David Gyngell made his debut in 2013 at the top of the Power 50. Under our recalibrated definition of ‘street power’, Gyngell is a master. He’s one of the few media bosses who can, with equal measure, tap dance with the investment community and the marketing communications sector simultaneously. Not only can, Gyngell does.
His hands are full right now with Nine Entertainment Co.’s IPO but he’s rarely far from a conversation with blue-chip advertisers and media buyers. NEC’s TV and online interests are heavily indebted to media agencies for its revenues – more so than news media groups like Fairfax and News Corporation, for instance – and Gyngell, almost universally, is regarded by the sector as the most attuned, open and intuitively clever operator in the business. To boot, he’s usually the most entertaining.
His standing is helped by the resurgence in Nine’s ratings fortunes this year – it’s beating Seven on all key advertising demographics except ‘All People’.
Gyngell cut his teeth at Nine more than a decade ago under the old Packer-controlled PBL carcass, leading early attempts on integrated and cross-platform deals. But that tenure and exposure to adland, and the broader machinations in the media business via his close friendship with James Packer, has kept Gyngell in good stead dealing with the money men who relentlessly circle NEC from the investment community and media buying. He’s self-deprecating but frank and it works a treat for NEC’s two key stakeholder groups.
He is open about the need to take risks and doesn’t fear failure – some of that proof is found in the unconventional deals he has signed off on, which include the recent profit-sharing alliance with music streaming service Songl.
Gyngell has the TV business in his blood and like his arch rival at Seven West Media, Tim Worner, programming and content come naturally although Gyngell is probably more savvy in dealing with the advertising sector.
NEC’s return to a public company after its IPO will put him back under more public scrutiny but perhaps the biggest challenge in the next 12 months is ensuring Nine’s advertising revenue share more closely aligns to its audience delivery. At present its share is undercooked to Seven Network’s benefit. Equally critical is how he navigates through the fast-changing world of TV on any device or platform.
