Business of Media
Former Ikon CEO Dan Johns joins Havas Media Group as managing partner
Dan Johns has joined Havas Media Group in the newly created role of managing partner, effective immediately. He will report to Virginia Hyland, CEO of Havas Media Group, and will help further drive the digital and data capabilities of the business.
John’s 27-year career as a senior executive includes roles as COO at IPG Mediabrands Australia and CEO of media agency Ikon. Most recently, Johns founded independent consultancy, Ippon, which has provided strategic and operational advice to a variety of blue chip marketing businesses including advertisers, agencies and media owners.
Photo [L-R]: Dan Johns, Virginia Hyland and Havas Media Group chairman Mike Wilson
Virginia Hyland said: “Dan is one of the most respected senior media operators within our industry. He brings enormous digital, data and technology capabilities to marketers who continue to focus on driving growth for their brands. We are incredibly excited and proud to have someone of Dan’s calibre join our rapidly growing group as we continue to innovate and evolve. Dan’s wealth of experience will undoubtedly benefit our team and our clients, helping to elevate our thinking and capability in the ever changing dynamic media landscape.”
Johns said: “The last three years working as an independent consultant to some of Australia’s most successful brands has been both a liberating and eye opening experience. I am really looking forward to putting into practice all that I have learnt to help Havas Media Group fast track its ambitions.”
Verizon Media promotes Paul Sigaloff to VP ANZ, South East Asia & India
Verizon Media has promoted Paul Sigaloff (pictured), expanding his remit beyond Australia and New Zealand to include the regions of India and South East Asia.
Effective April 1st, Sigaloff will become Vice President of ANZ INSEA and will lead the Verizon Media teams across India and South East Asia. He will continue to be based in Sydney and sit on the boards of UnLtd and IAB Australia.
Paul Sigaloff
Kristiana Carlet, vice president EMEA at Verizon Media, commented: “This appointment is recognition of the great work and explosive growth coming out of the ANZ markets, which has been led and overseen by Paul. In the past two years the business has developed apace and created a blueprint for success we are keen to emulate.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how Paul transfers his learnings and supercharges our success across the wider region.”
Sigaloff, who has been in various roles within the business since 2014, commented on his move: “This promotion is a reflection of the incredible work of the entire Verizon Media ANZ team, who pulled together to achieve great results during the most challenging of times.
“I’m looking forward to working even more closely with our talented teams in India and South East Asia to build on the strong foundations in these businesses. My priority is to take the time to learn from the successful initiatives in those markets and take a strategic approach to apply the most appropriate lessons from our ANZ success story to propel our evolution across the region.
“I’ll continue to be based in Sydney and will remain as committed as ever to the ANZ market, as well as through my work with UnLtd and the IAB Australia.”
News Brands
Nine’s papers and TV still afflicted by hack attack
Media giant Nine Entertainment continues to be beset by major technical problems in the wake of Sunday’s cyberattack, with the company’s major newspapers carrying apologies for the “compromised” quality of its print editions and the network’s live TV shows struggling with ongoing logistic challenges, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
Those responsible for the attack have not been identified, and the company said its “containment strategy” was having a “flow-on effect” on some parts of the business. On Tuesday, Nine’s three major metro newspapers — The Australian Financial Review, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald — published 24-page editions as opposed to the usual 36-page editions.
Meanwhile, Nine’s flagship 6pm Sydney news bulletin on Tuesday required technical assistance from the network’s Melbourne control room, although the broadcast was free of the glitches of Monday’s broadcast.
Nine’s major newspapers each carried an “editor’s note” on Tuesday, which included an apology for the “disruption” and the “compromise you will note in the quality of our newspaper today.”
How the Nine cyberattack is affecting The Sydney Morning Herald
A year since the Herald produced its first-ever newspaper edition entirely remotely, we are doing it again. Last year it was a global pandemic, this week it is a cyberattack, reports SMH‘s Lisa Davies.
As I type this note on Tuesday morning, our ability to produce the news remains disrupted by the deliberate violation of Nine’s systems over the weekend. Our print production is impaired, as is Nine TV’s broadcast capability out of Sydney. The Herald’s website and app remain mostly unaffected and any login issues you may have experienced have been resolved.
AFP, NSW Police investigating cyberattack on Nine
The Australian Federal Police and NSW Police have been asked to help investigate the cyber attack that has crippled Nine Entertainment Co, as Australia’s largest media company begins to restore its internal technology network, reports SMH‘s Zoe Samios.
A Nine spokesperson said no data had been removed from its computer systems as of Tuesday afternoon, but attempts to isolate the attacker continues to affect multiple parts of the business, including its publishing operations.
Sources familiar with Nine’s discussions said it had contacted the AFP and NSW Police units about the attack, in addition to speaking with the Australian Signals Directorate’s top cyber security agency on Sunday. NSW Police declined to comment while a spokesperson for the AFP said it did not comment on matters until formal reports are submitted.
The Age editor Gay Alcorn defends revealing ‘whistleblower’ identity
The editor of The Age has defended the newspaper’s decision to publicly identify the “whistleblower” who shared footage of a Liberal staffer performing a lewd act on a federal MP’s desk, writing to the man who exposed the incident to tell him there was no “compelling reason” to protect his anonymity, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
On Saturday, The Age published an article by chief reporter Chip Le Grand in which the identity of the self-described “whistleblower” was revealed. Le Grand wrote that the man’s motivation for sharing the footage with media outlets was “part revenge porn and part political activism”, and he was not “a whistleblower in the true sense of the word”.
On Tuesday, the editor of The Age, Gay Alcorn, wrote to the man (whom The Australian has chosen not to name) in response to his complaint about the story. “I understand you were unhappy with the article, but we stand by it,” she said in an email.
Publishing
CEO Magazine to honour entrepreneurs and executives who steered success in a crisis
Navigating business during a pandemic will be a focus this year as The CEO Magazine prepares to honour startup executives, young executives and CEOs alike in its 10th annual Executive of the Year Awards, with applications now open.
The CEO Magazine is opening nominations for outstanding entrepreneurs, executive leaders or CEOs who successfully led their businesses through lockdowns, work-from-home and the Zoom mute button for the 2021 Executive of the Year Awards.
Chris Dutton, founder of The CEO Magazine, said: “After the devastating events of 2020 we need to celebrate the achievements of Australia’s best executives – the vital cogs in the engines of our country’s businesses.
“On a more personal note, this year’s awards are extra special because we are celebrating the 10th year of the Executive of the Year Awards. This fantastic milestone is a true testament not only to the extraordinary dedication of our global team, but also to everyone involved in these awards, including applicants, judges, sponsors, and the incredible team who put it together.”
The Executive of the Year Awards has added a number of new categories to its premium line-up including Global Pioneer Executive of the Year, Real Estate Executive of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Corporate Responsibility Executive of the Year.
The title of CEO of the Year has received an upgrade, awarding three influential leaders the title of CEO of the Year based on annual turnover of the past 12 months:
• A$0 to A$50 million
• A$50 million to A$100 million
• A$100 million-plus
Co-Founded by Chris and Anna Dutton in 2011, The CEO Magazine has grown into a global business publication. Founded in Australia, the brand has expanded into EMEA, Asia, India and South East Asia and North America. More recently, The CEO Magazine also launched its inaugural Mandarin edition in China.
Apply here for the 17 various CEO of the Year categories, including four new awards.
Television
Reality TV hit Celebrity Big Brother Australia to return in 2021
Nineteen years since its first and only hit out, Celebrity Big Brother is back, reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
Confidential can reveal Channel Seven will soon begin casting for the reality series that is scheduled to air later this year.
Big Brother VIP will be filmed in Sydney following the upcoming season of the normal format, that will premiere in April.
The last and only Celebrity Big Brother was broadcast in 2002, when radio and TV host Dylan Lewis was crowned winner.