Nauru president Lionel Aingemea orders a full review into Nauru Airlines
Just days after taking office, a Pacific nation’s new president has ordered a “full review’’ of its national carrier, which is headquartered in Brisbane, over detailed allegations of operational and cultural problems.
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CLIMBING DOWN
Well this is an embarrassing climb down.
Just days after taking office, Lionel Aingemea, the new president of Nauru, has ordered a “full review’’ of the national carrier, which is headquartered in Brisbane.
It follows a groundswell of criticism from current and former staff, including three senior figures who have provided both CASA and the Nauru Government with detailed allegations of operational and cultural problems inside the organisation.
Within hours of learning about the review late last week, Nauru Airlines chairman Trevor Jensen sent an email to all staff telling them how great things are going with the company. “We want you to love working here!’’ he gushed.
Notably, he failed to acknowledge the impending review but did manage to advise that suspended CEO Peter Sheehan would be leaving immediately.
City Beat spies report that the Nauru Government was rather underwhelmed with that response and Jensen quickly issued a terse, one-line follow up email saying he wished to “withdraw’’ his previous email. Ouch!
Jensen, who has denied any wrongdoing at the carrier, downplayed the matter yesterday. “This review is a standard review undertaken by any new government elected,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Jensen was scheduled to moderate a “cabin crew training conference’’ starting on Tuesday in Singapore but the airline said he was not there and his name has been scrubbed from the program.
Still among the speakers is Aye Aye Naing, a former Miss Myanmar and co-director with Jensen in a privately-held company called AA Nova Global. Nauru Airlines recently flew her to a beauty pageant in the Marshall Islands that it was sponsoring.
Conference notes list Naing as a representative of DK Jennings, a Philippines-based consultancy owned by Richard Miller, who also serves as the chief commercial officer at Nauru Airlines.
BREAKING RECORDS
One of Australia’s biggest arts festivals kicks off this week with expectations that it will once again break box office records and attract well over 1 million visitors.
Brisbane Festival boss Charlie Cush told City Beat that he’s aiming to rake in $4.5 million from the three-week extravaganza, smashing the record $3.2 million haul last year.
Sponsorship and philanthropy dollars are also growing at an impressive clip.
Up to $2.9 million will come in from sponsors, as well as another $5.6 million in in-kind support, continuing a five-year growth trajectory.
Cush said nearly all corporate backers are “returning partners’’ and there are a few new faces this year, including Coca Cola, National Storage, AAMI, Screen Queensland and The Fantauzzo Art Series Hotel.
Many of these well-known brands will get their names out there in creative ways through what’s been dubbed “experiential marketing’’. AAMI, for example, is sponsoring the Fire Gardens show and providing a select few patrons with a chance to tour the site and mingle with artists.
Meanwhile, philanthropic donations have climbed from just $63,000 in 2016 to $408,000 this year thanks largely to a “giving committee’’ chaired by Queensland Supreme Court Justice Tom Bradley.
Among this year’s big-hearted contributors are perpetual philanthropists Tim and Gina Fairax, who tipped in $100,000, and art gallery owner Philip Bacon, who gave $75,000.
TAKEOVER TARGET
There’s renewed talk of a possible takeover and class action lawsuits after embattled Gold Coast dental group Smiles Inclusive quietly reported an $18.8 million net loss in the last financial year.
In a bid to blunt the impact, the company released its unaudited results after the market closed Friday.
It follows a turbulent year that saw company founder and former CEO Mike Timoney launch a failed board spill to wrest control back from current directors.
With the share price in the doldrums and the company saddled with a stalled turnaround plan, City Beat spies say potential buyers are sniffing around.
Some investors are also exploring potential legal action against broking house Morgans and bean counters KPMG over their role in the disastrous float early last year.
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