There was an extremely strained undercurrent at the AGL board and management dinner in the private upstairs dining room at Sydney’s famous Rockpool restaurant last Tuesday night.

Shortly before the dinner, Brett Redman had told a stunned chairman, Graeme Hunt, that he planned to quit as chief executive. Hunt had promptly informed other directors of Redman’s totally unexpected and unwelcome decision. But the rest of the executive team coming to Rockpool after a company strategy day were not told.