Sandon Capital founder Gabriel Radzyminski is in the throes of hand-to-hand combat with the board of Southern Cross Austereo.

As an activist investor, Radzyminski has made a living by buying into companies that he believes can be improved using shareholder rights to influence the board – or get them replaced. It’s a strategy he likens to renovating the worst house on a good street. And while it doesn’t win him many friends, it can offer some lucrative returns.