EXECUTIVES – AUSTRALIA – APPOINTMENTS AND RETIREMENTS

Nine exec quits before cultural review hits

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Oct-24

Nine Entertainment has lost another executive, with the departure of its director of communications and public relations, Victoria Buchan. Interim CEO Matt Stanton has indicated that her exit was by mutual agreement as part of a restructuring of the media group’s leadership team. Buchan’s departure is not believed to be linked to the upcoming release of the findings of an independent review of Nine’s workplace culture. The review was sparked by the exit of Darren Wick, the former director of news and current affairs; Buchan is said to have been close to Wick, who had been accused of inappropriate conduct.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Nine’s CEO signed $1m exit payout

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth, James Madden
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 28-May-24

Nine Entertainment Company is continuing to attract scrutiny over the sudden resignation of the Nine Network’s director of news and current affairs, Darren Wick. A spokeswoman has confirmed that Nine’s CEO Mike Sneesby had sign off on Wick’s severance pay of almost $1m, and the media group’s board had no role in the payout. It has previously been revealed that the board had discussed allegations that Wick had sexually harassed a number of female colleagues during his long tenure at Nine. Meanwhile, Nine will commission an independent review of its TV newsrooms’ culture in the wake of the allegations against Wick.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Forrest blames green move for executive exodus

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 27-Feb-24

Fortescue’s executive chairman Andrew Forrest has rejected claims that the company has experienced an unusually high number of executive departures. Speaking at the National Press Club on Monday, Forrest conceded that some executives had left it because of its transition from a "fossil fuel-burning company to a green energy company", while he said its turnover was around half when compared to the mining industry as a whole. Forrest said that Fortescue’s senior management team was beginning to settle down now.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Oil Search sued for bullying CFO from job

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Original article by Jemima Whyte,Michael Roddan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 17-Nov-21

Oil Search has advised that it will fully defend itself against allegations that its incoming CFO had been forced to resign due to bullying and harassment. Ayten Saridas joined Oil Search in August 2020 and was to succeed incumbent CFO Stephen Gardiner in 2021. However, she resigned after just four months and the oil and gas group, claiming that she had been subjected to bullying and harassment by both Gardiner and former CEO Keiran Wulff. The latter subsequently resigned in July; Oil Search attributed this to health reasons but said there had been several complaints about his conduct.

CORPORATES
OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH

$834m in blowouts spur Fortescue exits

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 17-Feb-21

Fortescue Metals Group has advised that chief operating officer Greg Lilleyman has left the pure-play iron ore miner in the wake of a sharp rise in the cost of its Iron Bridge magnetite project. Fortescue’s director of projects Don Hyma and Iron Bridge project manager Manie McDonald also recently stepped down. The Iron Bridge project was initially slated to cost $US2.6bn, but this is believed to have blown out by about $US650m. CEO Elizabeth Gaines and CFO Ian Wells will forgo their annual bonuses for 2020-21 due to the cost blowout.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Foxtel reshuffles senior executive team as it resets its operating model

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: Online : 13-Feb-20

Foxtel has promoted Les Wigan to the role of executive director of operations and technology, with responsibility for technology platforms, services and operations across the pay-TV group’s operations. Wigan is currently chief operating officer at Foxtel’s Kayo Sports streaming service. Meanwhile, Foxtel’s director of customer service Lesley Portwain will take on the newly-created role of chief customer service officer. The management reshuffle was prompted by the resignation of chief operations officer Euan Smith.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS

Foxtel focus on satisfied subscribers

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Original article by Andrew White, Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 28 : 20-May-19

Foxtel’s recently-appointed chief product and strategy officer Alice Mascia has been recruited to help bolster its Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now streaming services and to help retain subscribers. Mascia says Foxtel is planning to introduce a loyalty scheme for customers, while customers who want to get a satellite set-top box for free when they get Foxtel installed are being asked to sign a 12-month contract; she says this should reduce customer churn. Foxtel’s churn rates increased to 17 per cent in the March quarter following a 11 per cent price rise in October, but they improved in April.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Women and science driving future BHP

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Original article by Luke Housego
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 24 : 1-Mar-19

BHP has appointed Laura Tyler to the newly-created role of chief geoscientist, and Jonathan Price has become its inaugural chief transformation officer. CEO Andrew Mackenzie says the new roles are part of BHP’s push to increase its focus on science and technology. Geraldine Slattery and Vandita Pant have also been added to BHP’s executive team, bringing the resources giant closer to its target of 50 per cent female representation. Pant will succeed Arnoud Balhuizen as chief commercial officer.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BANKWEST CURTIN ECONOMICS CENTRE, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Offers flood in as South32 readies for South Africa coal exit

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 15 & 16 : 18-Jan-19

Diversified miner South32 expects final bids for its South African thermal coal assets to be submitted by the end of July. CEO Graham Kerr says the assets have attracted strong interest from potential bidders, and this is likely to result in 2-3 firm offers. Meanwhile, South32 has advised that CFO Brendan Harris has become its chief marketing officer, while Katie Tovich in turn has been appointed CFO.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, ALCOA INCORPORATED, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC

Mitchell gets ready to return ASIC tennis deal serve

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Original article by Ben Butler, John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Nov-18

Free TV Australia chairman Harold Mitchell has stepped down in the wake of legal action arising from his former role as a director of Tennis Australia. He has described the Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s allegations as false and has vowed to "vigorously defend" the legal action. ASIC alleges that Mitchell withheld information from TA’s board about potential bids for tennis broadcasting rights. The rights were awarded to the Seven Network, which has disputed ASIC’s claim that it had received confidential information from Mitchell about rival bids.

CORPORATES
FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, IMG AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA