This Month
Small and medium businesses must act big in cybersecurity fight
SMBs face the same frightening cybersecurity landscape as larger enterprises, but lack anything like the same financial muscle and expert staff to fight back.
March
Why the Qantas chairman is building a maritime museum under his house
John Mullen has learnt a lot from the likes of Matthew Flinders, the first man to circumnavigate Australia, and 16th-century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
The country’s highest-paid directors revealed
Here are the 18 male and two female directors in Australia paid more than $1 million a year in board fees.
Some founders regard directors as ‘something to be tolerated’
The scandals that have rocked high-profile founder led companies such as WiseTech and Mineral Resources are a wake-up call for all board members to conduct thorough due diligence, say top directors.
Qantas chairman says business should not be woke or anti-woke
Corporate Australia should pick its battles carefully. However, mainstream DEI and ESG initiatives have largely proved to add value to companies.
Qantas chairman warns directors of ‘dominant CEOs’ in board search
The successful careers and dominant personalities of founders and overly powerful CEOs can trip up even the most seasoned corporate players, John Mullen says.
October 2024
Joe Aston on Qantas: ‘This is a story about power in the shadows’
This week on The Fin podcast, Joe Aston on what went wrong for the airline, why it has an oversized influence in Canberra, and the extraordinary perks of a Qantas board seat.
Qantas finds clearer air, but its past must fuel longer turnaround
The airline’s annual general meeting highlighted good progress, but the mistakes of the past should continue to shape the next stage of its comeback.
2024’s most powerful and influential directors revealed
As AGM season gathers pace, the BOSS index of the country’s most powerful and influential directors reveals a new cohort rising through the ranks.
September 2024
Australia’s 10 most powerful business leaders in 2024
The strongest voices for corporate Australia in a year when cost-of-living pressures have ripped through the most vulnerable parts of the economy.
ASIC readies to wield a big stick against boards lax on cybersecurity
The regulator is talking about investigating directors who have been remiss in guarding against hackers. Not everyone thinks that’s the best approach.
Why John Mullen wishes he’d paid a cyber ransom
When hackers targeted Qantas chairman John Mullen’s private maritime museum, he didn’t pay the ransom out of principle.
August 2024
How the Qantas board fell for the cult of Alan Joyce
A scathing review of the national carrier’s board tells the story of a highly successful chief executive whose growing power was not adequately challenged. It ended badly for everyone.
July 2024
The war in Gaza is dividing Australians. Business is worried
Paul Bassat says Australia is fighting a “war of ideas” and losing; John Mullen says business people are too scared to say what they really think and Rod Eddington fears multiculturalism is under threat.
June 2024
Big business’ Voice advocacy backfired: new Qantas chairman
John Mullen said businesses should not be “completely anaesthetised” on social issues, but warned it can be dangerous for firms to back politicised causes.
March 2024
Where boards are still going wrong
Only a few chairmen have dared look outside the usual pathways to the board to find a director with deep skills in technology, marketing or human resources.
Scyne sends out Jamie Briggs to terrify the troops
Partnerships are never as warm and cuddly as the word suggests, so it was only a matter of time before the gloves came off at Scyne Advisory.
February 2024
Qantas upgrades capex bill, pinning returns on new planes
The airline will reward shareholders by extending its buyback, as CEO Vanessa Hudson ramps up spending to woo customers.
Qantas appoints Mullen to succeed Goyder
The chairman-elect has revived hopes the airline can win back the support of its staff and unions as he prepares to succeed Richard Goyder in the coveted role.
Here’s what to expect from new Qantas chairman John Mullen
The businessman made his name running ports and freight railway lines. Now he’s landed what’s often considered the number one gig in corporate Australia.