After helping the business launch into the US market last year, Lizzie Young is leaving her role as APAC CEO and global growth officer at WeAre8.
Young cites time zones as her reason for leaving, with her global role seeing her work across Australia, the UK, and the USA. She plans to take a break before securing her next role.
Wrapping up on Thursday, Young will be succeeded by chief commercial officer Danika Johnston. Johnston’s new title will be WeAre8 Australia’s managing director, and expanded role she said she is “excited to be taking on.”
“We are most certainly at that point where we are pivoting from startup to scale up. I look forward to building on the success we have already had working with some of the biggest brands in this market, the advertising commercial support to our business from day one, has always impressed and excited me,” Johnston added.
The platform currently has 2.5 million global users, with the ultimate goal being to grow to a user base of 80 million people – or 1% of the global population.
On the ground in Australia, global chief marketing officer, Luke Robinson, and global chief financial officer, John Rohl, continue their roles in the executive team.
Next month the platform will mark the second anniversary of its launch into the UK market. In August, the platform’s launch into the USA was backed by 16 charities as well as publishers and media companies Warner Bros. Discovery, PinkNews, The Independent, and LADbible Group.
“There’s lots of organisation behind the scenes when you’re collaborating with lots of different partners,” Young told Mediaweek at the time.
“But I think that’s actually in our DNA, and it’s been a real point of difference for us to go to market and look for people and brands who are mission aligned, to look for publishers and work with them so that they can help be part of the mission.”
See Also: Going Global: Behind the WeAre8 launch into the US market
Earlier this month, WeAre8 founder and chief executive Zoe Kalar announced her name change from Sue Fennessy. Posting on LinkedIn, Kalar wrote that “Zoe, with its Greek origin meaning ‘life’, is the perfect name for me as I enter this new and exciting chapter.
“I am choosing my name, and diving into life, embracing everything that it brings.”