Pedestrian Group has announced the appointment of the team that will lead the next phase of the Vice brand in Australia and New Zealand, effective immediately.
The team of five will be led by head of editorial Brad Esposito – a respected editor, presenter and strategist – who reports directly to Pedestrian Group publisher Vanessa Lawrence. Esposito will be joined by Nick Wray as senior video producer (formerly of Network 10 and BuzzFeed), award-winning journalist Gavin Butler as senior news reporter (a Vice APAC employee of three years), Arielle Richards as multimedia reporter (recent graduate of RMIT’s Journalism School) and Julie Fenwick as writer & producer (formerly of Acclaim Magazine).
Of the opportunity to reimagine what Vice looks like in the ANZ market, Esposito says: “Vice made a name for itself uncovering the stories at the edge of life: under-reported, unseen, and unknown. The challenge for our team, and what we’re already working hard on, is rethinking the iconic Vice approach for right now. That means telling stories in a multi-platform way, while speaking to our audience where they actually are. Expect to see ViceAU all over the internet this year as we try out new formats, ideas, and reporting beats that speak to a generation that has been screwed over by a huge number of institutions – whether it’s housing, climate, politics or culture.”
Of the team’s appointment, Lawrence says: “Between them, Brad, Julie, Nick, Gavin, and Arielle have the perfect amount of experience, hunger, and internet literacy to lead the next big boom of digital storytelling across Vice Australia and its many channels. It’s going to be a huge year for the team and we’re excited to hit the ground running.”
The announcement comes after Pedestrian Group inked a long-term partnership with Vice Media Group to be the exclusive publishing and commercial partner for Vice Australia and Refinery29 Australia in the Australia and New Zealand markets.
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Top Image L to R; Nick Wray, Vanessa Lawrence, Brad Esposito, Arielle Richards, Julie Fenwick, Gavin Butler