After serving for a long time in the NSW thoroughbred racing industry, Russell Balding’s successor, Saranne Cooke, believed it was necessary to honor his extraordinary contributions by renaming a feature race in his honor. This decision was made as a gesture of appreciation for Balding’s dedication to the industry. Meanwhile, in the world of politics, the Liberal Party is hoping to regain favor with younger voters in Kooyong by backing Millennial candidate Amelia Hamer. Hamer, with a background in student politics and social media controversies, aims to connect with voters in the traditionally conservative stronghold.
Amelia Hamer’s past experience in a tawdry world of student politics was brought to light during her recent preselection bid. A decade ago, while studying at Oxford, Hamer was embroiled in controversy after writing an article concerning a rape allegation against a former Oxford Union president. Despite the charges being dropped, Hamer’s article was accused of victim-blaming, leading to her removal as an editor at the student union. She stood by her decision to publish the evidence, citing the importance of public interest journalism. Through it all, Hamer remained steadfast in her beliefs, even when facing criticism from her detractors.
Garry Crole, CEO of financial services group Sequoia, recently faced a boardroom challenge from investors Glennon Capital and businessman Tony Jones. The challenge arose amid concerns about Crole’s leadership and the company’s acquisition of ShareCafe and other sites. The fallout from this acquisition, including a lawsuit against former ShareCafe CEO Tim McGowen, has further added to the controversy surrounding Sequoia. The investors pushing for Crole’s removal have not publicly disclosed their reasons for their opposition, but there are differing opinions among shareholders regarding Crole’s leadership and the company’s share price.
The situation at Sequoia remains uncertain, with the possibility of an extraordinary general meeting being called to vote on the futures of Crole and non-executive director Kevin Pattison. Despite the challenges facing the company, Crole has refrained from commenting on the situation. The conflicting viewpoints among investors have added to the tension surrounding Sequoia and its leadership. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve and whether the dissenting investors will be successful in their efforts to remove Crole and Pattison from the board. The future of Sequoia and its leadership hangs in the balance as these developments unfold.
