SYDNEY: News Limited chief John Hartigan has edged out Seven Media Group magnate Kerry Stokes to secure the top spot on the AdNews Power 50 ranking.
Hartigan, Rupert Murdoch's right hand man in Australia, has made as steady progress on the Power 50 since the list's inception in 2005.
Power 50 ranks the 50 most powerful and influential players in Australian advertising, marketing and media.
This year's list features a number of new entrants, including new Telstra marketing head Amanda Johnston, Nine Network CEO David Gyngell, Y&R Brands CEO Nigel Marsh and Naked Asia Pacific CEO Mat Baxter.
Others, predictably, have fallen off the list.
The top 10 power brokers are:
1 John Hartigan, chairman & CEO, News Limited
2 Kerry Stokes, chairman, Seven Media Group
3 Sol Trujillo, CEO, Telstra
4 Harold Mitchell, executive chairman, Mitchell Communication Group
5 David Kirk, CEO, Fairfax Media
6 Adrian MacKenzie, director, CVC Capital Partners
7 Gerry Harvey & Katie Page, chairman & MD respectively, Harvey Norman
8 Ronald Walker, chairman, Fairfax Media
9 Richard Goyder, CEO, Wesfarmers
10 Amanda Johnston, executive director brands & marketing communications, Telstra
For the full list and features on how power is shifting in the industry, see today's AdNews magazine (22 August).
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