CEO INSIGHTS – Week Ending 15 May 2026

Lawyers

“Responsible use of AI is already embedded in how we operate, and tomorrow’s leading lawyers will be those who blend legal judgment with commercial instinct and the ability to harness AI in ways that genuinely provide value to clients.” Rachel Banks, Chief People Officer, MinterEllison

Mobile Spectrum

“We need to ensure the right balance between investment competition and the cost of critical national infrastructure, such as spectrum. Spectrum is a long-lived asset…If spectrum costs are set too high, it ultimately constrains the industry's ability to invest in networks, innovate and compete aggressively for customers.” Iñaki Berroeta, CEO, TPG Telecom Ltd

Packaging & Inventory

"Packaging cost increases are beginning to emerge, and we are implementing mitigation strategies to manage these to the fullest extent possible." Market Statement, Inghams Group Ltd

“Although there have been no supply shortages to date, given ongoing uncertainty, inventory levels were increased as a precaution.” Market Statement, Metcash Ltd

Construction & Insolvency

“We have seen a material increase in distress across the construction sector over the past couple of months.” Matthew Hutton, Partner, McGrath Nicol

Private Markets

“We're not seeing, I have to say, huge dislocation in pricing at the moment.” Shemara Wikramanayake, CEO, Macquarie Group Ltd

Cinemas

“We will definitely go through a billion dollars in box office this year for the first time since 2019, and we may, depending on a bunch of movies, nudge $1.1 billion....I’ve just come back from CinemaCon in Vegas, and I probably haven’t seen so much optimism for the industry since [the pandemic]. I guess the pendulum is starting to swing back a little bit.” Damian Keogh, CEO, The Hoyts Group

Regulation

“Australia has everything it needs to be a global leader in AI infrastructure – the land, the renewable energy, the engineering talent… [but] the permitting and regulatory process remains our biggest challenge – and I won’t pretend otherwise. It is slow, complex, and at times deeply frustrating for a business operating at the speed that AI demands.” Daniel Roberts, Co-CEO, IREN Ltd

Income

“Australian families have used discretionary trusts for decades to move income between a high-earning spouse, a partner out of the workforce or adult children at university. Tax those distributions at a minimum of 30 per cent, and most of the benefit goes. Now, families who have structured their affairs around income splitting will need to rethink their whole approach.” Felipe Araujo, CEO, Generation Life Ltd‍

Advertising

“Out of Home offers a unique pathway to consumers, placing brands in front of audiences in meaningful real-world moments, connecting with them physically and emotionally in ways no other platform can…The long-term outlook for Out of Home is compelling.” James Taylor, CEO, oOh!media Ltd

Accounting

“Embedded inside accounting, payments delivers materially higher revenue per customer than a stand-alone offering.” Sukhinder Cassidy, CEO, Xero Ltd

Crops

Despite volatility in Australian crops, the long-term average remains very solid at 2.9% annual growth over a 10-year rolling average. And the chart here goes back about 30 years. It shows the consistency of that growth over time, and it's a testament to the investment that farmers make and the capability they have managing the environment and producing better yields and better crops.” Robert Spurway, CEO, GrainCorp Ltd

Commodities & Resources

“Structural demand across energy, chemicals and resources driving organic growth in our core business…Will we see linear growth year-on-year? That's not how the world operates. It's not how markets operate. It's not the nature of the business we're in.” Chris Ashton, CEO, Worley Ltd

Trans-Tasman

“If fuel prices stay at these elevated levels, the airline expects to announce further capacity updates in the coming weeks…Booking momentum has moderated in recent weeks, after initially tracking ahead of FY25. Domestic and Trans-Tasman demand have softened.” Market Statement, Air New Zealand Ltd‍