Australasia’s largest independent agency group Bastion has launched digital transformation and strategy consultancy Bastion Transform, with former ABC director of news Gaven Morris taking the helm as CEO.
As CEO, Morris will launch and lead the digital advisory, strategy and organisation renewal consultancy backed by the resources of the broader Bastion business. He joins from the ABC, where until last week, he was director of news for the past six years overseeing 1,200+ staff and was a member of the ABC’s Executive Leadership Team.
Morris’ extensive career as a senior media executive, international editorial leader and journalist has seen him ride the waves of digital and broadcast change globally. He was on the launch team of CNN.com Europe and he played a key role in building and launching broadcast and online news start-up Al Jazeera English.
Morris devised the plan and assembled the team that launched ABC News 24 in 2010, now the ABC News Channel. He led the digital transformation that saw ABC News become the nation’s number one online and social media source of news and information. Most recently, he led two key strategies to move newsrooms and content teams from their linear broadcast heritage to multi-platform innovators, significantly changing the look and sound of ABC News to more fully represent the Australian community.
“I love big ideas and working with teams to launch future-facing projects. I can’t wait to help organisations and institutions seeking to navigate their way towards an increasingly digital future. This fourth industrial revolution requires a clear vision, building effective cultures and enacting purposeful plans to keep ahead of so much change,” Gaven Morris said.
“Bastion has very quickly become Australasia’s largest independent agency group and I’m very excited to be joining Jack, Fergus and the team and to work with purpose-driven partners. Achieving digital transformation and retaining trust don’t have to be competing forces – they can be complementary, and that’s the space in which Bastion Transform will offer help.”
Bastion Founder and Global CEO Jack Watts said, “For many years now, our clients have been seeking help to fundamentally transform their organisations to prosper in the new world. And for just as long we have been looking for the right partner to provide those services.”
“Partnering with Gav to launch our new digital transformation consultancy, Bastion Transform, is a phenomenal opportunity for our business, people and clients. We look forward to working with a range of clients, across industries and categories to guide them in delivering both their short and long term digital transformation agendas.”