June 2023
CEO exits at Australia’s largest beer company
Robert Iervasi has called last drinks as boss of Asahi Beverages, overseeing brands such as Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught.
August 2022
Surfing the biggest growth sport among women in Australia
Surfing, followed by skating, was the most popular new sport for women during the pandemic, according to the latest data from the Australian Sports Commission.
April 2022
Founders collect $20m from sale of flower delivery start-up
LVLY has been acquired by an Asian tech firm for $35 million – a deal in which founders Hannah Spilva and Verity Tuck will take in a combined $20 million.
Everyone in Hong Kong has been told to test for COVID-19
The city is struggling to contain its worst outbreak since the pandemic started, and so is Shanghai where another outbreak has placed about 25 million people under lockdown restrictions.
March 2022
China’s zero-COVID policy under strain amid lockdown backlash
As rolling closures hit the economy and test the patience of residents, the country’s vaccines are proving less effective against the new variant.
January 2022
Making negronis, mowing the lawn: Skills CEOs learnt in lockdown
CEOs from SelfWealth, Bell Direct, Airtasker and others picked up newfound abilities, such as making kimchi and dog grooming, that could be mastered at home.
Upside of lockdown: No distractions help students nail school exams
For some self-motivated high-achievers deprived of social and extra-curricular activities, lockdowns have paid off in spades.
September 2021
Mental health crisis overblown as liberty is lost in lockdowns
Say you are pyschologically ill and governments will listen. Protest about inalienable rights, and you will be called an extremist.
Peloton and I are breaking up
The sad tale of a doomed love affair between a grumpy old gadget reviewer and a high-tech bicycle.
Why Microsoft’s Steven Worrall runs analytics on his diary
Steven Worrall, MD of Microsoft in Australia and New Zealand, conducts an audit of his diary every quarter - and never has more than two cups of coffee a day.
More perks make home-school holidays bearable
School holidays in NSW, Victoria and the ACT have disrupted the finely tuned routines, or organised chaos, of families living under lockdowns.
Meet four high-fliers who used lockdown as a chance to change
From a Young Rich Lister who built a relationship with his daughter to a lawyer who flexed her muscles, here’s how these leaders used COVID-19 to transform.
Zoom is a pain in the neck for Philip Lowe
The extended Sydney lockdown has, literally, been a pain in the neck for Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe.
The foodie gifts making lockdown bearable
Just as care packages once lifted the spirits of soldiers deployed overseas, parcels of goodies are helping people battle the stay-at-home blues.
Teachers demand the return of face-to-face schooling
Teachers are calling for a return to face-to-face, on-campus schooling, saying the remote learning model is unsustainable and children are fading without the social interaction.
Culture of always saying ‘yes’ leads to consultant burnout
An ongoing consultant shortage is leading to burnout in the sector as advisers struggle to keep up with demand while reluctant to knock back work from clients.
Supermarkets launch hiring blitz to replenish staff
Many of the 6500 supermarket and distribution staff forced into isolation have returned to work, but retailers are recruiting new staff to bolster the ranks.
Stressed-out cats suffer from their owners working from home
Vets in Britain have noticed a rise in medical conditions which experts blame on upheaval to their routines.
August 2021
From overseas, Australia’s pandemic strategy looks desperate
After the freedoms of the rest of the world, being marched from the airport baggage carousel to a quarantine hotel for an enforced two-week stay, for which I have to pay, is simply not something I will do.
Attendance at NSW childcare centres falls less than 10pc
The muted response to the state government’s plea for parents to keep kids at home prompts big providers to call for attendance rules to be tightened.