Pedestrian Group has appointed Brad Esposito to lead Vice after securing an exclusive partnership with Vice Media Group earlier this year.
In March, the two media companies reached an agreement for Pedestrian to become the exclusive publishing and commercial partner for Vice in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Refinery29 in Australia. As part of the deal, Vice staff were brought into the Pedestrian team.
In his new role as head of editorial, Esposito will lead Vice through its new phase in Australia and New Zealand. He will be responsible for the brand’s voice, mission and strategy across all platforms.
“Ushering in the next phase of the VICE brand in Australia and New Zealand relies on the perfect team; for us, that starts with Brad as our Head of Editorial,” says Pedestrian Group publisher Vanessa Lawrence.
“Few people can match his depth of knowledge about internet culture, which makes him uniquely positioned to lead the charge on telling VICE stories in new and exciting ways. We’re excited to bring both our readers and commercial clients something unique.”
Esposito has previously worked at BuzzFeed Australia where he spent more than five years helping grow the brand locally as part of its founding team. He has also worked as senior reporter at Pedestrian.TV before joining telehealth startup Eucalyptus as director of content.
“I’m thrilled to be leading the charge at VICE Australia, especially at a time where there’s so much opportunity in Australian media,” Esposito says.
“Everyone knows VICE’s roots of deep, culture reporting and its unique voice, and now it’s up to our team to innovate and experiment with what that means in 2021 and beyond. The media world has changed a lot since VICE launched, and the future is all about asking ourselves how (and where) our audience consumes content - and meeting them there. It’s a challenge all publishers are facing, but one that VICE is uniquely positioned to grab by the scruff of the neck. I can’t wait to get started.”
Esposito is currently recruiting for a team of four which will include current Vice senior reporter Gavin Butler.
“Australia abounds in fascinating stories, characters and talent,” says Myki Slonim, president of VICE Digital across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
“With the ever-accomplished Brad now on board as Head of Editorial, VICE readers can look forward to more culture-defining content and innovative storytelling across the platforms.”
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