Stephen Mayne

August 2024

Rear Window

Labor’s Kate Thwaites recently got a promotion, and a bother.

New ageing minister held ageing stocks

Anthony Albanese’s addition to the Ministerial Code of Conduct has caused problems for a raft of his ministers.

Aug 11, 2024
Myriam Robin

February 2023

Street Talk

Platinum boss Andrew Clifford is due to front investors on Wednesday.

Platinum’s silence sets the scene for a fiery earnings call

Platinum Asset Management issued a “no comment” on Monday afternoon, choosing to stay shtum on its largest shareholder and former boss Kerr Neilson’s calls for the beaten-down fund manager to either install a new CEO or become an M&A target.

Feb 20, 2023
Anthony Macdonald, Sarah Thompson and Kanika Sood

October 2021

Gaming & wagering

The Star executives to face public grilling

The Star’s executives will be grilled in public hearings in March over allegations of money laundering and infiltration by organised crime figures.

Oct 19, 2021
Elouise Fowler

June 2021

Rear Window

Shareholder activist Stephen Mayne is readying to shake up the Macquarie AGM.

Mayne set to rain on Macquarie’s parade

The divisive activist wants companies to disclose proxy voting intentions earlier, and isn’t letting a few knock-backs get in his way.

Jul 1, 2021
Tom Richardson

June 2021

Rear Window

Moelis sidesteps the Mayne issues on Redcape

A feisty AGM has put some focus back on the fee structure that helps the former Moelis Australia profit from managing the listed Redcape Hotels Group.

Jun 25, 2021
Tom Richardson

April 2021

Executive pay

How AMP’s Pahari could make $50m on exit

Controversial AMP Capital executive Boe Pahari will take home a slice of up to $80 million in profit share accrued across the company’s funds. But analysts are split on exactly how much and investors are unlikely to learn the truth.

Updated Apr 26, 2021
Michael Roddan

Rear Window

Rupert Murdoch: doesn’t care what anyone else thinks

Rupert Murdoch doesn’t sue, but Lachlan might

News Corp heir apparent Lachlan Murdoch appears perfectly willing to send in the lawyers to deal with reputational slights.

Apr 25, 2021
Myriam Robin

March 2021

Rear Window

The Bank of Queensland’s capital raise was an easy sell to its institutional investors.

Bank of Queensland retail entitlements stuck in the mail

Among those missing out was none other than Brisbane-based David Goffage, a retired investment banker with a more-than-passing familiarity with such matters.

Mar 17, 2021
Myriam Robin

November 2020

Executive shake-up

Outgoing Nine chief executive Hugh Marks.

Backing for Marks payout to keep Nine's rivals at bay

Activist shareholder Stephen Mayne says it would be a disaster for Nine if Hugh Marks went to News Corp or Seven, while other shareholders say the Nine board has strong options for a successor.

Nov 16, 2020
Max Mason

August 2020

Rear Window

Milton Corp gets ahead of itself

Stephen Mayne says it was 'the height of arrogance' for Milton to publish the AGM notice and proxy form before its nominations closed.

Aug 17, 2020
Myriam Robin

January 2020

Rear Window

Robert Thomson was paid market-leading salary of $US14.7 million ($21.6 million) in FY19.

Robert Thomson's $21.6m pay cheque no issue for AusSuper

Shareholder democracy: it isn't really democracy, is it?

Jan 27, 2020
Myriam Robin

November 2019

Rear Window

Chairman Gerry Harvey and wife, chief executive Katie Page, lost the battle but won the war at the AGM on Wednesday.

Just another freak show from Harvey Norman

Harvey Norman’s annual general meeting on Wednesday was a categorical, unalleviated freak show.

Nov 28, 2019
Joe Aston

Retail

Harvey Norman's institutional shareholders have been urged to attend the AGM next week and see first hand how chairman Gerry Harvey treats shareholders.

Harvey Norman institutional shareholders urged to 'bargain' at AGM

Harvey Norman's institutional shareholders have been urged to see first-hand how Gerry Harvey behaves at the AGM before they vote their shares.

Nov 22, 2019
Sue Mitchell

Retail

Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerry Harvey.

Harvey Norman faces second strike but board rout bound to fail

Harvey Norman may be facing a second strike against its pay report but a spill of the entire board is unlikely to lead to a change in the guard.

Nov 20, 2019
Sue Mitchell

Governance

Board caution: Company directors CEO Angus Armour

Directors call for US-style proxy adviser restraints

The proposal was criticised by one local proxy advisory service, which said there was no logical reason for such a change.

Nov 19, 2019
Liam Walsh

Rear Window

Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey, to whose defence News Corp columnists Janet Albrechtsen and Peta Credlin have nobly leapt.

The woke joke is on Harvey Norman shareholders

Harvey Norman treats minority shareholders with contempt and the Murdoch press, wholly owned, worships it for it.

Nov 19, 2019
Myriam Robin and Joe Aston

Retail

Proxy advisers say their support for shareholder activist Stephen Mayne's push for a seat on the Harvey Norman board is about sending a message to executive chairman Gerry Harvey.

Harvey Norman board push never was expected to succeed

Harvey Norman faces a second strike and board spill at its AGM as the ASA and two advisory firms recommend a protest vote against the remuneration report.