The RAC’s brand reinvention, and the West Coast Eagles’ uncanny ability to overcome significant negative sentiment, has propelled the two brands into the top three most improved brands of the past year.
Synergy’s efforts to position itself as a leading consumer brand following the break-up of state-government controlled Western Power in early 2006 has been applauded by the advertising industry in WA Business News’ annual branding survey.
As Western Australia enjoys one of the most prosperous economic periods in its history, some in the advertising industry are paying close attention to the perceptions being created by the boom.
The children of Multiplex Group Ltd founder John Roberts opted to take the cash and run this year, while Wesfarmers Ltd managing director Richard Goyder decided to embark on Australia’s biggest corporate shopping trip – a $22 billion takeover of Coles.
Private equity investors have played a major role in some of Western Australia’s biggest takeovers of the past year, although contrary to popular commentary, private equity is not new to the WA market.
Blake Dawson Waldron, Freehills, and Cochrane Lishman are firmly entrenched as the dominant law firms in Western Australia’s M&A market, having advised on the vast majority of big takeovers in the past financial year.
Mining entrepreneur Michael Kiernan last week outlined to WA Business News his plan plan to bring together his non-gold companies under the joint ownership of iron ore miner, Territory Resources Ltd.
At a time when the state government is reviewing several contentious resource projects, one of its top business advisers has questioned whether the mining industry can be trusted.
The Office of Development Approvals Coordination is quietly but effectively helping dozens of Western Australian mining projects clear their way through the regulatory maze, according to its inaugural head.
Tony Howarth is one of Western Australia’s most highly regarded company directors, yet he is becoming as well known for his philanthropic activities as his commercial achievements.
The Carpenter ministry has experienced extraordinary turnover in the past year with several ministers sacked or demoted, leaving the same handful of senior campaigners in charge.
Western Australia’s main public universities have some of the state’s most influential people serving on their governing councils and among their senior staff.
John Akehurst may not have rated a mention in WA Business News’ annual ranking of WA's most influential people a year ago, but during the past six months he has played a central role in deciding the fate of Alinta.
The state government employs thousands of public servants, yet real influence on public policy in Western Australia rests just with a handful of key advisers working in ministerial offices.
Gooding Pervan partner Dalton Gooding and Azure Capital managing director Mark Barnaba are part of a team that last year enjoyed the highest revenue and profit derived from football earnings than any other club in the Australian Football League.
Former premier and political lobbyist Brian Burke heads the group of people who have fallen off the list of Western Australia’s most influential in the past year.
Newspaper editors are meant to focus on writing headlines, but the editor of Western Australia’s only daily newspaper, Paul Armstrong, has actually generated more than his fair share over the past couple of years.
If the amount of money invested in Western Australia is a measure of influence, then the top executives at a handful of big resource companies are among the most influential people in the state.
Woodside Petroleum Ltd is fast approaching decision time on its giant Pluto gas project, which, if it proceeds, will be the single largest investment in a resource project in Australia’s history.
Woodside is expected to record a small decline in net profit this year, primarily because the company’s fortunes are closely tied to changes in the oil price.
