Gereurd Roberts, currently CEO of Pacific Magazines, has been appointed to the vacant chief digital officer role at Seven West Media.
The role was left vacant following the departure of former digital boss Clive Dickens, who has since joined Optus.
Roberts will commence in the role following the completion of the proposed sale of Pacific Magazines to Bauer Media, expected to close by the end of this calendar year pending regulatory approvals.
He will be responsible for broadcast operations, digital product and technology, and information technology and will report to Seven CEO James Warburton.
"Our online assets have never been more important, as digital platforms transform media and present us new opportunities. Gereurd will build on the digital growth he delivered at Pacific, where he grew their digital footprint by 70%, in his new role," Warburton says.
“We’re already delivering innovative new digital propositions to the market, including CODE 7 and contextual ad placement service, 7CAP. Plus, we’re gearing up to measure our combined broadcast and BVOD audience with VOZ from early next year, which will provide the first holistic view of the reach and power of TV across all screens."
Roberts was appointed CEO of Pacific Magazines in October 2016, and prior to that served in numerous leadership roles in the business, including as general manager, commercial director and publisher.
His over two decades of experience spans management, commercial, and editorial roles, and beyond Pacific Magazines, he has held roles at Guardian News & Media and ACP (now Bauer Media).
"We are clear about the importance of our digital assets in driving our content led growth strategy and I look forward to leading that charge, capturing the attention of audiences across all Seven touchpoints by delivering engaging content through our online platforms," Roberts says.
“With 7plus and 7NEWS.com.au, which has established itself as one of Australia’s top five news website in just seven months, we are in an enviable position. I can’t wait to take our digital assets to the next level, and to work with the entire SWM team to build Australia’s most innovative, digitally-led media organisation.”
Roberts joins Charlotte Valente as SWM’s first Chief Marketing Officer in October and will be followed by the appointment of a Chief Content Officer.
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