Seven West Media restructures into three new units, makes redundancies
Angus Ross (left) has been appointed group MD at SWM, Brook Hall becomes CCO
Australian media company and broadcaster Seven West Media (SWM) has confirmed that it is downsizing its executive team with the introduction of an operational overhaul.
After weeks of speculation about significant job cuts, the Perth-based media company announced the introduction of a new operating model. Under the new structure SWM will be carved into three divisions: television, digital and Western Australia.
Significantly, Seven’s long-standing acquisitions executive and chief content officer (CCO), entertainment programming, Angus Ross, has been appointed to the newly created role of group MD for Seven Television. Ross’s CCO role will be taken by Brook Hall, who previously served as Seven’s director of content scheduling.
In other executive changes, SWM chief digital officer Gereurd Roberts takes on the new role of group MD for Seven Digital, while Maryna Fewster continues as CEO of SWM Western Australia, responsible for SWM’s broadcast, digital and print brands in that state market.
The company also appointed Trent Dickeson as chief operating officer, also a new position. Dickeson has been promoted from his current role of director of operations and transformation.
SWM MD and CEO Jeff Howard said the new model reflected the changes in the television market. “To build a better media business and to make the most of the opportunities ahead of us, we need to change the way we think and operate. That includes changing the way our executive team is structured and how it works together.”
He described the new television and digital units as “accountable and transparent” profit centres and indicated the two divisions would work very closely with the content teams to ensure the network maximises digital growth.
“We now have three clear divisions covering television, digital and Western Australia. They will be supported by executives and teams working across all three to achieve stronger cooperation, consistency and the best possible results for everyone,” he said.
In further management changes, Seven’s Adelaide MD Vikki Friscic takes on the newly created role of head of sales strategy and enablement.
The mooted redundancies were confirmed by SWM as part of the restructure but were not quantified other than to state “a number of redundancies and other cost actions have been taken.”
The network did confirm the high-profile exits of chief marketing officer Melissa Hopkins, chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette and Seven Melbourne’s head of sport and managing director Lewis Martin.
Seven West Media is due to present its FY24 results on 14 August 2024.
