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AGM season

December 2024

ANZ boss Shayne Elliot has taken another hit from angry investors.

Elliott’s bonus hit shows how grumpy ANZ investors really are

Local fund managers are clearly unhappy with the board’s approach to risk management. Shayne Elliott is wearing a lot of their grief. 

  • James Thomson
ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott.

Shayne Elliott gives up $3m in bonuses as ANZ cops first pay strike

Shareholders have handed the bank its first strike against remuneration in six years, furious about the handling of the crisis engulfing its trading floors.

  • Lucas Baird
In hindsight, Xero picked up CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy on the cheap. The board has renegotiated a new paypacket, which it says puts her in line with other US-based tech company CEOs.

Xero CEO’s pay rise shows how to earn corporate Australia’s big bucks

There is one way to earn the big money, and it isn’t linked to market cap, importance to Australia’s economy or even shareholder returns.

  • Anthony Macdonald
Westpac chairman Steven Gregg and  CEO Peter King at the bank’s 2023 AGM. This year’s meeting will be held in Sydney on Friday.

Calls grow for Westpac to reveal energy transition plan thinking

Australian Ethical and Market Forces have put forward a resolution for a second year seeking more detail on the bank’s assessment of borrowers’ transition plans.

  • James Eyers
Myer executive chairwoman Olivia Wirth speaking to shareholders at the company’s annual meeting on Tuesday.

Myer says Black Friday sales were ‘encouraging’ despite tough trading

The retailer’s executive chairwoman Olivia Wirth used her first annual meeting in the job to sell plans for a merger with Premier Investments’ fashion brands.

  • Carrie LaFrenz
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ANZ chairman Paul O’Sullivan says he was “spoilt for choice” in selecting a new CEO.

What forced ANZ board to move on Elliott

Facing the prospect of an embarrassing protest vote at next week’s AGM, ANZ’s board is ringing the changes.

  • Anthony Macdonald
Annual general meetings give shareholders a chance to meet directors, and to ask them hard questions.

Wine, coffee and shortbread biscuits: Inside this year’s AGM season

“Why can’t you pay dividends in gold instead of cash?” one investor asked the mining company’s board. “I want to hang a chunk from a necklace.”

  • Mark Wembridge

November 2024

Andrew Ellison at the Resource Development Group AGM.

Andrew Ellison battles shareholders at AGM of MinRes subsidiary

Chris Ellison’s younger brother has been accused of mismanaging the flagship garnet mine of his company Resource Development Group.

  • Updated
  • Mark Wembridge
David Thodey.

Ramsay’s riddle the high point of AGM season mixed messages

What we saw at the private hospital giant’s annual meeting on Tuesday doesn’t make sense. Good luck to the new CEO.

  • Anthony Macdonald
Best & Less acquirer Brett Blundy bought up City Chic stock last year.

City Chic chair hits the phones ahead of AGM

With the shares off 73 per cent over the past year and considering 27.6 per cent of shareholders voted against its report at the 2023 AGM, it’s only prudent for Michael Kay to get on the front foot.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Ramsay Health Care runs the country’s biggest network of private hospitals.

Ramsay investors push for shake-up of ‘failed’ overseas expansion

The country’s largest private hospital operator is facing demands from shareholders to discard international operations and focus on its local facilities.

  • Anthony Macdonald

Brett Blundy reassures investors after Lovisa sales miss mark

The jewellery and accessories chain’s billionaire chairman insists he is still a “growth junkie” despite new store openings falling well short of expectations.

  • Updated
  • Carrie LaFrenz and Gus McCubbing

Worley narrowly dodges strike on remuneration report at AGM

The engineering group’s investors want to know why the company is paying big bonuses to executives but not raising dividends for shareholders.

  • Jenny Wiggins
Ruslan Kogan, founder and CEO of Kogan.com.

Proxy firm tells Kogan investors to vote down exec pay

Ownership Matters told its clients to also vote against the re-election of James Spenceley following a questionable options deal earlier this year.

  • Carrie LaFrenz
Cettire specialises in shipping luxury products from Europe at significantly reduced prices to those that can be found in the brands’ own stores.

Cettire suffers from soft trade in luxury goods

CEO Dean Mintz says more of the online luxury platform’s margin has been passed on to consumers in hefty promotions.

  • Carrie LaFrenz
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Goodman Group CEO Greg Goodman makes no apologies for paying based on performance.

The cycle that helps Goodman employees out-earn Macquarie by 2.3 times

Should the tide ever turn on logistics parks, data centres and Goodman Group’s incredible business, perhaps investors will wonder whether they cut it too much slack.

  • Anthony Macdonald
Platinum founder Kerr Neilson casts his ballot at the Platinum annual general meeting in Sydney on Tuesday.

Platinum founder leads shareholder protest over exec pay

Platinum’s board was hit with a dreaded second strike after founder Kerr Neilson led a shareholder revolt against the company’s remuneration report.

  • Jonathan Shapiro
Coles CEO Leah Weckert with chairman James Graham at the AGM on Tuesday.

Coles chairman says cost of living has been ‘politicised’

James Graham told the comapny’s AGM that supermarkets are being targeted unfairly by politicians.

  • Updated
  • Carrie LaFrenz
Steve Johnson from Forager Funds is advocating for change at the top of Bigtincan.

Forager fundie seeks to spill ASX tech minnow’s board

Forager Funds’ Steve Johnson has written to Bigtincan’s shareholders urging them to deliver a second strike on executive pay and block a SPAC takeover.

  • Tess Bennett

October 2024

New ASX chairman David Clarke, left, with Wayne Byres, who was also elected to the ASX board on Monday morning.

ASX hit with ‘first strike’ at AGM over regulatory concerns

David Clarke and Wayne Byres were elected to the ASX board with strong support, but it faced a backlash on executive bonuses as the CHESS fallout continues.

  • James Eyers

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/agm-season-1m01