ARN has appointed seasoned digital executive Ben Campbell as director – of digital strategy, data and digital ventures as the company sharpens its focus on commercial transformation and accelerates its digital audio ambitions. Campbell officially joins ARN on 2 June.
Campbell brings more than two decades of experience across Australia and the UK, with a proven track record in building market-leading digital advertising products, driving data strategy, and leading ad tech innovation. His remit at ARN will span digital strategy, data partnerships, ad product development, technology stack leadership, and the establishment of a Digital Centre of Excellence.
He will also lead Digital Ventures, a newly formed team charged with accelerating growth in emerging markets and scaling the iHeartRadio commercial strategy.
Most recently, Campbell served as director of data, product and technology at oOh!media, where he spearheaded the company’s retail media platform. Prior to that, at Nine Entertainment Co., he was instrumental in developing and executing Nine’s commercial data strategy, building its integrated ad tech stack, launching the 9Ad Manager self-serve platform, and establishing a digital centre of excellence that helped deliver record digital revenues.
Michael Stephenson, chief operating officer of ARN, said, “Ben is in a league of his own. His deep understanding of the digital landscape and his experience driving transformation in large media organisations is without peer,” said Stephenson. “The digital audio market is growing at almost 40%, we reach 10 million people every month, and our partnership with iHeart creates enormous opportunity. Ben is the best in the business, and we have big plans.”
Campbell added: “Digital audio is the fastest-growing segment in media and ARN is the market leader. With a large first-party database, a long-term iHeart partnership, and the top podcast network in the country, there’s growth everywhere you look. I’m excited to get started.”