Media Movers: Daily Mail Australia’s new editor, James Chessell resigns, SBS, 2GB, Saatchi & Saatchi

by Mediaweek

Posted on 16 December 2023

Media Movers takes a look at the recent movements announced across the industry during the week of 11/12/23.

Media Movers across the industry include:

• Cheng Lei has joined Sky News Australia as a TV presenter and columnist based in Melbourne.

• Neil Breen will host Summer Drive on 2GB for the next five weeks.

• James Chessell has resigned from his role as managing director of publishing at Nine after two years in the role.

Chessell steps down from overseeing The Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He will continue to work with the company in the new year, leading Nine’s engagement with Government and digital platform partners.

• Alexandra Stefanovic is now a news producer at Channel 9 Sydney.

• Greg Muller has joined LiSTNR as an investigative journalist.

• Andrew Mudgway resigned from SBS as its national TV and digital sales manager following the broadcaster’s decision to relocate the role back to Sydney from Melbourne.

After much discussion, Mudgway has chosen not to relocate due to family reasons.

• Ebony Raymond has joined Channel 9 Darwin as a court reporter.

• Jessie-Lee Klass has joined Mamamia as the director of content and podcast.

• As Michael McLaren steps into 2GB’s Afternoons slot, his previous Weekend Mornings show is set to be taken over by Luke Grant.

Luke Grant has a broadcasting career spanning more than 30 years, and was most recently the host of 2GB and 4BC Overnights, as well as regularly filling in on The Ray Hadley Morning Show.

• Max Stainkamph has joined the digital team at News Corp based in Melbourne.

• Matthew Hodges has now finished as an interview producer at ABC News Sydney.

• VMO and Val Morgan Digital have made two senior leadership promotions, elevating Liam O’Meara to Val Morgan Digital national sales director and Alex Anthony to NSW sales director of VMO.

O’Meara started with Val Morgan Cinema in 2016 in the role of group sales manager before taking on the role of NSW sales director of VMO in 2019. Last year, O’Meara took on the role of general manager, outdoor and digital sales NSW.

• Markus Mannheim has finished as a data analyst and journalist at ABC News Canberra.

• Dean Blake has finished as the features and premium editor for FMCG at Octomedia.

• Saatchi & Saatchi has promoted Toby Aldred to managing director as chief executive officer Patrick Rowe re-shapes the agency following his appointment earlier this year.

Aldred, who has worked at Saatchi & Saatchi for ten years, will assume his new role in addition to his existing role as chief client officer for The Neighbourhood – the Publicis Groupe connected platform that partners with The Arnott’s Group. Aldred recently led The Neighbourhood team, which includes Saatchi & Saatchi, Spark Foundry, Arc and Herd MSL, to the 2023 Grand Effie Award.

• Stewart Sowman-Lund has stepped down as the Live Updates Editor at The Spinoff.

• dmg media has promoted Felicity Hetherington as the editor of Daily Mail Australia, succeeding Barclay Crawford, who will step into the role of executive editor of DailyMail.com, based in New York.

Hetherington is currently the deputy editor of Daily Mail Australia and will oversee Australian editorial operations. Her appointment is effective from February 2024.

• News Corp Australia has appointed Rachel Fountain as content director, audio (news, sport and lifestyle) for NewsCast, the company’s on-demand audio division.

Fountain will join the business on Monday, January 8.

• Apparent has appointed Jason Hill into the newly created role of chief strategy officer as the Sydney-based independent agency expands into new markets.

Hill returns to Australia and joins Apparent after more than eight years as chief strategy officer at Ogilvy Singapore. He brings 30 years of experience working across clients, consultancies and agencies in the UK, Australia and Asia. He has built a reputation for delivering effective marketing solutions for some of the world’s biggest brands.