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Original article by Tony Boyd, Ruth Liew, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Jan-15

Sources at the Bank of Queensland (BoQ) have indicated that Jon Sutton will become the permanent successor to former CEO Stuart Grimshaw. Sutton has been acting CEO since August 2014, and joined BoQ in July 2012. His previous roles have included the MD of Bankwest and the executive GM of Commonwealth Bank Agribusiness. BoQ increased its cash profit by 20 per cent in fiscal 2014, to $A301.2m. Its share price has gained around 60 per cent over the last two years

CORPORATES
BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, BANK OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, EZCORP INCORPORATED, VIRGIN MONEY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, INVESTEC BANK (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Refinancing allows Boart boss to focus on long term

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 18 : 8-Dec-14

Investors in Australian-listed mining services group Boart Longyear are set to vote on a refinancing deal worth as much as $US342m ($A410m) with US-based private equity firm Centerbridge in mid-December 2014. It will come as a relief to CEO Richard O’Brien, who has had to face a series of crises since being appointed on 1 April 2013. He still believes that a turnaround in the resources sector may not occur until possibly 2016, and urges shareholders to support the package deemed "not fair but reasonable" by consultant KPMG

CORPORATES
BOART LONGYEAR LIMITED – ASX BLY, CENTERBRIDGE PARTNERS LP, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, ISS PROXY AUSTRALIA

Shareholders target Voelte in Nexus bid

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Sharri Markson, Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 12-Nov-14

Conglomerate Seven Group Holdings plans to take over Nexus Energy for $A180m, following the latter’s collapse after its board rejected an offer by Seven worth just $A0.02 a share. The fact that Seven CEO Don Voelte also had the role of chair at the gas group has sparked complaints by Nexus investors to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. Legal action is being launched by stockholders such as Bechtel CEO Andrew Greig, ­Liberal Party president Richard Alston, Karoon Gas executive chair Bob Hosking and Michael Fowler, another ex-Nexus chair

CORPORATES
NEXUS ENERGY LIMITED – ASX NXS, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, KAROON GAS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX KAR, BECHTEL PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Tackle Telstra or we all pay, says Optus boss

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 23 : 22-Oct-14

Dominant Australian telco Telstra will gain some $A90bn by 2045 from its role in the national broadband network. Paul O’Sullivan, CEO of main rival Singtel Optus, is calling on the Federal Government to impose rules on Telstra regarding how the funds can be used. He also wants the telco to be separated into wholesale and retail businesses, and argues that failure to do so will erode competition as well as jeopardise investment by groups such as the Singapore-based parent of Optus. The current infrastructure spending of Optus worth up to $A1.2bn annually will fall if its fixed-line operations suffer a further decline

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED – ASX SGT, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, IINET LIMITED – ASX IIN, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, NBN CO LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FRONTIER ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, BT PLC

CEOs: Senate threat to growth

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Original article by James Thomson, Shaun Drummond, Simon Evans, Jamie Freed, Jessica Gardner, Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Sep-14

Wotif.com CEO Scott Bulme and Cochlear CEO Chris Roberts are among the executives who say the Senate should cease its resistance to the Australian Government’s Budget measures. Business leaders are concerned about the outlook for consumer and business confidence, arguing that it is being undermined by the impasse in the upper house. Many CEOs also believe that the Reserve Bank should not increase official interest rates while business confidence remains weak

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, MEMBERS EQUITY BANK PTY LTD, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED