Insights

Woolies boss served disloyalty

The full text version of the articles in this section is available in The Age for this date.

Ten years after listing on the ASX, Henderson Group will set up a fully fledged investment business in Australia after seeking approval from the corporate regulator to sell its funds directly to local investors.

The first woman to sit on the board of construction company Hansen Yuncken says its century of history doesn't weigh on her shoulders - even if she is a fourth-generation Hansen.

Hundreds of directors sitting on more than 50 of the country's superannuation funds could find themselves out on their ears if proposals canvassed in a soon-to-be-released Treasury discussion paper are adopted.

New details have emerged about the close links between troubled health insurance comparison site, iSelect, and Australia's newest health insurer, health.com.au.

Woolworths chief executive Grant O'Brien has joined forces with Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder in urging rivals Aldi, Costco and IGA to sign the landmark grocery code of conduct with suppliers.

Financial services company IOOF says its funds under management lifted by 3.7 per cent in the September quarter, as it attracted more client money than it lost for the first time in years.

Whatever you do, don't call it intervention. But the Reserve Bank has been a net seller of Australian dollars over the past month, buying foreign currency in excess of the government's needs for the first time in years.

The proportion of home buyers taking out loans with deposits of 10 per cent or less increased in the September quarter, as the property market recovery gathered pace.

Clothing group Pacific Brands is cutting about 50 customer service jobs in Melbourne. A company spokesman said this was part of an upgrade of its workwear division's call centre and was prompted by a desire to improve its customer service. The jobs would go from Broadmeadows and Keysborough and the call centre will be moved to Manila.

The US Treasury Department expects to sell all its General Motors shares by the end of the year. The earlier than expected exit will release GM - the owner of Australia's Holden - next year from compensation limits on its top executives. In all, US taxpayers lent more than $US49 billion ($53.3 billion) to GM and so far have recouped $US38 billion.

Glove, condom and protective clothing supplier Ansell has boosted its position in the North American market, paying $US615 million ($672.2 million) for protective glove and boot business BarrierSafe Solutions International.

The struggling Gove alumina refinery is a step closer to shutting down after owner Rio Tinto confirmed it would abandon long-running efforts to convert it to a cheaper form of energy.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has allowed the owners of a Bank of Queensland branch in Victoria to regain control of it after being kicked out by BOQ.

Woolies boss served disloyalty