Bond manager Seidner joins GWS
ONE of the world’s biggest bond managers is set to join the board of the GWS Giants, formalising a quiet relationship with the AFL club that also included financial support in recent years.
Marc Seidner, the New Yorkbased Pimco executive, will be appointed as a Giants director and become a rare foreigner based overseas who joins an Australian sports club board.
Mr Seidner is Pimco’s global chief investment officer for its non-traditional strategies and managing director and head of portfolio management at the bond giant’s New York office.
Mr Seidner was born in Sydney and will join a GWS board that also includes president and business leader Tony Shepherd, Ironbark Asset Management chief executive Chris Larsen, media identity Melissa Doyle and Stockland director Andrew Stephens.
Mr Shepherd said Mr Seidner’s strategy and investment expertise would be important given the financial climate, as AFL clubs grapple with reduced income due to COVID and the Giants look to recover from a 2020 operating loss before depreciation of $4.6m.
“My real worry is what we are going to talk about,” says La Contessa anxiously.
“I mean there are so many taboo subjects these days.”
“Me too,” says Nick, before pausing and shaking his head. Baxter let out a sigh from his mink pod. “Martini.” “Oh yes please darling,” La Contessa says. “When in doubt, shake it about.”
“No, I mean, we just ply the guests with martinis and everything will come to the surface,” Nick says.
“But good to practice now as you say. What topics could be worse than murder?”
“Well there is the toxic culture in Canberra at the moment,” says La Contessa. “And Meghan and Harry.”
“I think that one will divide on age lines,” says Nick, plonking ice into the cocktail shaker.
“Anyone over 40 will think she is a schemer up to no good and anyone younger will see a brave young woman who is a victim of the establishment.”
“Exactly, it’s so tricky,” La Contessa says. “When all we really want is for them to talk about the deaths of the dodgy jockey Danny Jones and his trainer Ron Saunders.”
“That may cause some upsets,” says Nick, reading the place settings as he sipped his martini. “Tamsin Mallory, Jones’s girlfriend, who you have sitting opposite his strapper, Wendy O’dea who was his lover.”
“As was ‘Lady’ Arabella Saunders, who I have had to put at the head of the table because of her wheelchair,” says La Contessa. “I really don’t think it will be a night to use the best china.”