New ring of confidence for Mark Bouris

Illustration: Rod Clement.

Yellow Brick Road executive chairman Mark “The Blast” Bouris returned to work yesterday morning a winner.

Stock in the Celebrity Apprentice star’s wealth management company YBR closed the day up 10 per cent in what seemed to be a clear example of the “halo ­effect”, following, as it did, a successful Friday night fight at the Westin Hotel where Bouris (weighing in at 85kg) defeated Superintendent Tony “The Real Deal” Crandell (weighing in at 84kg) in the headline event at the NSW Police Legacy boxing fundraiser.

Bouris and Crandell ahead of fight night.

Yes, Bouris fought the law and the law lost (following a well-placed jab in the final round). It seems investors are ­either impressed with the win or relieved the distraction of the fight is over. Over the three months Bouris was in training for the fight, stock in YBR fell 20 per cent.

The bout was a welcome win for Bouris, who last week finally disclosed the departure of the head of his Vow Financial arm Tim Brown — three weeks after we were told Brown wasn’t going anywhere.

Only a month ago, Bouris said he would fire himself if YBR did not make a profit this financial year.

That was following criticism of his business made by rival entrepreneur and self-published author Brett Kelly, whom some have suggested Brown may team up with — once his non-compete is over.

In his post-fight interview at the Westin — about 500m from the YBR head office — Bouris admitted that things had been tough in his corporate life of late.

“On Monday morning I go back to my actual ring, which is business,” said the still-standing Bouris. “That’s a harder ring than this one, to be honest.”

And with his critics still circling, it could get bloodier, too.

King of the board

Back in the summer of 2014, then managing director of Origin Energy Grant King spent a lot of time learning how to paddleboard at Palm Beach — the weekend retreat of choice for Sydney’s business set.

Grant King’s approach to paddleboarding was much like his executive career: disciplined, purposeful and unflashy. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian.

Day by day, stroke by stroke, King — decked out in Origin red board shorts and a black rash vest — mastered the art of balancing on the arm-powered water vessel.

His approach to paddleboarding was much like his executive career at the top of the Australian gas industry — disciplined, purposeful and unflashy.

It may not be to Victorian Liberal president Michael Kroger’s liking, but expect a similar ­manner when King takes over the presidency of the Business Council of Australia from Catherine Livingstone next Thursday, November 17.

King’s appointment makes for a trio of big personal announcements in recent months. In October, he stood down as the boss of Origin Energy after an extraordinary 16-year reign.

And back in August, he and wife Jennifer sold their harbourside federation residence Glencairn for $16 million, a suburb record for Neutral Bay, on Sydney’s lower north shore.

The remaining jewel in the King portfolio is their Palm Beach weekender Bay Cottage, which he picked up for $4.05m in late 2012 and where he stores his paddleboard.

Ranking outlays

“Sources” close to Mariah Carey continue to cause misery for billionaire James Packer and his entourage. And it seems no one is safe from Carey and her manager Stella Bulochnikov.

Mariah Carey and James Packer, in happier days. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

Rob Rankin — once a Master of the Universe at Deutsche Bank, now the chair of Packer’s listed gaming company Crown Resorts and CEO of Packer’s private company, Consolidated Press Holdings — has popped up on celebrity gossip website TMZ for his role drafting the abandoned prenup between his boss and Fantasy fiancee.

More of a Renaissance man than we had realised, Rankin found himself drafting Carey’s private jet use, credit card limit and clothing allowance — which he presumably squeezed around his days overseeing the multi-billion demerger plans of the international Crown empire.

ANZ’s Asian odyssey

For some ANZ executives, the Mike Smith era continues.

Former ANZ chief executive Mike Smith. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian.

A week after nominal CEO Shayne Elliott announced ANZ’s strategic retreat from Asia, ANZ group executive Fred Ohlsson has released the “ANZ Opportunity Asia Report” — spruiking $138 billion of opportunity on our doorstep if only companies would just man up and take the plunge.

Ohlsson shrugs off last week’s announcement that his bank has offloaded its retail banking and wealth management business in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Not facts to trouble Ohlsson, an apparently unreconstructed character from the Smith era.

In the manner of Pangloss talking sunnily about the best of all possible worlds, Ohlsson’s report has found that expanding into Asia is easier than many businesses first think.

“Our research shows businesses who have taken on the challenge are now reaping the rewards with many describing their Asian experience as more straightforward than it would be seeking growth in other international markets,” Ohlsson says. Without a whiff of irony, his team found 64 per cent of the businesses surveyed had no difficulties developing the right Asian strategy.

What next — a report by Smith, who netted more than $9m from the bank last year — on the dangers of excessive remuneration?

All in the family

They call the final day of Spring Carnival at Flemington family day, and the marquees in the Birdcage were certainly more relaxed on Saturday for Emirates Stakes Day.

Myer boss Richard Umbers with his wife Lynne. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian.

Myer chief executive Richard Umbers was spotted schmoozing in the retailer’s rival marquee Emirates, looking rather chilled in a maroon suit.

He must have decided he spent enough time in Myer last week, which on Saturday hosted model Rachael Finch and AFL star Patrick Dangerfield.

Emirates did not quite have the corporate cache of the Melbourne Cup, with its guests Neighbours actors Olympia Valance, Mavournee Hazel and Matt Wilson.

Miss Universe Australia winner Caris Tiivel was in Schweppes to see out the week, but the soft drink company’s marketing manager Paul Murphy told us the group didn’t chase big names for the event.

“Our focus is on our customers coming in and having a great time, we say thanks for doing business with us,” he said.

The Lexus marquee didn’t even open its doors, having served last drinks on Thursday.

Liberal dose

The boat shoe brigade gathered at the Woolloomooloo residence of NSW State Executive member Chris Rath on Sunday for the coronation of Harry Stutchbury — the candidate being put forward by Michael Photios’s ascendant moderate faction to be the next president of the state’s Young Liberals.

Alex Dore, NSW Young Liberal President.

Stutchbury — son of the editor-in-chief of TheAustralian Financial Review Michael Stutchbury — is expected to take over the role from Alex Dore (a good mate of Alan Jones).

As NSW Young Liberal president, Stutch the Younger would follow in the wake of former treasurer Joe Hockey, former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden, NSW treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, Defence Minister Marise Payne and, top of the pile, former prime minister John Howard.

Joining the Young Lib party were NSW upper house president Don Harwin, parliamentary secretary to Berejiklian’s parly sec Matt Kean, Mike Baird’s parliamentary secretary Gareth Ward, the MP who brought the Right’s heart Eleni Petinos, hero of the 2015 election Mark Coure, Bronwyn Bishop-slayer Jason Falinski, Member for Holsworthy Melanie Gibbons and acting state president Kent Johns.