Media Movers: Kochie signs off as Sunrise welcomes Matt Shirvington, Dee Dee Dunleavy leaves 3AW, iProspect, Bastion, 7NEWS

by Mediaweek

Posted on 10 June 2023

Media Movers takes a look at the recent movements announced across the industry during the week of 05/06/23

Media Movers across the industry include:

• David ‘Kochie’ Koch has signed off from Seven‘s Sunrise after 21 years behind the desk.

Matt Shirvington will take over as co-host from June 12 alongside Natalie Barr

• The Sydney Morning Herald has welcomed Laura Banks as a health reporter.

• The Australian medical association has welcomed Gabriel Polychronis to the team as digital communications and engagement specialist.

• Sharnee Rawson has been promoted to head of commercial content at the Guardian Australia.

• Nine.com.au has announced the appointment of Shauna Anderson as managing editor.

In the role, she will work across the website and its suite of verticals, including news, sport, lifestyle, and entertainment.

• Emilia Terzon is acting as the ABC’s national environment and science reporter until Monday 14th August.

• Jade Clarke has started as senior associate at NAB. She was previously at RN Breakfast.

• Adele Ferguson has joined the ABC as an investigative journalist / senior business commentator. Ferguson has previously worked at Business Review Weekly, The Australian, and for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

• 3AW has agreed to an early conclusion for Dee Dee Dunleavy‘s on air role, after informing the broadcaster her contract would not be renewed at the end of the year.

In a statement, Dee Dee Dunleavy said “I’m happy to leave on a high, and with a record that I feel very proud of. I took over the Afternoons program just as the pandemic plunged us into lockdown, and so I faced the dual challenge of navigating a new show – remotely – while keeping the audience informed and entertained.

• Valentina Todoroska has returned to Mamamia as its editor. She was previously the head of editorial content at POPSUGAR, The Latch and Thrillist.

• The Benalla Ensign and Seymour Telegraph has welcomed Hamish Donaldson as a cadet sports journalist.

• Jack Fitzpatrick has left Zero Digital Media and has moved into comms, taking on a role at Programmed as communications manager.

• Bastion Digital, the brand experience, CX and technology transformation arm of Bastion, has announced the appointment of Angela Jennings as director – experience design and Aaron De Netto as UX/UI lead.

Jennings is a well-credentialed and well-rounded consultant, having started her career in brand and comms research and planning, before moving into shopper marketing and category development and making the move into digital in 2017.

De Netto is an expert in his craft, with several years spent at retail brands including IKEA and Target, building their ecommerce and digital capability, and supporting key growth initiatives for those organisations.

• Ryan Johnson is now a Journalist at Australian Broker.

• The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has welcomed Gyan Yankovich as lifestyle editor.

• Natalie McGarry has started at 10 News First Queensland as a journalist.

• iProspect has today announced the appointment of Nick Kavanagh as chief strategy officer.

Kavanagh joins the dentsu company from Havas Media Australia, where he has been chief strategy officer for the past year.

He brings a wealth of experience in communications strategy, having worked for agencies across the UK and Australia.

• Diversity Council Australia has welcomed Ali Coulton as a media advisor. She was most recently an editor at Travel Weekly.

• Joel King has been appointed as the new team leader of QNN at JOY 94.9, replacing Matthew Wade.

• 7NEWS has announced several key changes to the leadership team.

After eight successful years leading the 7NEWS Sydney newsroom, Jason Morrison has made the decision to step aside from his current role as news director to pursue other opportunities outside of the network.

Craig McPherson, Seven Network’s director of News and Public Affairs, announced Neil Warren as Morrison’s to the role of director 7NEWS Sydney

• Shannon Jenkins has been promoted to editor of Frankie from her role as assistant editor / digital editor.

• Jocelyn Nettlefold will finish as the ABC’s regional editor for Victoria and Tasmania in June.

• The ABC has welcomed Julie Nimmo as a supervising producer supporting the head of Indigenous news.

• Accenture Song has appointed Favio Buresti to lead the company’s design offering across ANZ.

The new role will see him bring Song’s customer growth narrative to life and ensure that purpose is the driving force across all aspects of design.

• Jackson Hewett is now the head of content at AuctionsPlus.

• Monique Taylor has finished as the group news director at ACE Radio.

• Lucy Cormack is now located in Dubai, where she is based as a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

• The Age has said goodbye to Sumeyya Ilanbey who was a state political reporter.

• Are Media has announced the appointment of two general managers as part of the company’s strategy to invest in content verticals to become Australia’s leading omnichannel content commerce media company for women.

Susan Armstrong joins as general manager – entertainment, as Nicky Briger steps into the role of general manager – fashion and beauty.

• Wendy John has finished as a reporter and producer at The Medical Republic.

• Sean Wales has finished as a multiplatform reporter at SBS.

• Mickey Maher has now finished as the head of music and group provincial content director at Southern Cross Austereo.

• The Advertiser has welcomed Carl Pfeiffer as the new head of news.

• Sky News Weather is growing its team of dedicated experts, with the appointment of Bradlyn Oakes as meteorologist, bringing global weather knowledge to the Australian market.

Oakes, who has been a meteorologist for the last four years in the Canadian arctic, working in the Northern Lights capital of Yellowknife and Canadian province Saskatchewan, joins long-standing Sky meteorologists, Rob Sharpe and Alison Osborne.

• Alex Crowe has joined The Age as a breaking news reporter.

• Tileah Dobson will start a cadetship with News Corp Australia in July.

• Emily Spindler-Carruthers is moving to Kotaku Australia and will finish as a staff writer at GamesHub.

• Leroy Brown will join 96three FM as a content director.

• Dentsu Sports International (DSI), the global sports network comprised of MKTG Sports + Entertainment, today announced the hiring of Echo Li as its chief commercial officer, a new position.

Based in Singapore, Li will sit on the global executive team with a focus on the APAC region and will report directly to DSI global president/MKTG CEO Matt Manning. 

• Isabelle Dolphin is now an editorial driver at Mamamia.

• Angus Livingston will start as the deputy news director of The Age. He was previously lifestyle editor.

• Julia Seymour has been promoted to senior markets reporter/presenter with The Marked Herald.

• InDaily has welcomed David Simmons as a senior journalist.