Australia: new frontier for shareholder disruption

Sydney

AS BHP Billiton fends off the attention of Elliott Management, activist funds are targeting other Australian firms, shaking up a corporate culture that has long favoured quiet chats over splashy headlines.

Seeking new, less crowded markets, activist investors are using Australia's shareholder-friendly laws to pressure corporate boards criticised as clubby and conservative in an effort to improve returns. "Whereas before it was quite normal for companies to address any potential shareholder activism in Australia behind closed doors, only now is there a real appetite to go public and to take the message direct to shareholders," said Michael Chandler, governance director at shareholder engagement firm Global Proxy Solicitation.