Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.
Cameron McIntyre
Cameron McIntyre has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of REA Group Ltd, with effect from 3 November 2025. He will succeed Owen Wilson, who will retire from full-time executive roles after over six years as CEO and almost 11 years with the company.
McIntyre joins REA from CAR Group Limited, where he served as Managing Director and CEO for nine years. During his tenure, the company expanded significantly, growing from a classified listings business in Australia to a global automotive marketplace giant.
In Australia it manages the carsales.com.au brand, along with Encar (South Korea), Trader Interactive (US), and chileautos (Chile). It also holds a majority stake in webmotors (Brazil).
iProspect has promoted Client Partner Maureen Doris Cheung to Head of SEO. In the role, she will lead the agency’s search practice as AI continues to reshape digital marketing.
Cheung has more than 13 years’ experience in SEO and joined the a dentsu agency in 2020 as SEO Director before moving into the Client Partner role in 2021.
Marcelle Hoyek, iProspect National Managing Director, said: “Maureen is deeply embedded in the evolving world of SEO and passionate about how it can drive performance for our clients. She is an exceptional leader who fosters a culture of excellence and collaboration.
Cheung said: “I’m thrilled to step in to this role at such a pivotal moment in search.
“The future of SEO is multichannel and I’m excited to continue building our SEO offering to incorporate AI, Marketplaces, Social Search and more to ensure our clients appear organically at every point in the journey no matter where their customers are searching.”
David Meagher
David Meagher has been appointed editor of Gourmet Traveller, taking the reins of Are Media’s flagship premium food and travel publication from Monday 15 September.
Meagher, a respected name in luxury publishing, will oversee print and digital editorial teams, reporting to Nicky Briger, General Manager of Luxury at Are Media. He will also drive the title’s strategic evolution across content, video, and events as it approaches its 60th anniversary in 2026.
“David’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Australia’s leading title on travel, dining and luxury lifestyle,” said Briger. “Next year marks Gourmet Traveller’s 60th anniversary, and we’ll be more focused than ever on ambitious growth, new formats and connecting with premium audiences.”
She added: “(David) brings a deep editorial expertise, strong commercial sensibility and passion for storytelling that makes him the ideal leader for Gourmet Traveller.”
Bullfrog has appointed Kim Anderson its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding founder Dalton Henshaw who steps into an advisory role after five years leading the independent agency.
Henshaw launched Bullfrog at age 26 in 2020 and in just five years he led the business to become one of AFR’s Most Innovative Companies in Media & Marketing, one of Smart Company’s Smart50 Fastest Growing SMEs in Australia and collect multiple global and local creative and agency of the year awards.
“Succession planning is critical to enduring businesses, and handing the reins to Kim at this moment feels like the natural next step. She embodies our values and brings a global reputation for cultivating communities and delivering commercial results. It’s the right leadership at the right time.”
David Genat
Australian Survivor is entering a new era, with filming now underway in Samoa for season 12, and former champion David Genat confirmed as the show’s new host.
Genat, who first appeared on Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders in 2019, returns to the franchise to helm the 2026 season titled Australian Survivor: Redemption. The model and reality star went on to win All Stars in 2020 and competed most recently in Survivor: Australia V The World.
Often regarded as one of the greatest players in Survivor history, Genat will now guide audiences through every challenge and tribal council, stepping into the hosting role as castaways compete for the title of Sole Survivor.
“I love Australian Survivor. It truly is the greatest game on earth, so getting to come back as host after playing three times is such an honour,” Genat said.
Dan Bourchier has been appointed General Manager of NITV, bringing more than 25 years of media experience to the role as the channel enters a new phase of network-wide growth and Indigenous leadership within the SBS network.
Bourchier most recently served as senior news anchor for the ABC News Channel, and previously held roles with Sky News and NITV. A proud Aboriginal man from Warumungu Country in the Northern Territory with family ties in Victoria, he is known for championing First Nations voices and storytelling across the national media landscape.
He also served as Chair of the ABC’s Bonner Committee since 2022, the broadcaster’s primary First Nations advisory body, and played a central role in the ABC’s national coverage of the Voice to Parliament Referendum. Bourchier also hosted The Drum and held governance roles including Chair of BlakDance, Council Member of the University of Canberra, and Non-Executive Director of Outback Stores.
Jane Palfreyman
Jane Palfreyman, SBS Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, has been appointed as Acting Managing Director for the public broadcaster as the global search for a new Managing Director commences.
Her appointment, confirmed by the SBS Board of Directors, comes after news of impending James Taylor’s exit from SBS after 13 years of service. He will remain with the organisation until November for a transition period.
Taylor was recently announced as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at oOh!media, taking over from outgoing CEO Cathy O’Connor.
Matt Batten has been appointed executive creative director at independent agency AFFINITY, marking a strategic move to elevate its creative capabilities alongside its established strengths in data, technology and effectiveness.
Batten brings over two decades of global experience across integrated campaigns, digital, CRM, experiential, and tech-led innovation. His portfolio includes work for Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Xbox, Emirates, American Express, Heineken, Nurofen and Toyota.
“We recognised we needed a talent of Matt’s calibre to match our credentials in data, tech and effectiveness,” said Angela Smith, CEO, AFFINITY. “To grow our clients’ bottom lines you need technical smarts and you need to win hearts, and that demands human creativity.”
Christie Taylor and Jessica Hunter
Gumtree Group has appointed Christie Taylor as National Auto and State (NSW/QLD) Advertising Lead.
Taylor will reporting to Director of National Advertising Jessica Hunter and oversee go-to-market strategy, revenue performance and client partnerships across the automotive category, while also supporting growth in NSW and QLD.
She will work across Gumtree’s companies, CarsGuide and Autotrader to deliver integrated media solutions for OEMs and related categories.
The Walt Disney Company has appointed Tony Zameczkowski as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Direct-to-Consumer, Asia Pacific. He will report jointly to Luke Kang, APAC President, and Joe Earley, President, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment.
Zameczkowski is a 25-year international media and technology executive, most recently serving as Vice President and Regional Co-Head & Head of Partnerships at Netflix in Asia Pacific. At Disney, he will oversee the growth and development of the company’s streaming business across the region, with a focus on Disney+.
Max Bonpain has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Trading and wealth fintech company, Openmarkets Group.
He brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, having leading marketing for multinational organisations in Australia and Europe.
Bonpain was most recently Group Head of Marketing at ASX-listed Complii FinTech Solutions Ltd, and has also held senior roles with Telstra, Microsoft, Unilever, Samsung Electronics and IBM, as well as working with a portfolio of fintechs including neo-banks and trading apps.
Bonpain will oversee Openmarkets Group’s marketing initiatives to support its strategy, which includes strengthening its wealth, finance and custody services, pursuing targeted M&A, and expanding into overseas markets.
Kerry Peterson, Ben Martin, Abigail Kwek
R/GA has made three senior hires in Australia as part of its post-independence growth strategy.
Ben Martin joins as Group Technology Director, Abigail Kwek as Group Strategy Director, and Kerry Peterson as Group Director, Production.
The appointments follow the creative innovation company’s move to private ownership with Truelink Capital and form part of its plan to scale the business through talent expansion, product development, partnerships, and acquisitions.
Frank Smith has joined Sky Racing in the newly created role of executive producer, overseeing content across Sky 1, Sky 2, Sky Thoroughbred Central, Sky Sports Radio and Radio TAB.
Smith was most recently executive producer of sport at Network 10, where he led broadcast coverage of marquee events including the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Formula 1, International Rugby, and V8 Supercars.
Jarrod Villani, Tabcorp’s chief commercial and media officer, said Smith’s appointment would strengthen Sky’s live production capabilities.
“Frank’s appointment is a real coup for Sky, he is one of the country’s most respected sports producers,” Villani said. “He played a key role in Ten’s Melbourne Cup coverage and was previously an executive producer at TVN.”
“I’m really looking forward to Frank evolving the on-air look and feel of Sky.”
Jane Zeller
Jane Zeller has been appointed Group Sales Director – Direct and Independent Agencies for Nova Entertainment in Brisbane, as the company continues to bolster its local leadership team.
Zeller brings with her over 20 years of commercial radio experience, most recently serving as Brisbane Sales Director – Direct and Independent Agencies at ARN, a role she held for the past three years.
Her background includes senior sales leadership positions across both Brisbane and Melbourne.
The executive producer of Nine’s A Current Affair, Amy McCarthy, has stepped down after admitting to making inappropriate social media posts during the Logie Awards.
McCarthy, who took on the high-profile role in 2024, told colleagues in an email on Thursday that she had decided to resign.