The man with more connections than the internet, David Gonski, was not about to burn any of them just because he's about to add author to his CV.
ANZ and Coca-Cola Amatil investors should not expect a bodice ripper from their cherished chairman – Gonski is not made in the mould of Commonwealth Bank director Harrison Young.
Nor is he planning the corporate equivalent of a kiss-and-tell of his behind the scenes wheeling and dealing with some of the giants like Kerry Packer.
I Gave a Gonski: Selected Speeches is a rather sedate run through of his speeches from the last five years.
The short time frame means we miss his wild years as a board member of CBD's publisher, Fairfax Media, and advising Frank Lowy to invest in the Ten Network in the lead up to its previous near death experience. Didn't that end well.
One of the racy passages picked out by ANZ's corporate media arm, BlueNotes, suggests no one has to worry about any names being named, at all.
"I have sat next to directors who have taken on roles where they have no interest. They have done it either to improve their CVs and get more accolades, or in one case to be disruptive. In almost all cases they found it difficult, failed to attend meetings regularly and lacked the necessary focus," reads the excerpt.
At least it will be very environmentally friendly. CBD can't see copies flying off the shelf when it hits book stores this Thursday.
Below Grounds
As if UBS boss Matthew Grounds doesn't have enough on his plate. What with the parliamentary grilling over what he did, or didn't receive, or send, from the NSW premier Mike Baird over THAT analyst report on the privatisation of NSW power.
Grounds is having to tread carefully with his and well-connected neighbours in Sydney's harbourside suburb of Mosman this week as he wheels in not one, but two, cranes to help with the minor alterations he is making to one of his two neighbourhood mansions.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the changed traffic conditions and appreciate your patience while the works take place," said a flyer from the site manager, curiously named Todd Grounds.
According to development applications seen by CBD, Grounds is replacing the old pool, adding a pavilion, and a poolside cabana.
CBD assumes it is an Olympic-sized pool given the restricted traffic conditions, and we did mention he's wheeling in two cranes, didn't we?
Neighbours have already been up in arms over the project, writing to the council last year about "excess water damage to a sandstone retaining wall" below the property "where excessive run off was observed over a year ago and has since undermined the sandstone wall leading to the recent wall collapse".
Given that the NSW parliament is threatening to haul the UBS team in for a fresh grilling, CBD hopes Grounds has not pre-spent his bonus from the UBS advisory work on the power privatisation.
Going South
BHP spinoff South32 was proudly tweeting about having its name up in lights on the miner's new Perth HQ, 108 St George's Terrace.
The building in question will always be known in Perth circles as Alan Bond's largest erection.
The colourful businessman developed the tower in the 1980s – hence its debut as the Bond Tower – and was his corporate headquarters until the business empire collapsed.
Not that that should be taken as any sort of omen for South32.
Joe's Diner
The who's who of the property world descended on Canberra on Tuesday night for the annual Property Council of Australia Capital Markets Summit.
The head of Stockland, Mark Steinert, and DEXUS Property's Darren Steinberg, were among the throng braving the Canberra chill, and getting their wish list together for Wednesday night's chow down with Joe Hockey.
Our Treasurer can expect some "policy input" on delicate subject matters like Chinese buyers, and taxes on investment properties.
No Gould
Cyclopharm investors must have been disappointed that their chairman, Vanda Gould, was a no show at the company's shareholder meeting on Tuesday.
It was barely a year ago that Gould was triumphantly reinstated as chairman, after the Commonwealth Director of Prosecutions withdrew charges alleging tax and money-laundering as part of the Tax Office's Project Wickenby.
"This has been a challenging time for Mr Gould as a result of the negative publicity surrounding the charges, and he can now begin the process of restoring his credibility," Cyclopharm said last May.
The lull only lasted until December when a damning Federal Court judgment threatened fresh charges and led to his resignation of charman of CVC Ltd.
"The facts I have found strongly suggest widespread money-laundering, tax fraud of the most serious kind and, possibly in some instances, insider trading," Justice Perram said.
"The conduct revealed in this case is disgraceful."
Cyclopharm investors managed to have a fun day with Gould.
They slapped down Cyclopharm's remuneration report with a first strike, and still managed to push shares up as much as 23 per cent after the company said its fiscal strength means it might be able to return cash to shareholders in some form.
Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au
