Are Media has appointed Sally Eagle as CEO, replacing Jane Huxley, who will step down after five years leading the business.
The transition will take effect from early April, with the company confirming the appointment as part of a planned leadership change.
Huxley departs following a period of transformation at the publisher, during which Are Media repositioned itself as a multiplatform content business across print, digital, social and live events.
In a note to staff, chairman Ben Hawter said: “Jane has led the business during a formative period, during which time Are Media established its identity as the pre-eminent media platform for women in Australia and New Zealand, across print, digital and live events and social media.”
He added: “The transformation under Jane’s leadership has been significant. Early in the journey was the acquisition of the industry’s sole distribution platform, now Are Direct, bringing distribution security for both Are Media and the broader industry. The brand portfolio was also significantly rationalised, clarifying the focus on women and lifestyle audiences.”
The company also invested in systems, digital platforms and internal capability during her tenure.
Eagle steps into CEO role
Eagle has been with Are Media for 16 years and most recently served as director of content, leading the company’s content strategy.
Her previous roles include book publisher and customer director, where she worked on retail partnerships and audience engagement.
“Sally has been with Are Media for 16 years, starting in Finance, then moving to Publisher – Books in 2015, followed by three years as Customer Director, where Sally led the retail team focused on building stronger relationships with large retailers and newsagent groups.
“Sally brings to the CEO role a unique blend of people leadership, commercial acumen, customer insights and a deep understanding of consumer engagement. Sally has incredible passion for our brands, our vision and our people,” he said.
Hawter said the board was “thrilled” to appoint internally and looked forward to working with Eagle and the executive team.
The leadership change comes as Are Media continues to operate as one of Australia’s largest women’s lifestyle publishers, with brands spanning food, fashion, beauty and entertainment.
Huxley’s departure and Eagle’s appointment will take effect in early April.