Directors

Is Neil Chatfield a deal junkie?


June 18, 2023

Here are link to the various takeover deals announced by companies where Neil Chatfield was on the board.

May 25, 2023

"I am not a deal junkie," Chatfield tells the Costa Group AGM when asked about his record.

May 15, 2023

Aristocrat announces $1.8 billion takeover of NeoGames.

October 18, 2021

Aristocrat announced $5 billion takeover of Playtech, although this was later voted down by Playtech shareholders.

June 23, 2021

Costa announced $231m acquisition of Central Queensland citrus grower 2PH.

February 21, 2019

Formally assumes the chair at Aristocrat after Ian Blackburne retires at the AGM.

December 31, 2018

Leaves the Seek board after 13 year term, the last 6 as chairman. See exit interview in The Australian.

February 7, 2018

Formally joins the Aristocrat board after passing probity tests. This was after the Plarium and Big Fish acquisitions had been completed.

May 21, 2015

Chatfield retires as Virgin Australia chairman with 1.05m shares, freeing up time to chair Costa Group which floated in July 2015.

October 30, 2012

Virgin Blue acquires 60% of Tiger Australia for $35m as part of a broader Singapore Airlines/Virgin pact when Chatfield backed John Borghetti's aggressive revenge on Qantas after being overlooked for the top job.

October 30, 2008

Paul Little gives Neil Chatfield a nice send off in his AGM address whilst re-interating that he's staying until March 2009.

September 18, 2008

Paul Little announces Neil Chatfield has resigned from the board immediately and resigned as CFO but committed to stay with the group until March 31, 2009. Exit ASX announcement said he owned 380,484 ordinary shares.

August 2008

Toll distributes its 63.2% stake in Virgin Blue to its own shareholders, recognising a $952m book loss as part of the process and ensuring Virgin would be independently owned into the future. Chatfield chairs it for the next 7 years.

June 29, 2007

Toll offers $NZ3 a share or $NZ99m to buy the last 10% of Toll NZ, a business it originally bought for less than $NZ1 a share suggesting the hold out US fund, Third Avenue Management, made a windfall gain.

June 14, 2007

Chatfield replaces Mark Rowsthorn as chairman of Virgin Blue because Rowsthorn is now off running the demerged Asciano.

May 28, 2007

Shareholders approve Asciano demerger from Toll with Chatfield staying with Toll which managed to offload the majority of its debt onto Asciano.

September 20, 2006

Seek pays $26.6 million for a 25% stake in leading Chinese employment website, which turned into a bonanza for the company.

August 9, 2006

Seek agrees to pay $36m to Australia's university sector for a 50% stake in international student placement company IDP, which turns into a bonanza.

May 11, 2006

Chatfield appointed to the Virgin board along with Mark Rowsthorn and Paul Little after Toll completed its Patrick takeover.

August 22, 2005

Toll announces bid for Patrick Corp which initially valued its shares at $4.6 billion and finally agreed terms on April 14, 2006 in a deal which valued Patrick at more than $6 billion.

June 10, 2005

The just floated and James Packer-chaired Seek appointed Neil Chatfield as an additional director a month after it floated to chair the audit committee.

March 30, 2004

Pacific National, 50% owned by Toll, announced $285m acquisition of Melbourne-based Freight Australia.

May 29, 2003

Toll announced a $NZ158m bid for Tranz Rail which was later increased.

November 2002

Mayne Nickless exited its logistics and freight division in a complex series of deals worth $456 million with Toll buying its express freight business for about $20 million. Chatfield later cited this as a company-making transaction for Toll, along with the earlier Ipec purchase.

February 2002

Toll joined forces with Chris Corrigan's Patrick Corporation to create Australia's largest private rail concern, Pacific National, after the $1.2 billion acquisition from government of National Rail and FreightCorp.

2002

Toll shares peak at $36.70 and CEO Paul Little tells The AFR's Adam Shand that he has completed 33 acquisitions in 10 years.

2000

Agrees to pay $144 million to buy Finemores, according to this AFR piece.

November 12, 1998

Neil Chatfield elected for a 3 year term to the Toll board at the AGM.

September 25, 1998

Toll buys the loss-making Mayne Nickless IPEC Group for a nominal sum, as Paul Little explains in this ASX announcement at the time. Chatfield later cited this as a company-making transaction for Toll. The stock was trading at around $2.40 as the negotiations commenced and peaked at $36.70 in 2002.

July 1998

Appointed to the Toll board as an executive director and CFO, leaving 4 executive directors including Paul Little, Mark Rowsthorn and Peter Rowsthorn.

December 1997

Neil Chatfield joins Toll.

June 1996

Toll agrees to pay $25 million for Brambles Transport Services, temporarily sending its shares tumbling to a low of $1.20 when it did a 1-for-4 raising. See AFR profile at the time.

1993

Toll floats on the ASX at $2.10 a share

1986

Paul Little and the Rowsthorn family completed management buyout of Toll.