COMMONWEALTH Bank chief executive Ian Narev has become the highest-profile signing for the event where company bosses are handed a beanie, piece of cardboard, cup of soup and some cold concrete bedding for the night.
Narev on Friday pushed the number of entrants in this year's Vinnies CEO Sleepout close to 700, with the event hoping to raise $5 million across the country.
Among other highly paid corporate types already signed up for the Sydney event on June 21 are Transfield Services boss Peter Goode, former Australian Vintage and now ISS Australia chief executive Dane Hudson, APN News & Media chief Brett Chenoweth, the non-Michael Easson part of EG Funds Management Adam Geha, the Trust Company's John Atkin, BT's Paul Migliorini and Unions NSW head comrade Mark Lennon.
Among the silvertails at the Melbourne event will be Southern Cross Austereo chief Rhys Holleran and the UBS banker Jonathan Mant, who will be able to share some warmth with his wife and federal member for Higgins, Kelly O'Dwyer.
Among some in the huddle at the Brisbane event will be the Domino's Pizza boss Don Meij, Ord Minnett executive chairman Karl Morris and the federal Labor backbencher Kevin Rudd.
In Perth, Atlas Iron chief and ex-brickie's labourer David Flanagan will be sipping on some instant soup alongside Emeco boss and ex-Wesfarmer Keith Gordon.
Booking face time with bride
IT IS not too often you see a marriage that appears to be tied into an initial public offering. Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told the 13.8 million subscribers to his Facebook page over the weekend that he had married his long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan.
The wedding came a day after Zuckerberg rang the opening bell for the Nasdaq stock market in typical Facebook fashion. He did it remotely from his California office to celebrate his company's public listing.
The 28-year-old Zuckerberg, however, married Chan in person and even included a wedding snap on his Facebook timeline.
Name the key to loving Fiji
THE Fijian government provided its explanation last week for the reason for changing the name of its Qantas part-owned national carrier from Air Pacific to Fiji Airways.
"The Fijian brand conjures up different images, if you go to Europe and you mention Fiji, people will never respond to you in a negative fashion even though they may have never seen the map of Fiji," said Attorney-General and Minister for Civil Aviation Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in a statement. The airline does not even fly to Europe.
In the same statement, the airline's chief executive, Dave Pflieger, said: "In short, despite our 42 years of efforts to market the name Air Pacific, Fiji is the word that resonates and motivates people to find us."
ASX tangled web for talk
WEBINARS. They're favoured by seekers of quick dollars around the world, used to flog everything from property to business leadership classes to investment reports named after Greek bath-time interjections.
But now, a challenger appears: the Australian Securities Exchange, which has decided to ditch its series of lunchtime investor-hour presentations in which brokers, institutional investors and economists share their wisdom with mum-and-dad punters.
The move will rob investors of personal contact with speakers, Australian Shareholders' Association talks convener John Upton said. "It'll just be a guy sitting there delivering his spiel to a screen, a bit like an AGM or something," Upton said.
The ASX said the events had become less popular and canning them would not save any money, as it would continue to spend the same amount on webinar presentations. But if CBD's webinar-choked email inbox is any guide, it's a brave move.
The stock-pickers will now face stiff competition, going head-to-head with software vendors spruiking photo sales systems, and, most riveting of all, spreadsheet nerds who promise to bestow the ability to "use SUBTOTAL for totals to avoid missing or double-counting numbers".
The final investor hour in front of a live audience is to be held in Sydney next month.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
What is the Vinnies CEO Sleepout and how does it work?
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is a charity event where company bosses spend a night outdoors with only a beanie, a piece of cardboard, a cup of soup and cold concrete bedding to raise awareness and funds for homelessness. Executives sign up to take part in city events and raise money and profile for the cause.
How much money is the Vinnies CEO Sleepout aiming to raise and how many participants have signed up?
Organisers hope to raise about $5 million across the country. Commonwealth Bank CEO Ian Narev pushed the number of entrants close to 700 for this year’s program.
When and where are the Vinnies CEO Sleepout events taking place?
The article highlights multiple city events. The Sydney sleepout is scheduled for June 21; there are also gatherings mentioned in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, each hosting local corporate and community figures.
Which high-profile corporate leaders and public figures are signed up for the CEO Sleepout?
The story lists many participants, including Commonwealth Bank chief Ian Narev, Transfield Services’ Peter Goode, ISS Australia’s Dane Hudson, APN’s Brett Chenoweth, EG Funds Management’s Adam Geha, The Trust Company’s John Atkin, BT’s Paul Migliorini and Unions NSW head Mark Lennon. Melbourne names include Southern Cross Austereo’s Rhys Holleran and UBS banker Jonathan Mant (with his wife Kelly O’Dwyer); Brisbane includes Domino’s Pizza boss Don Meij, Ord Minnett’s Karl Morris and federal backbencher Kevin Rudd; Perth names include Atlas Iron chief David Flanagan and Emeco’s Keith Gordon.
What did Mark Zuckerberg do to mark Facebook’s public listing and his personal news?
According to the article, Mark Zuckerberg rang the Nasdaq opening bell remotely from his California office to celebrate Facebook’s public listing. He also announced on his Facebook page that he had married Priscilla Chan and posted a wedding photo.
Why did Fiji change its national carrier’s name from Air Pacific to Fiji Airways?
The Fijian government said the name change was marketing-driven: the word “Fiji” resonates more strongly and motivates people to find the airline, even in markets where consumers may not be familiar with the country. Fiji’s aviation minister and the airline’s CEO, Dave Pflieger, were quoted explaining that the Fijian brand conjures more positive images than ‘Air Pacific.’
Why is the ASX ditching in‑person lunchtime investor-hour presentations and what does that mean for everyday investors?
The ASX said the in‑person investor-hour events had become less popular and it will replace them with webinar presentations. The Australian Shareholders’ Association raised a concern that removing live audiences will reduce personal contact between investors and speakers. The ASX plans to continue spending on webinars, and the last live investor hour will be held in Sydney next month.
With the ASX moving to webinars, what other online presenters will everyday investors now face?
The article notes that the ASX’s webinars will compete with a wide range of online presenters — from software vendors promoting various tools to independent trainers and spreadsheet experts offering tips and paid products. Investors should expect more competing webinar content and providers in the online investor-education space.
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