News Corp Australia doubles down on AI with two hires

News Corp Australia has appointed Paul Stevenson to lead AI innovation and Nicholle Lindner to oversee the data, AI, and software platforms underpinning its publishing network.

Both will join the publisher’s Technology, Data & Digital leadership team. Stevenson will work with editorial, commercial and digital teams to test and adopt emerging technology, while Lindner will run the systems those teams rely on to launch digital products and keep the publishing network operating around the clock.

Chief digital and technology officer Nandor Locher said the appointments would bring technology teams closer to the publisher’s day-to-day operations.

“As we accelerate our digital roadmap, bringing technology teams even closer to our daily operations is essential to building velocity and delivering greater value for our audiences and commercial clients,” Locher said.

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Stevenson to lead AI trials

As director of AI, innovation and transformation, Stevenson will oversee News Corp Australia’s innovation hub, help set its AI roadmap and lead key technology transformation programs.

He brings more than 20 years of experience in digital, customer experience and transformation roles across companies including Salesforce, Airbnb and Qantas.

Lindner to oversee publishing platforms

As director of enterprise, AI and data platforms, Lindner will lead the publisher’s data strategy and oversee the platforms that support its publishing network. Her remit includes helping teams launch digital products quickly and securely.

Lindner has more than two decades of senior leadership experience in technology transformation and responsible AI adoption, with a career spanning Deloitte Australia, Gartner, Westpac and Commonwealth Bank.

“Paul and Nicholle are customer-focused technology leaders who bring an exceptional balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution. While Paul focuses on innovation and new ways of working across the business, Nicholle will lead the critical enterprise, data, and AI platforms that power our products safely and reliably. Together, they will ensure our teams can experiment, innovate and deploy products with speed and confidence.”

Stevenson starts in November, with Lindner joining in December.