Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.
Amanda Laing
Nine has appointed Amanda Laing as managing director of the streaming and broadcast division, bringing together Stan, 9Now, Broadcast Television, and Radio, as the group accelerates its strategic transformation with an operating model reset and a new executive team.
Laing brings with her a strong background in television, streaming, digital, print and video-on-demand as well as expertise in commercial strategies and partnerships, business transformation, sports and entertainment content and rights, and mergers and acquisitions.
Sydney’s 2DAY FM has axed its networked weekend breakfast show, leading to speculation about a potential breakfast slot shake-up.
Emma Chow, co-host of the Mike E & Emma Show, confirmed the duo’s split in a heartfelt social media post, announcing, “After almost 14 years, the Mike E & Emma journey has come to an end.”
Listeners last heard the pair in December, marking the final broadcast of their national weekend breakfast program.
Michael Stephenson
Nine’s chief sales officer Michael Stephenson has resigned from the role he held for almost a decade, with Nine executive Matt James appointed to the role on an interim basis.
Stephenson was a member of Nine’s Group Leadership Team, with accountability for the company’s advertising revenue across its Total Television, Total Publishing and Total Audio assets.
ARN Media has appointed Michael Stephenson as its chief operating officer (COO), commencing in Q1 2025.
In his most recent role as chief sales officer at Nine Entertainment Co., Stephenson spearheaded the company’s ‘Total Media’ strategy across its Total Television, Total Publishing, and Total Audio divisions.
He was instrumental in the integration of Nine, Fairfax, and Macquarie Radio following their mergers in 2018 and played a pivotal role in the development of VOZ and VOZ streaming, establishing an advanced trading currency for Total Television.
Hugh Marks, one of Australia’s most prominent media executives, has been appointed the new managing director of the ABC, with his term beginning on 10 March 2025.
The appointment, revealed by ABC chair Kim Williams AM, follows a unanimous decision by the ABC Board after an extensive global search.
Marks, who has over 30 years of experience spanning content production, programming, and distribution across television, radio, and digital platforms, is set to lead the national broadcaster into a new era of innovation and audience engagement.
Snap Inc. has appointed Ryan Ferguson as managing director for Australia and New Zealand. He replaces Tony Keusgen, who exited the company after over a year in the role.
Ferguson joined the company as head of sales in July after more than 16 years at Google, where he held various senior leadership roles.
Hugh Gurney, Joe Sibley, Tara Ford and Barbara Humphries
Droga5 Melbourne, part of Accenture Song, has promoted Hugh Gurney and Joe Sibley as executive creative director roles to lead creativity at the creative agency.
Gurney and Sibley have helped create some of Australia’s best-known and awarded work, including Weather Anything for Macpac, Enter Asahi for Asahi Super Dry, The Greatest for Aussie Beef, You’re Good for ahm, England Bitter for VB, Camp Pain and EOFY WFH $ALE for BCF and Deals you didn’t see coming and Hello Christmas for Telstra.
The duo will report to Tara Ford, chief creative officer of Droga5 Australia and Accenture Song APAC. They will work closely with Milla McPhee, chief strategy officer of Droga5 Australia and Matt Michael, CEO of Droga5 ANZ, as part of the continued move towards a more national approach.
TBWA\Melbourne has promoted Kiefer Casamore to executive general manager and Eloise Liley to chief strategy officer.
Both roles have been elevated to join the Executive Leadership Team of CEO Kimberlee Wells, managing director Ricci Meldrum, CFO Emma Guthridge, and CCO Paul Reardon, who have been leading the agency together for over 12 years.
The creative agency’s promotions come off the back of a strong year of growth for TBWA, which recently added high-profile accounts, including the Department of Defence and Kraft Heinz to its roster.
Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of Omnicom (NYSE: OMC), has appointed Kristiaan Kroon as chief operating officer (COO) of OMG Australia.
The newly established role signals a strategic move to bolster the group’s growth and transformation capabilities.
Previously serving as OMG Australia’s CIO for eight years, Kroon will now oversee the leadership team and drive the next chapter of growth for OMG’s portfolio, which includes agencies OMD, PHD, and Hearts & Science. His appointment is effective immediately and comes as OMG ANZ CEO Peter Horgan prepares to step down in 2025.
Lisa Muxworthy
Lisa Muxworthy has been appointed to the newly created role of head of growth content at Nine’s metro mastheads.
Muxworthy, who drove record numbers at news.com.au during her four years as editor-in-chief, will oversee growth content at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday.
Muxworthy will take responsibility for a new Growth Content reporting.
Paul Blackburn is leaving News Corp Australia as director of commercial data and eCommerce.
He took to LinkedIn on Friday and said: “After 12.5 Incredible Years, It’s Time for the Next Chapter”
Blackburn reflected on his “extraordinary” time with News Corp and said: “This company has given me so much—opportunities to grow, challenges to tackle, and the privilege of working with some of the most talented and inspiring people I’ve ever met.
Michael Carrington, Bluey creator retires
Michael Carrington, the executive who championed the global children’s phenomenon Bluey, has announced his retirement.
He has had a remarkable career spanning over thirty years and is known as one of the most knowledgeable leaders in the industry. His influence reshaped children’s programming in Australia and internationally.
The chair of the ABC, Kim Williams AM, has announced the resignation of Peter Tonagh from the ABC Board, effective immediately.
Tonagh’s resignation was formally submitted to the Governor General, Sam Mostyn AC. His departure also marks the conclusion of his tenure as deputy chair, a role he has held since November 2021.
Tonagh has since been appointed as an independent non-executive director at Nine Entertainment Co. He has held several key roles during his time at both News Corp Australia and Foxtel, including serving as CEO. He is currently the chair of Quantium, Australia’s leading data and analytics company, as well as GTN Limited, Bus Stop Films, and Honey Insurance.
AKQA has appointed Tara McKenty as executive creative director, strengthening the agency’s leadership team as it continues its integration with whiteGREY.
In her role, McKenty will collaborate closely with AKQA Australia’s senior leadership team, including Tim Devine, executive creative director, Iona Macgregor, chief strategy officer, and Justine Leong, general manager Sydney, to continue driving excellence and growth within the region.
Sam Hegg
Sam Hegg is joining Bunnings as head of retail media.
He joins the household and hardware company from Redworks and Coles 360, where he was head of strategy and planning for almost three years.
Hegg shared the news in a LinkedIn post; he wrote: “Excited to announce that I started at Bunnings this week, joining the iconic business as head of retail media. Such a great opportunity to work with Justine Mills (Bunnings’ general manager marketing) and the team to build something really compelling for brands.
Newsmax, the conservative news network said to be a favourite of Donald Trump, appears to have nabbed another big name to its lineup ahead of its launch Down Under.
Former Sky News Australia host Erin Molan, who is currently in New York, has reportedly signed a contract to host her own show on the platform.
Stacey Knox
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has appointed Stacey Knox, a seasoned marketer with experience at Coca-Cola, Subaru, and News Corp, as its new member engagement and events director.
Knox’s focus will be on enhancing member engagement and delivering increased value to the AANA community.
The Australian Radio Network (ARN) and GOLD104.3 have appointed Sarah Juchima (formerly Faour) as show director of The Christian O’Connell Show.
Juchima brings a powerhouse of experience to the newly created role, with a remarkable career that has seen her contribute to some of Australia’s well-loved radio programs, including Hughesy & Kate and The Hot Breakfast.
Her time abroad in New York further elevated her expertise, where she served as senior producer and showrunner for The Howard Stern Show, one of the world’s most iconic radio programs. Most recently, Sarah was a senior show producer on The Front Bar, further solidifying her reputation as a top-tier talent in the industry.
Orange Line has appointed Brian Collins as head of growth to oversee the global expansion of its innovative product offerings, with a strong focus on scaling in the United States.
Collins brings 14 years of experience in digital strategy and growth marketing to the role, excelling in securing global accounts, scaling teams and driving revenue.
His role will focus on identifying growth opportunities, building new business and enhancing Orange Line’s presence across international markets. Collins will report to general manager Aishling Farrell.
Debra Berman, Jack Byrne, Troy Townsend, Jonathan Waecker
Zitcha has appointed Debra Berman and Jonathan Waecker to senior advisor positions as the Australian retail media platform continues its global expansion.
Berman and Waecker bring their extensive international expertise across retail, media, consumer goods, marketing, and technology to support Zitcha’s rapid expansion into the US and other key markets, driving Zitcha’s mission to build a world-class adaptive retail media platform that works for the total retail business, from marketers to merchants.
After eight years with the ABC and two years as the voice of 702 ABC Radio Sydney Mornings, Sarah Macdonald officially signed off Friday morning, marking the end of an era for one of Sydney’s most beloved broadcasters.
Macdonald joined Emma Crowe on air for a heartfelt farewell, sharing her gratitude for the overwhelming support she has received since the news broke earlier this month that her contract would not be renewed.
The announcement, made in late November as part of a broader programming shake-up at the ABC, included changes affecting several other on-air roles.
Hamish Macdonald
Just mere minutes after Mediaweek had announced whispers that Hamish Macdonald would be taking over the Mornings program on 702 ABC Radio Sydney in 2025, Aunty confirmed the news.
His appointment follows the axing of former host Sarah Macdonald (no relation). Hamish, 43, will present the show from Monday to Thursday, with his first shift starting next Monday.
The Australian Financial Review’s lifestyle coverage has been strengthened with four key appointments. Lauren Sams will take the reins as editor of Fin Magazine, the Financial Review’s seasonal glossy publication.
Sams, who has been the Financial Review’s fashion editor since joining the masthead in 2019, will replace Matthew Drummond. Drummond will continue as editor of the monthly AFR Magazine.
Anna McCooe has been appointed senior travel writer at the Financial Review. The experienced travel journalist will take on a newly created role overseeing travel content across the masthead, including afr.com, the daily newspaper, Life & Leisure, AFR Magazine, and Fin Magazine.
Jessica Beresford will step into the role of associate editor of Life & Leisure. Beresford joins the Financial Review’s weekly lifestyle insert from the Financial Times, where she served as a contributing editor and fashion features editor for its luxury glossy, HTSI.
Additionally, Maria Shollenbarger will contribute a regular travel column for AFR Magazine. Alongside her contributions to both AFR Magazine and Fin Magazine, Shollenbarger is the travel editor for HTSI at the Financial Times.
Sarah Waladan
The Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) has appointed leading legal, policy and regulatory affairs expert Sarah Waladan as its new head of regulatory and advocacy.
She takes over from Sarla Fernando, who has moved to a customer communications advisory role at the Commonwealth Bank and will remain a member of the ADMA Regulatory and Advocacy Working Group (ARAWG).
Jessica Hunter, Head of The Brag Media, has left the company. Hunter, who was appointed to the role in June 2024, was formerly General Manager of Partnerships at the company where she was tasked with ensuring the business continued to deliver outstanding results for client partners.
She came to The Brag Media from the Woolworths Group’s media business, Cartology.
Mediaweek is thrilled to announce the appointment of Natasha Lee as a journalist, bringing her wealth of experience and passion for media to Australia’s leading authority on the media landscape.
With over 20 years in the industry, Lee’s career is a testament to her deep commitment to journalism and storytelling.
Hailing from a family of journalists, she began her career at just 16 as an editorial assistant for The Daily Telegraph. She quickly moved up the ranks, completing her cadetship at 2SM before expanding her expertise across digital platforms and television.
Melbourne Social Co (MSC) has appointed Rosie Chong as its new social content manager.
Chong has built her reputation as one of Australia’s top LinkedIn creators and is known for her innovative approach to social content and her ability to craft impactful campaigns that drive engagement and connection.
Leanne Glamuzina
Leanne Glamuzina has been appointed as oOh!media’s head of marketing.
She joins the out of home media company from Boomtown, where she was marketing lead. She has also worked in senior marketing roles at Koala and was group marketing director at Nova Entertainment.
2GB is excited to welcome Adam Hawse as the new host of Wide World of Sports, starting today, 16 December 2024.
Hawse is already a familiar voice to 2GB listeners, having delivered the afternoon sports news in the newsroom and regularly stepping in as fill-in host for Wide World of Sports.
With over 25 years of experience in the media, Hawse’s passion for sport has taken him to some of the industry’s biggest stages, including NRL Grand Finals, State of Origin games, and Kangaroos overseas tours.
Mix102.3 has revealed Hayley Pearson will join Max Burford as co-host for the breakfast show in 2025, which will be known as Hayley & Max in the Morning.
The show will debut on 20 January 2025, from 6am to 9am, and bring together Pearson and Burford, who have committed to giving the people of Adelaide a whole lot of fun and heart.
Bella Varelis
7Bravo, the free-to-air and digital partnership between NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-to-Consumer and the Seven Network, today announced Australian television personality Bella Varelis as the channel’s new local host and face of iconic Live From E! red carpet events in Australia.
Having been a “Friend of 7Bravo” since February 2023 and familiar face on Australian television, Varelis will now be front and centre at Australia’s biggest awards shows and fashion events, showcasing all the red-carpet glamour and hosting celebrity interviews with Live From E! on 7Bravo.
She will also continue to bring audiences trusted beauty tips and tricks with her digital mini-series Bella Beauty.