Business
Dr Sally Pitkin AO: An Australian Corporate Governance pioneer
Whenever you consider leaders who would mould the boardrooms of the largest business organizations in Australia, the name of Dr Sally Pitkin AO would continue to appear. She is not a director, but she is an expert in governance, once the best lawyer, a female champion in business who has over 25 years established her presence in corporate Australia.
Who Is Sally Pitkin?
One of the most renowned company directors in Australia is Sally Pitkin, who has an outstanding record in ASX-listed companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations. She has served as a board member on more than 35 boards in her career and has thus become an expert when it comes to companies requiring someone who has learned the ropes of governance.
She is the present Chair of Super Retail Group – the group behind Rebel Sport, Supercheap Auto and Macpac – and has been a director in large Australian corporations such as The Star Entertainment Group and Link Group.
Her Attorney History with Clayton Utz.
Prior to joining the boardroom as a heavyweight, Sally had an excellent career in the field of law. She had worked as a Senior Corporate Partner at Clayton Utz, which was one of the Big Six Australian law firms based in several cities in the country. Having experience in the field of corporate and banking law (30 years), she has a background of familiarity with complex legal and regulatory issues that companies have to encounter.
Her reputation at Clayton Utz was her knowledge on corporate governance and structural reform – the very skill which would subsequently earn her a reputation as one of the most sought-after directors in Australia.
School Performance and Ph.D Study.
Sally is not only practical experience, she has the educational talents to support it. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology, but what separates her is the fact that she earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Governance at the University of Queensland in 2012.
Her PhD work was carried out on The complexities and tensions of school governance: a case study of the governing body of an Australian independent school. The study brought her into focus when it comes to the influence of correct governance on organizational culture – a fact that she has implemented in her entire career as a board member.
Sally also teaches as an Adjunct at the UQ Business School and is a Fellow of Bond University, where she still imparts her governance knowledge to the future generation.
Board Roles in Australian Business.
The board portfolio of Sally is the read list of Australian businesses. She became a director of Super Retail Group in 2010 and, until she resigned in October 202,4, was its Chair. As Chair, she assisted in leading the company through the crisis of ofCOVID-199 and she prepared it to grow long-term.
She has also become a director at Billabong International, IPH Limited, Link Group, and the Star Entertainment Group. Her relationship with The Star was questioned when ASIC initiated action against 11 directors, current and former, due to their alleged inability to address the risk of money laundering between 2017 and 2019. Sally, as well as the other members of the board, was accused of not paying enough attention to these key risks.
Outside the business sector, Sally has served in the community as a director of UQ Holdings, senator of the University of Queensland Senate and trustee of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust.
Order of Australia Honour
Sally was also presented with an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) – one of the highest awards of the country in 2021. The award was given to her in recognition of her superior service to business, to corporate governance standards and performance, to the arts, and to female development.
This honour made her one of the few Australians to have made such contributions, which have made a big difference in the country. The AO is the third highest level of the Order of Australia, and it comes second only to the companion level.
Women Leadership Proponent.
Sally has been a ruthless supporter of increased women in boardrooms in Australia. She has also taken up the cause of encouraging more representation, and her argument has been that diversity is not only right but it is also a way of creativity and achievement.
Being President of the Queensland Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Corporate Governance Committee, she has had her fair share of ensuring the best standards of directorship are upheld through mentoring aspiring lawyers and non-executive directors.
It is also the power of defiance that led her to law, when in 1976 she had been advised that the legal profession was not a place for a woman, she went into it anyway. It has been that fighting spirit that has defined her career.
Corporate Governance Experience.
The outstanding fact about Sally is that she is very knowledgeable in corporate governance, risk management, strategy, and stakeholder engagement. The combination of her 25 years of experience as a non-executive director and a board member is hard to find, not to mention her PhD in the field.
She has been one of the powerhouses driving the increased attention to governance in corporate Australia, and she clearly holds the view that correct governance is the way to make a company’s culture and performance better. This is because of her involvement with the Corporate Governance Committee of the AICD, which has enabled her to influence the governance standards in the country.
The latest news and ongoing events.
Sally resigned as Chair of Super Retail Group at the Annual General Meeting of the company in June 2024, and Judith Swales replaced her. The transition was planned many years before as a succession plan for the company.
Sally still works as a director of Art Exhibitions Australia and is still a member of different governance and arts organizations. She also belongs to Chief Executive Women, and she keeps up her work to advance women in leadership positions.
Her career is an example of what can be achieved when you marry legal knowledge, academic scholarship and passion to make corporate Australia better. Since telling a woman is no longer womanly and being one of the most admired directors in the country is a feat that Sally Pitkin has accomplished without doubt after excellence, persistence, and breaking.
Australian Business Leaders to get inspired.
The story of Sally Pitkin AO demonstrates that commitment to governance excellence and a view on the importance of diversity are powerful to change not only personal careers but also whole industries. No matter whether you are interested in corporate boards, legal careers or governance, her experience can teach some great lessons on how to be a leader, persistent and really make a change.
Business
Richard White WiseTech: The Aussie Tech Mogul Wild Ride of Guitars to Global Glory
G’day, mates! Have you ever thought about how a guy who repaired the guitars of rock icons such as AC/DC can become a giant technology company owner? This is what happened to Richard White and WiseTech Global. It is an idea that grew out of a basement in Sydney that this Sydney-based entrepreneur made a billion dollars out of, and is transforming the way goods flow around the globe. But just as any good yarn, it has got twists – sky-high success, recent dramas. We should thus jump in to find out just what is so hot about Richard White WiseTech down here in Down Under.
What about Richard White WiseTech?
Imagine a case of a young Richard White who was born in 1955 and raised in a suburb of Sydney called Bexley. He did not begin in technology, quite on the contrary. He had a dream of achieving rock and roll fame as a boy. He not only performed in bands, but also repaired guitars belonging to such Australian legends as The Angels and Angus Young of AC/DC. But music did not pay bills, hence changing gears. He became a refrigeration mechanic before getting into computers, opening companies in consulting and equipment sales.
Jump 10 years to 1994: Richard forms WiseTech Global (then known as Eagle Developments International) in partnership with Maree Isaacs. They have identified a loophole in logistics – the chaotic world of shipping and freight. Their big idea? Software to get it all smoother. The cleverness of Richard in coding and business made it CargoWise One, a cloud-based platform that manages heaps of steps that shippers around the globe have to do. WiseTech has reached than 17,000 17,000ers, nowadays, in 183 different countries, among them such massive companies as DHL. It is the leading tech ASX-traded stock, having been listed since 2016.
The road taken by Richard is gritty. He was a fellow and earned his Master’s in IT at UTS. No overnight success – he was almost 40 by the time he began WiseTech and a billionaire at 61. To the Aussies, he is but an Australian-grown hero who shows that you can create world-class technology in your own backyard.
Richard White WiseTech Age and Early Days.
Richard is now approximately 70 years old and has witnessed it all. He was born in 1954 or 1955 and was brought up in a family residence that has been included in his Bexley compound – a self-driven mansion complex with solar panels and Tesla batteries. His grandparents operated wedding ballrooms where young Richard served at the wedding bars and tables. It was that practical hustle that made him.
Richard solved problems not only in music but also in mechanics, which was his first occupation. His prior employment at WiseTech was at Real Tech Systems Integration, where he sold computer bits, fixed fridges, and worked as a salesperson. It is typical Aussie ingeniousness – identifying what is needed and what is not and correcting it using technology.
The Rise of WiseTech Global
WiseTech began in a small Sydney basement, coding on behalf of domestic freight companies. It dominated the Aussie logistics by 2000. It exploded in 2006 when it went global under the name CargoWise. It was listed on the ASX in 2016 at a valuation of $1 billion – it is now worth in excess of $30 billion.
Richard’s vision? A single platform for all customs, borders, and tracking. It has increased productivity among its users, such as raising the number of jobs per day from 1.5 to seven. Pride in Oz: our technology serving global business, ports in Melbourne up to farms in the Outback.
Richard white tech allegations and controversies Conclusion/verdict.
No tale without a hump. Richard resigned as the CEO in October 2024 due to misconduct allegations. It was alleged that there were inappropriate relationships, bullying, and misappropriation of funds, such as acquiring houses for partners or failure to report affiliations. An ex-lover of Linda Rogan’s court case leaked information, erasing billions from the value of WiseTech.
One of these reviews exonerated him of bullying but ruled that he had deceived the board about relationships. In 2025, it was alleged by another Brazilian woman and others. It created board drama – four directors resigned in February 2025 in regard to his position. Stocks fell, yet Richard recovered as executive chairman and concentrated on products and growth.
To the Aussies, it is a lesson: even the best dogs are also subject to scrutiny. However, the good performance of WiseTech indicates that the company is well off.
WiseTech Net Worth and Wealth of Richard White.
Richard is a true-blue billionaire. He owns 37 percent of WiseTech, with a fortune of between $8 billion $13 billion, contingent upon shares. He sells chunks, such as the $240 million in 2025, but retains a large stake. Properties? He owns a Bexley compound, Palm Beach flat, etc. – even a villa in Dubai.
He has also been an investor in education, supporting Grok Academy with free learning in tech. Classic Aussie: building wealth by giving back.
Richard White WiseTech Family and Personal Life.
Family’s key for Richard. He has mum, kids, and mates in a compound in Bexley, energy-independent no less. In July 2024, he got married to Zena Nasser after divorcing Barbara Mason in 2015. They had a daughter through a surrogate. Zena is a former criminal lawyer who has an older daughter. Word of a volatile, but Richard claims to take a bullet in her defence.
He still has grown-up children when he was married first, and personal life is personal, headlines notwithstanding.
Conclusion: The Future of Richard White WiseTech.
Richard White WiseTech is a story of Australian ambitions – of a Bexley boy made world tech king. Nonetheless, his vision is what propels WiseTech. He is looking at growth in 2025 as executive chair, such as the E2open acquisition. To the natives, it is inspirational: technology can flourish here.
Business
What is Going on with the I-MED Sale? Everything You Need to Know
You may have read in the news of the Australian healthcare market, rumours of the I-MED sale – a multi-billion dollar transaction that has everyone in the private equity companies and radiology professionals chattering about. And the question is, what is the whole deal about I-MED Radiology on sale, and why should it be of any concern to an average citizen of Australia? In simple English, let us decompose it.
What Is I-MED Radiology?
We shall start with the sales drama by getting acquainted with I-MED. I-MED Radiology Network is the largest privately based medical imaging corporation in Australia. They have more than 250 clinics that are distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand, performing all types of X-rays and ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans.
I-MED has an average of 475 radiologists and 4,000 + employees performing over 5 million patient procedures annually. When you have gone to get a scan in Australia, there are high chances that it is an I-MED clinic.
Permira is the present owner of the company and a London-based private equity firm. I-MED had been acquired by Permira in 2018 at approximately $1.1 billion (USD). Seven years down the line, they are hoping to cash in.
Why Is I-MED Being Sold?
The firms that are privately-owned, such as Permira, typically acquire companies, develop them, and sell them after a few years at a profit. This is exactly what is happening here. Since 2024, Permira has been attempting to sell I-MED in the hope that it can almost triple the value of its investment.
The sale began in good earnest last year as Permira used investment banks Morgan Stanley and Jefferies to seek buyers. They are said to be seeking a price of approximately 3 billion AUD (approximately 1.9 billion USD).
However, there is a trick to this–it has been a challenge to get someone to pay that much. A number of interested potential buyers have made a glance, conducted their due diligence (as it is sometimes termed), and simply left in dismay at the price, which was too high.
Who Nearly Bought I-MED?
The largest close call was with Stonepeak, a New York-based private equity firm. In May 2025, it was reported that Stonepeak was just inches from closing the deal. They had even accepted a price with Permira.
The deal, however, collapsed in early June. One of the issues identified as causing problems, according to the Australian Financial Review, was the fact that six I-MED clinics shared a location with Healthscope hospitals, which were financially challenged at the time.
Other large companies that have been interested include:
- Bain Capital (a giant American PE company)
- Macquarie Asset Management (they say it is too high)
- TPG Capital and Pacific Equity Partners (who joined forces to have a glance)
- another international investment company, Partners Group.
As yet, nobody has been keen to pay what Permira has asked.
Could I-MED Go Public Instead?
This is where the interesting part comes in. Following the unsuccessful sale to Stonepeak, there were rumours galore that Permira would take I-MED to the stock market in an IPO (Initial Public Offering).
This would not be the first time that I-MED ventured into going public. In 2015, they attempted to list on the Australian Securities Exchange but called off at the eleventh hour due to unsavoury market conditions.
When Permira is not able to find a buyer whom they are willing to buy at their price, an IPO could be their only way of getting their money out. According to some experts, this may occur in the year 2025.
What’s I-MED Worth?
I-MED will generate approximately $1.35 billion AUD in revenue and approximately $230-250 million in EBITDA (that is, earnings before interest, tax, and other accounting items) according to reports.
I-MED was acquired by Permira in 2018 at an approximate price of 1.3 billion dollars, which is approximately 11 times the earnings of the company. They are now demanding 3 billion, or more than twice what they paid, or 12-13 times current earnings.
To buyers, that is an exorbitant price given that other companies of the same nature have been sold at lower prices. That is why there are a lot of prospective buyers who have glanced at it and moved on.
Who Owns I-MED Now?
Right now, Permira owns I-MED. Permira is a private equity firm with its headquarters in London and operates in healthcare, technology, and consumer businesses worldwide.
The company is not a publicly traded company, hence you would not be able to purchase its shares. It is privately owned by Permira, and, therefore, all the decisions are made by the investment firm.
Who’s Running I-MED?
I-MED is presently headed by a CEO known as Dr Shrey Viranna. He replaced him in March 2020, his home country being South Africa, where he was leading Life Healthcare Group, a massive healthcare enterprise.
The previous CEO was Steven Rubic, who served as the CEO between 2012 and 2019. Rubic assisted in expanding I-MED to the giant that we have today, and she later went on to become the CEO of Healthscope and assumed different positions on the board.
Comparison of I-MED and other Radiology Companies?
I-MED is, by all means, the giant in Australian radiology. Still, there are other players in the game:
- Recently, Lumus Imaging (owned by Healius) was sold to Affinity Equity Partners at a cost of 965 million.
- The New Zealand firm Infratil acquired QScan.
- Perth Radiological is an Allegro Funds company and could be the next target.
- In particular regions, smaller regional players such as Jones Radiology, Benson Radiology, and Capital Radiology are also competing.
The uniqueness of I-MED is its enormous size, more than 250 clinics and services, both in the metro and in the regions.
What Will the I-MED Sale do to Patients?
As a patient using I-MED, it is unlikely that the sale will have much short-term impact on you. The clinics will continue functioning, and you will be receiving the same services.
Nevertheless, the changes may occur in the future depending on the purchaser of I-MED (or even IPO). New owners may invest in more equipment, or they will open new clinics or alter the way things are managed.
The positive side is that the diagnostic imaging market in Australia is expanding due to the ageing population and the improvement of medical technology. It implies that companies such as I-MED will continue to invest to satisfy demand.
The Bottom Line
The I-MED sale has been a roller coaster. Permira is seeking approximately $3 billion in the case of the biggest radiology network in Australia, but purchasers assume that it is prohibitively high. Stonepeak was close to closing a deal in mid-2025 and backed out, and now Permira could look at I-MED instead, listing it on the stock exchange.
Today, I-MED continues to do what it does best, which is to deliver diagnostic imaging services to millions of Australians annually. Regardless of whether it is sold to a private equity company or goes IPO, the company will probably keep expanding as the healthcare demands in Australia keep rising.
Interested in keeping up with the large-scale corporate transactions that are influencing the healthcare system in Australia? Watch financial news– the saga of the I-MED sale is not finished yet!
Business
Who Is Kevin Burrowes? Meet PwC Australia’s CEO
The name Kevin Burrowes may have reached your ears if you have been keeping up with business news in Australia in the last couple of years. He is the man who owns and runs one of the largest consulting firms in the country, PwC Australia. Who exactly is Kevin Burrowes, and why is everybody so interested in him? We will take a peep at the man behind the headlines.
Kevin Burrowes: The Man at the Top.
PwC Australia is headed by Kevin Burrowes, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He assumed the top position in July 2023 at an incredibly difficult moment in the lives of the firm, in the center of an unprecedented tax scandal that stunned the entire consulting sector.
Prior to his trip to Australia, Burrowes had spent almost 20 years in various capacities in PwC across the globe. Between July 2020 and 2023, he worked as the Global Clients & Industries Leader at PwC in Singapore. He worked there, taking care of the 200 largest international clients of PwC, and ensured the company was abreast with the current trends.
Burrowes has worked and lived in London, New York, Singapore, and Frankfurt during his career. He has loads of experience in taking on large banks and financial institutions in terms of their strategy to ensure that their operations work more effectively.
What Is the Salary of Kevin Burrowes?
This is where it becomes a bit interesting. Kevin Burrowes initially reported paying a salary of $2.4 million when he was first questioned about the same by a Senate inquiry. Then he amended it to $2.8 million. However, PwC International also paid him an additional $1.2 million per year, which emerged later on and which he did not mention at the beginning.
And that makes the total compensation of Kevin Burrowes about $4 million per year ($2.8 million of PwC Australia and $1.2 million from PwC International). That is a huge salary, even for a CEO of a giant company.
The entire situation led to some drama in that the politicians estimated that he ought to have been out with the additional money earlier on. Senator Deborah O’Neill claimed that it sounded highly deceptive and that he was a slave to two masters.
PwC Tax Scandal and Kevin Burrowes.
To see why Kevin Burrowes went to Australia, one must be aware of the PwC tax scandal. Peter-John Collins, a partner at PwC between 2013 and 2016, exchanged confidential government tax data with other partners of the firm in other parts of the world.
Collins had also signed tough confidentiality deals with the Australian Treasury, but he spilled the beans on new anti-tax avoidance legislation. The PwC then applied this inside knowledge to assist their customers in evading millions of dollars in taxes.
In 2023, the idea was uncovered in the scandal, which forced the then-CEO, Tom Seymour, to resign after being sent emails regarding the entire scheme. Later on, Seymour was prohibited from practicing as a tax agent for four years.
This was the time when PwC took in Kevin Burrowes, a foreigner, to clean the mess and restore faith. His primary task was to mend the culture of the firm, enhance the governance, and make people trust PwC once again.
Why Does Kevin Burrowes Spend His Sundays on AI Homework?
The following is a cool fact: Samuel- Kevin Burrowes spends his Sundays studying artificial intelligence (AI). He is a participant in the PwC AI Personal Trainers initiative, whereby an AI expert provides him with homework to keep his brain keen on all the new AI technology.
Burrowes, in a LinkedIn post, stated that the process of AI revolution preparation is both a marathon and a sprint. He estimates that it is vital that leaders get to know how AI works in order to use it to expand their businesses.
PwC, in totality, is making the full bet on AI. The company has established itself as Client Zero with AI, that is, they are first trying all the new AI tools on themselves before prescribing them to their clients. They have implemented AI systems for more than 100,000 PwC employees around the globe to assist in consulting, tax, audit, and legal services.
According to the survey of PwC global CEOs, 70 per cent of the leaders estimate that AI will radically transform the way their organizations operate. However, only a third of CEOs do not yet trust AI entirely. That is why Burrowes and other leaders of PwC are trying their best to know about it correctly.
Background and Education- Kevin Burrowes.
Kevin Burrowes had his share of fine jobs prior to employment at PwC. He has worked in senior positions at IBM, Credit Suisse, and Royal Bank of Scotland.
He is an Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. All through his career, he has been working to assist banks and financial organizations in strategy, transformation, and streamlining their services.
Burrowes is also a PwC-certified Futurist, or in other words, he is trained to comprehend the big trends that impact businesses on a global scale. He explains that he relies on the so-called ADAPT framework that assists companies in determining how to address technological and economic changes.
Whatever became of Kevin Burrowes?
At this moment, Kevin Burrowes is working at PwC Australia to reverse the situation following the tax scandals. His tenure as CEO has been renewed until at least 2026, placing him in it for the long run.
He is engaged in working on five major Commitments to Change and an action plan that will transform PwC into the most preferred professional services firm in Australia. This involves enhancing morals, honesty, and ensuring that such an incident as the tax scandal does not occur in the future.
Burrowes also represents the majority of the PwC membership of the Australian Public Policy Committee (APPC), consisting of the six largest professional services companies operating in Australia. The committee engages in good policy promotion in audit, accounting, and other services.
Is There More Than One Kevin Burrows?
Yep, this can get confusing! In reality, there are actually a few distinct entries with such a name as Kevin Burrows (spelled slightly differently) that are searchable:
- Kevin Burrowes (with an e), our guy, is the CEO of PwC Australia.
- Kevin Burrows (no e)- property investment expert and lecturer at the University of Sheffield in the UK.
- Kevin Burrows, the darts player, is a professional darts player from England.
- Kevin Burrows is a musician, organist, and music teacher in the United States.
Then, when you go online looking up Kevin Burrowes, you’d better be sure that you are reading the right one!
What befell the old PwC CEO?
Tom Seymour, the former PwC Australia CEO, resigned in May 2023, after acknowledging having been aware of the leakage of the tax information. He was among eight partners who were fired or expelled from the firm because of the scandal.
In September 2024, the Tax Practitioners Board of Australia prohibited Seymour from being a tax agent for a period of four years. When it came to the board, he did not act with integrity and could not handle conflicts of interest appropriately when he was overseeing Peter-John Collins.
Peter-John Collins himself had been prohibited from serving as a tax agent as early as 2022, prior to the entire scandal being disclosed.
The Bottom Line
The CEO of PwC Australia is Kevin Burrowes, who was invited into the company following a huge tax scandal. He makes approximately 4 million annually in his Australian salary and payments by PwC International. He is heavy on AI knowledge and does his AI homework on Sundays to get up to date with new technology.
Burrowes spent many years working worldwide at top positions with PwC and other multinational organizations such as IBM and Credit Suisse before arriving in Australia. His primary task at the moment is to regain confidence in PwC Australia and ensure that the company possesses effective ethics and good governance.
Regardless of whether you believe he is performing well or not, it is a fact that Kevin Burrowes is one of the most discussed businessmen in the country at the moment. And as AI transforms everything about the way business is conducted, he is ensuring that he keeps up with the new trends- one Sunday homework assignment at a time.
Interested to learn about business leaders in Australia and their activities? Continue reading, continue with questions, and be aware of the individuals who are influencing our economy.
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