Media Movers: Jane Elliott joins Sound Story, Grant Blackley departs SCA, DMA, Icon Agency, ABC

Posted on 6 May 2023

Media Movers takes a look at the recent moves announced across the industry during the week of 01/05/23

Media Movers across the industry include:

• Sound Story has announced the appointment of Jane Elliott as its first communications director.

Elliott will join Sound Story on June 13 from Nova Entertainment, where she has been leading communications as its National Publicity Director for 15 years.

Prior to Nova, the widely-respected PR professional spent over a decade at TV networks Nine and Seven.

• The Sydney Morning Herald welcomed Hannah Story as arts editor filling-in until September while Nick Galvin is on leave.

• The Herald Sun has announced that Scott Carbines will finish up his duties as real estate news editor. He is set to begin his new role as a media adviser at Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

• A special treat for readers of The Australian on the first Friday of each month has been Wish magazine.

The glossy, large-format, luxury lifestyle magazine was launched in 2005 and just two years later David Meagher arrived to steer the brand.

Under his guidance, the pages of Wish are classy and stylish and full of luxury brand ads.

• Daily Mail Australia has welcomed Lucy Manly as senior news reporter. She was previously roles with The Sun-Herald and Woman’s Day.

• Herald Sun has named Alexandra Middleton as city reporter. She was previously general news reporter for the masthead.

• ABC has announced Sally Riley, head of Drama, Entertainment and Indigenous, will leave after 13 years with the public broadcaster.

Riley joined the ABC in 2010 as the inaugural head of the Indigenous Department at ABC Television and has played a key role in developing and bringing to audiences programs that are entertaining, thought-provoking and reflective of Australia’s national identity.

• The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has welcomed Steve Rotherham as senior communications adviser.

• Isla Sutherland joins global design studio, Woods Bagot, as content and communications Specialist. She was previously a journalist at Architecture Media.

• Southern Cross Media Group Limited has announced that Grant Blackley will step down as managing director and CEO on 30 June 2023.

Current chief operating officer John Kelly has been appointed as managing director and CEO from 1 July 2023.

In the next two months, Blackley will provide Kelly with a transition.

• CADA has announced Jake Powell has stepped into the position of content director and music director from his previous role as music and programming manager at the station.

• ABC News has announced the relocation of Alex Lews from Brisbane to Sydney, continuing his work as a digital and broadcast journalist.

• Icon Agency has announced the appointment of Benjamin Haslem as director of media and public affairs.

Haslem’s experience in issues management, government relations and high-level media training will see him become a key driver of Icon’s Reputation division, helping clients with corporate communications and reputation management.

• Momentum Media has announced the appointment of James Mitchell as a senior journalist of financial services and the host of the group’s new podcast, Relative Return.

• ABC Illawarra has welcomed Brooke Chandler as a trainee reporter.

• QMS has announced a string of new appointments expanding and strengthening its NSW agency sales team.

The expansion is a result of rapid growth in NSW for the digital outdoor media company, following the launch of its City of Sydney digital street furniture network.

The new Sydney Sales appointments include two new group business directors, Cherie Salt and Simone Donovan, who join group business director, Alex Morrison.

• NBN has welcomed two new members to its team. Joining the Lismore bureau is Andrew Du, while the Central Coast bureau welcomes Montanna Clare as a reporter.

• Valentina Todoroska, head of editorial content for POPSUGAR, The Latch and Thrillist, has returned to freelance work.

• CHEP Network has announced the appointment of Anna Cherry as chief media officer. In the role, Cherry will be charged with overseeing the growth of the agency’s media capability.

Cherry joins from Spark Foundry, where she led the agency’s strategy function nationally, supporting its position as the fastest-growing agency in Australia based on billings growth.

• 7NEWS Melbourne has announced the promotion of Luke Schneider has been promoted to deputy news director.

• Nick Etchells has moved to the executive producer position at 7NEWS Melbourne. He was previously a Senior Producer.

• Ogilvy Sydney has welcomed the appointments of Clark Edwards and Bridget Jung as joint executive creative directors within its ANZ network.

The move will see multi-award-winning creative Edwards relocate from the UK to join Ogilvy PR’s current creative lead Jung in the newly created joint creative leadership role in June.

As joint ECDs, Jung and Edwards will work across all Ogilvy Network business units based out of Sydney.

• AM Agenda on Sky News Live has welcomed Natalie Sekulovska as executive producer. She was previously an Interview Producer for Sky News Live.

• Kidspot has appointed Joel Erickson news editor. He was previously editor of the Canberra Star, The South Coast News, and The Bowral News.

• Nightjar has welcomed three new hires to its growing team.

• Joining the Sydney-based independent experience design company are Alyce Biggs as senior CX strategist, Bek Ryan as program director and Ting He as designer.

• 9 News Adelaide names Will Di Fulvio as a broadcast journalist, relocating from NBN News Central Coast, where he was a journalist.

• Harper’s BAZAAR Australia promotes Tessa Ogle to digital content director from digital editor.

• Ryall joins Bastion Transform – led by former ABC News director Gaven Morris – with over 15 years of industry experience in tech, news media and content strategy.

Formerly at Meta in strategic partnerships for News, Ryall played a key role in driving the multi-million-dollar investments into media companies across ANZ, including the $15 million Meta News Fund with the Walkley Foundation and the New Zealand investment strategy.

• 9 News Gold Coast welcomes Gracie Richter as a reporter from NBN News Lismore, where she was a broadcast journalist.

• The Saturday Telegraph has announced the promotion of Cydonee Mardon as weekend investigations editor from chief of staff.

• Interbrand Australia welcomed the addition of Lucy Gavan as its strategy director.

Gavan will act as the strategic lead on key accounts, actively support the team’s development, and grow the agency’s brand experience practice.

Gavan joins the branding consultancy from DesignStudio, but began her strategy career at Interbrand, where she worked with iconic Aussie brands like Telstra, Sydney Opera House, and Westpac.

• ABC News Sydney has announced the appointment of Sean Tarek Goodwin as a reporter. He was previously as a producer at ABC News.

• Countryman welcomes Aidan Smith as a journalist. He was previously with Farm Weekly.

• Outbrain has announced the appointment of Amrita de la Peña as managing director, APAC.

In the role, de la Peña will lead the recommendation platform’s expansion across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, including Japan, driving growth, and building partnerships with agencies, brand advertisers, and publishers.

• Jenna Clarke joins The Australian as an associate editor.

• The Australian Data and Insights Association (ADIA) has announced the appointment of renowned privacy expert Peter Leonard as the new chair of its Privacy Compliance Committee (PCC).

The ADIA Privacy (Market & Social Research) Code is administered by ADIA and adjudicated by the Australian Information Commissioner.

• Departing from ABC is journalist Annie Kearney. She begins a new role as head of corporate affairs at Netball Australia.

• Joining The Guardian Australia is Jordyn Beazley as a breaking and general news reporter. She began with the publication as a cadet journalist.

• Global adtech company iion has welcomed the appointment of Yun Yip as its new chief commercial officer (CCO).

As CCO, Yip will oversee the commercial strategy and operations of the company whilst also leading iion’s marketing function.

• Channel 9’s Wide World of Sports welcomes Simon Brundson as deputy editor; he was the Afternoon editor for the program.

• Jedda Rocha Costa leaves the ABC after wrapping up her duties as a journalist and will take twelve months off before deciding her next career move.

• Think HQ has welcomed three key hires to its team as it continues to grow. All new hires hail from creative agency Marmalade after it closed its doors at the end of 2022 and bring an understanding of the unique and considered requirements of the agency’s clients in the market.

Lisa Gumbleton has joined as head of creative strategy, Sam McCarron as head of art, and Nadia Ladson as an account director.

• Robb Report Australia & New Zealand has appointed Tanisha Angel as a digital editor. Angel’s most recent role was as editor of the Albert Review.

• The Seven Network has confirmed its Europe correspondent, Sarah Greenhalgh, will join the flagship public affairs program 7NEWS Spotlight.

After breaking news from around the world for Sunrise, 7NEWS and The Latest, Greenhalgh will join 7NEWS Spotlight host Michael Usher, executive producer Mark Llewellyn and investigative reporter Liam Bartlett later this year.

• Channel 9 Adelaide announce the appointment of Will Di Fulvio as a broadcast journalist, moving from NBN Central Coast.

• iProspect has announced the appointment of Bec Rosa as client partner, Victoria.

Rosa joins the dentsu company from Bunnings where she has worked for 14 and a half years, most recently as media integration manager and digital marketing manager.

• Sky News Australia welcomes Heloise Vyas as a digital report. Previously she was a content writer for Brow Code.

• M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has announced the appointment of Vanessa Tucker as creative director and the promotion of Lauren Galloway to general manager in a refresh of the agency’s management team.

Tucker joins the agency with more than 18 years of experience in creative, in addition to having led and mentored strategy, creative and designer teams. She was most recently based in London as creative director at TMS (The Marketing Store).

• Kelsey Rettino has finished her duties as ABC Radio Melbourne’s morning senior producer and will relocate to London.

• Pedestrian Group has welcomed the appointment of Frank Masterson to lead the company’s direct and independent sales team in Sydney.

In the role, he will be tasked with further driving revenue via client partnerships in Sydney for the youth-focused publishing group, as well as driving direct new business relationships nationally.

Masterson is a well-respected operator in the industry – having held senior positions locally in tech and publishing at Pinterest and Buzzfeed.

• Mamamia welcomes Tara Meakins as a senior content producer for the publication’s news and features section.