2019 most talked about CEOs: Austrac puts Brian Harzter in the headlines
Not even a month old, Westpac’s Austrac scandal was enough to make Brian Hartzer 2019’s most talked about CEO.
Banking scandals, failed deals and big pay days have cast these top 10 business leaders into media headlines in 2019.
Analysing stories from major Australian news publications, media monitoring and analysis group Streem has tallied up the nation’s most talked about CEOs for 2019, with the chiefs of two scandal plagued banks taking out the top spots.
The furore surrounding the Austrac scandal which enveloped Westpac in November was enough to propel CEO Brian Hartzer into top place as the year closed out. Austrac’s investigation revealed 23 million breaches of anti-money launder and counter terrorism finance laws, and included shocking revelations about transactions linked to child exploitation.
The scandal, which resulted in Mr Hartzer’s exit from the bank, generated 492 related articles for November, more than half of the 905 articles mentioning him for the year.
NAB’s fees for no service scandal in wake of the Hayne royal commission’s final report also generated coverage, placing both former CEO Andrew Thorburn and chairman Ken Henry in third and fourth place in Streem’s analysis.
The Austrac scandal also brought about a spike in mentions of Westpac’s chairman Lindsay Maxsted, who placed seventh with an annual total of 399 linked articles.
Media and Partnerships lead at Streem, Conal Hanna said the last two years has seen “unprecedented levels of scrutiny towards banks”.
But while scandals kept banking bosses in the headlines, they weren’t the only high profile business leaders in 2019.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce rated second for media coverage during the year, with 816 stories, kept in the news by events including both his much-publicised wedding and the revelation that he was the country’s highest-paid CEO. Qantas’ “Sunrise” long-haul direct flights between Sydney and New York and backing Rugby Australia in its battle with player Israel Folau and helped make Mr Joyce the most talked CEO in four separate months of the year.
Staff culls and refusal to drop interest rates following RBA cuts contributed to CBA CEO Matt Comyn placing fifth for the year, with ANZ counterpart Shayne Elliott following in sixth place.
Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts decision to pull out of a deal with James Packer’s Crown Resorts, and a subsequent tie-up with Lawrence Ho’s Melco made Mr Packer the most talked about business figure in April and August. The Melco deal and Mr Packer’s close links with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw the billionaire generate 466 articles for the year.
Outspoken on climate change and Australia’s energy policy, tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes also made the list with 390 mentions for the year.
No women made Streem’s list of top 20 business figures with the highest ranked female business leader being Fortescue Metals’ CEO Elizabeth Gaines, who placed at 24, ahead of Hancock billionaire Gina Rinehart who ranked 37.
“There was not a single woman in the top 20 highest-profile business figures of the year, and only five women in the Top 50,” Streem’s Mr Hanna said.
“Gender diversity may have been a hot topic in the news, but it doesn’t seem to have led to much change.”
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