It's hard to keep up with all the moves across adland, so we've compiled them all in one place.
Michelle Guthrie forced out of ABC
After a tumultuous 12 months for the ABC, the public broadcaster has announced that current managing director Michelle Guthrie will exit the business. According to the ABC, the decision followed discussions over several months that concluded when directors resolved that it was not in the best interests of the ABC for Guthrie to continue to lead the organisation. Guthrie, who had been with the broadcaster since 2015, will be replaced by the current director of entertainment and specialist, David Anderson, until a replacement can be found. Read more here.
Carl Ratcliff named as DDB Sydney chief strategy officer
Former One Green Bean CEO Carl Ratcliff has been revealed as the chief strategy officer for DDB Sydney. Ratcliff replaces Fran Clayton who departed the business in April this year, alongside CEO Nicole Taylor, for McCann. Ratcliff has more than 20 years’ experience in advertising across Australia and the UK, previously holding roles as TBWA and BWM Dentsu. Read more here.
ABC chairman Justin Milne steps down
ABC chairman Justin Milne has stepped down from his role following a week of controversy at the public broadcaster. The besieged chairman has been under fire this week following the departure of MD Michelle Guthrie, culminating in the leak of emails that revealed Milne had looked to use his authority to oust chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici. In response to claims of political interference by the Government and senior ABC board members, the Coalition and Minister for Communications and Arts Mitch Fifield have launched an inquiry into actions within the public broadcaster. Read more here.
Instagram founders call quits on Facebook
Instagram’s co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom are leaving Facebook six years after the pair sold the company for $1bn (A$1.38bn) to the social media giant. Systrom, the CEO, said they were leaving to build something new after helping the platform grow to more than a billion users. The move follows the April departure of WhatsApp founder Jan Koum. Reports alledge the pair are leaving the company they built due to mounting tensions between Systrom and Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg. Read more here.
Andy Mulrenan to lead MediaCom team as head of the entertainment division
MediaCom has appointed former Havas Media Group business director Andy Mulrenan as head of the entertainment division, succeeding Ben McCallum who has been promoted internally to general manager MediaCom Sydney. Mulrenan has previously worked across brands such as Apple, NSW Government, Fin Tech and Emirates, and will now lead MediaCom's entertainment team, driving growth across Universal, Sony, Dell and News Corp. With 14 years in the industry, Mulrenan boasts achievements including award wins at MFA and Cannes for the Wrigley 5X campaign, and an MFA finalist for Schwarzkopf's Under the Cover campaign. Effective immediately, Mulrenan will report directly to Ben McCallum and will form part of the Sydney leadership team.
Grant Broadcasters appoints Rick Lenarcic as COO
Rick Lenarcic will join Grant Broadcasters as chief operating officer of media. He joins the radio network from SCA where he was previously head of regional media and responsible for 68 radio signals, 30 TV markets, and over 1300 employees across regional Australia. He will now work alongside current COO Allison Cameron until her transition to CEO following Grant Cameron's move to non-executive chair. The move's completion is aimed for December when Lenarcic will work closely with the senior leadership group and broader team across regional markets. He will commence this new role 8 October.
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