Seven West Media CEO James Warburton exits for second time as CFO takes helm

The CEO of Seven West Media (SWM), parent company of Australian free-to-air broadcaster Seven, has resigned.

James Warburton

James Warburton, who has been CEO and MD of Seven since 2019, will leave at the end of June, with chief financial officer Jeff Howard taking his place. Seven has begun the search for a new CFO.

Warburton previously worked at SWM from 2003 to 2011, when he left to join rival broadcaster Ten, which triggered a protracted legal battle.

“It has been an incredible journey at SWM and, with an exceptionally talented team in place, the time is right for the company to take the next step. I take great pride in the transformation of SWM in recent years and its position as the leader in total TV in both ratings and revenue,” said Warburton, whose next move has yet to be revealed.

SWM chairman Kerry Stokes praised Warburton for steering the company through a tumultuous period after the departure of former chief Tim Worner.

“I would like to thank James for his energy, enthusiasm and outstanding contribution. James came to SWM at a difficult time and has been immensely successful in reinvigorating Seven’s ratings, strengthening the balance sheet and setting Seven up for future success,” said Stokes.

In the past year, Warburton has secured a significant content deal with NBCUniversal and revised long-term sporting rights deals with Cricket Australia and the AFL. Under Warburton in 2022, Seven bought regional media company Prime Media and its assets, creating a national media business. It also recently took a 20% in media and radio network ARN.