Anthony Fitzgerald exits MCN as Mark Frain named CEO
Anthony Fitzgerald has exited MCN after 15 years as CEO and will be replaced by Mark Frain. AdNews was aware of a potential shake-up within the business, with News Corp later quashing rumours of his exit. "There are no high level exits from MCN," a News Corp spokesperson told AdNews at the time. Fitzgerald has decided to take some time off before deciding on any new future opportunities, News Corp said in a statement. He described his departure from MCN as "bittersweet". "It is a business I’m passionate about and have been so proud to lead for the last 15 years. The success of MCN to date has been the result of concerted team effort by people who love television and I know the business is in good hands for the future," he said. Read more.
SBS CEO Michael Ebeid steps down
SBS CEO Michael Ebeid has stepped down from his role after more than seven years with the broadcaster. He will exit the role at the end of September, with the board of directors stating the recruitment process will begin immediately. Since joining SBS as its managing director in June 2011, Ebeid has led the organisation through a period of transformation and growth. Ebeid is credited with leading organisational strategies and introduced new initiatives which have led to more Australians engaging with SBS. Read more.
Clemenger Sydney lures chief strategy officer from Grey London
Clemenger Sydney has lured its chief strategy officer back to Australia, poaching Lilian Sor from Grey London. She returns to Australia after a six year stint in the UK where she was head of strategy at Grey London for 18 months and strategy director and head of strategy innovation at AMV BBDO for four years. Prior to her time overseas, Sor held roles at Host Sydney, CX agency Lavender and Westpac. This is the first major hire from Nick Garrett, who recently expanded his CEO role to cover both Sydney and Melbourne. Read more.
Ex-Starcom MD Peter Toone joins indie Rock
Former Starcom Melbourne MD Peter Toone has joined independent digital agency Rock, which was established three years ago. Toone had previously worked at Starcom for 11 years before resigning last December. Rock managing director and founder Cam Lee said: “Pete is a great fit for our business. He brings a wealth of large agency experience obviously, but he’s also a great cultural fit for our team which was key. It’s great to have him on board to help take the business to the next level.” Toone said that he was draw to Rock by its “commitment to senior involvement with clients, and their willingness to adapt to current and future client demands without sacrificing the quality of delivery”. Read more.
Rhiannon Bell promoted to group director at Initiative
Rhiannon Bell has been promoted to group director of Initiative after joining the company in 2016 as client director. Bell previously worked at MediaCom across clients including Specsavers, Bank of Melbourne and Shell. Prior to that she was a campaign advisor for not-for-profit Beyondblue and previously UK Promotions Manager for 20th Century Fox. Shaun Briggs, managing director of Initiative Melbourne, said she has proven herself working on the challenging ISF portfolio and has become a key member of the Melbourne team.
Pacific Magazines’ names insights and strategy boss
Pacific Magazines has named former Diageo insights boss Rebecca Alexander-Head as the new head of insights and strategy. Alexander-Head was previously the general manager at boutique research agency Play MR prior to her time at Diageo. Nicole Bence, commercial director, said Alexander-Head's role will play a lead role in driving the reengineering of the business.
Freeview names new marketing boss
Freeview’s marketing boss Jennifer Lee has exited the company after just over a year. Lee will be replaced by Cameron Crain, who joins the company from Foxtel. Lee joined the TV industry body in February last year from 20th Century Fox, replacing Scott Mota, who had led the marketing team since 2015. Crain will be responsible for driving promotion of the platform and its suite of products.
Alison Cameron promoted to CEO of Grant Broadcasters
Alison Cameron has taken the helm of family-owned regional radio broadcaster Grant Broadcasters in an executive reshuffle. Cameron, previously chief operating officer, takes over from Grant Cameron, who becomes a non-executive chairman - while Janet Cameron, the long-standing previous chair, will continue to remain a board member. Dugald Cameron will continue to manage the family’s investment portfolio as an executive member of the board, while the hunt is on for a new chief operating officer. Read more here.
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