Tensions between the pubs business and its major shareholder are intensifying ahead of the company’s AGM.
Billionaire pub baron Bruce Mathieson has issued a scathing assessment of the performance of Dan Murphy’s and BWS as he doubles down on efforts to get retail veteran Bill Wavish elected to the board of Endeavour Group.
“Brand positioning is strategically lost, in particular at Dan Murphy’s and BWS where there is a confused merchandising strategy, no momentum and market share declines,” he said. , a former executive chairman of Myer who has held numerous executive roles at Woolworths, to join Endeavour’s board.
“This is preposterous as there is no realistic prospect that anyone could obtain all necessary regulatory approvals in such a short time frame,” he said.The approach was “fundamentally different” from the approach Endeavour had taken with recent board appointments of Anne Brennan, Rod van Onselen and Bruce Mathieson Jnr, whose appointments were announced subject to regulatory approvals, he said.