Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.
Ben Coulson
Ben Coulson has departed Dentsu Creative after two years as chief creative officer for ANZ.
oulson joined the creative agency in September 2023 and helmed campaigns for brands such as nib with ‘Potentially Amazing and The Iconic’s ‘Got You Looking’.
Brett Colliver, co-CCO of Dentsu Creative NZ, will lead creative across Australia and NZ until Coulson’s replacement is found.
Mediaweek can confirm a new editor has been announced at the Brisbane Times.
Rosanna Ryan will take the reins following the departure of Sean Parnell. Ryan joined the Brisbane Times in July 2023 as Digital Editor. Prior to that she served as Digital Editor for the ABC’s Radio National, based out of Brisbane.
Ryan is currently on the board of Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ, but it is not known whether she will continue following the new appointment.
Marc Maron’s famous interview with Barack Obama
On his twice-weekly podcast WTF, host Marc Maron announced that the show will come to an end later this year.
Maron was one of the earliest podcasters to break out in the public consciousness, helping podcasts go mainstream. His podcast set a template for many of the long-form, confessional interview podcasts that have emerged from the medium.
He told listeners to his podcast that the reason he is planning to end the show was simply that he was burnt out. The WTF podcast has reliably been published every Monday and Thursday for 16 years straight without taking a break. For the entire run of the show, it was produced by Brendan McDonald.
Maron has not ruled out starting another interview show or podcast at a later stage. At a time where podcasts are making a pivot towards video, Maron has kept WTF as an audio-only show.
Renae Usher has been appointed to the newly created role of director of sales at reo, powered by oOh!media.
Usher bring smore than 13 years of experience across retail media, digital and publishing sales, and was previously at Cartology for more than three years where she led the successful retail media sales team, spearheading omnichannel activations across for major FMCG brands including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Mars Wrigley and Nestlé.
She has also held leadership roles at Nine and Fairfax, managing major agency relationships and cross-channel solutions.
She joins as reo continues to drive significant market momentum and follows announcements earlier this year of major partnerships with leading retailers including Petbarn, Officeworks and Australia Post.
reo is in advanced discussions with a number of other high street retailers with further announcements to be made in due course.
Greg Hywood
Free TV Australia has announced the departure of its Chair, Greg Hywood, after close to five years in the role.
Hywood, the former CEO of Fairfax Media, was appointed in October 2020 and oversaw a period of significant industry and regulatory change for Australia’s commercial television broadcasters.
The industry body confirmed that the process to appoint a new independent Chair will begin immediately.
Robert Morgan will retire from Clemenger Group at the end of the month after 46 years with the holding company, 23 of those years serving as Chairman.
Morgan said in a statement: “I have loved the business and have been incredibly lucky to have had the career I’ve had. But the best thing has been the remarkable talented and wonderful people I’ve worked with over these 46 years.
“We have a strong company. And I’m confident of the future. As long as we never forget – great work, works best!”
The outgoing chairman recalled being hired by the co-founder Peter Clemenger, who he called “Australia’s greatest ever advertising agency leader”, and rising through the ranks – from account executive to managing director, CEO and Chairman.
Emma Butler
Compass Studio has appointed experienced PR operator Emma Butler as its new Account Director.
Butler brings more than 10 years’ experience in communications to the role, and boasts a broad portfolio spanning tourism, consumer goods, and the not-for-profit sector.
Her resume includes work for high-profile brands such as Virgin Australia, Procter & Gamble, and Tourism Australia’s Cultural Attractions of Australia initiative.
The Foxtel Group has confirmed a new season of The Great Australian Bake Off, with comedian and writer Tom Walker joining returning host Natalie Tran.
The new season, which marks the eighth instalment of the Australian adaptation, will again feature judges Rachel Khoo and Darren Purchese.
Walker, known for his improvisational comedy and appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, brings a distinct comedic style to the role.
His previous accolades include Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Director’s Choice Award at the Sydney Comedy Festival.
Damien Ely
Los Angeles-based creative company The Many is launching in Australia, with co-founder Damien Eley returning to Down Under to spearhead the expansion.
Eley said: “This isn’t a traditional agency launch and we’re not here to just work for hire. We’ve really tried to purpose-build this for an increasingly fragmented, fast-moving, and more audience-led world. We want to participate in our partners’ goals.”
Central to the creative agency’s expansion into Australia is a belief that the future of creativity is participatory.
The agency’s model aims to turn brand fans into collaborators and culture-makers, from co-created IP and creator-led storytelling to AI-assisted campaign development.
Mike Fitzpatrick will be departing from his role at the ABC at the end of this month, marking the close of an 18-month tenure as Head of Capital Networks and Sport.
Fitzpatrick sent an email to staff updating them on the news. In the email, he advised that he will continue working until the end of the month as far as his health allows.
“As many of you may know, at the end of last year I was diagnosed with a health condition that has led to extended hospital stays and significant time away from work. Although I’ve returned over the past weeks, it’s become clear that I’m simply not well enough to work full-time and I need to focus on managing my condition and health,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
“This has been a difficult decision. I care deeply about this team, this work, and the vital role public broadcasting plays in people’s lives.”
Braydon Priest
Brand activation agency Curious Nation has named Braydon Priest as senior producer, bolstering its project delivery capabilities amid growing demand from clients across New Zealand.
Priest, who spent two decades at MediaWorks’ The Breeze radio station in various operational roles, will now oversee projects for brands including Woolworths, Trade Me, Milford Asset Management, Kraft Heinz, Watercare, and the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
Most recently serving as Auckland operations manager and executive producer of The Breeze’s breakfast show, Priest was recognised as Best Music Producer at the 2023 New Zealand Radio Awards. He began his tenure at MediaWorks as national promotions manager in 2012.
R/GA has launched a global AI Products team to help brands grow through AI-enabled products that deliver new experiences, capabilities, and value.
To lead this team, the creative innovation company has appointed Ben Cooper as Global Executive Director, AI Products.
Cooper has worked closely with senior brand leaders to shape strategies that help forward-thinking brands harness the full potential of new technology. He will report to Michael Titshall, in his role as Global Head of AI Products at R/GA.
R/GA has invested in building out a dedicated, multidisciplinary AI Products team, with deep expertise in AI consulting, design and development, and supported by the company’s new $50M Innovation Fund. This brings experience from delivering over 100 AI products for leading tech companies, brands, and agencies.