Are Media’s CEO Jane Huxley has announced her departure from the publication, following five years leading the business.
Stepping in to her position is Are Media’s director of content Sally Eagle who has led Are Media’s content strategy for the past three years and before that was customer director and previously oversaw its food and book division.
Eagle will take the reins in early April.
Over the past five years, Huxley has led Are Media’s transformation into a multiplatform content company, sharpening its portfolio to focus on the brands that matter most to women, while driving greater stability and efficiency in how those brands go to market.
Are Media publishes titles including Better Homes and Garden, Australian Woman’s Weekly, Who, TV Week, Women’s Day, Marie Clare, New Idea, and Elle.
In a note to employees this afternoon Are Media chairman Ben Hawter wrote: “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.
“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.
“These years were also characterised by significant investment to rebuild Are Media’s systems infrastructure, digital platforms and people capability, to underpin future growth aspirations.”
Hawter added: “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.
“Please join me in wishing Jane all the very best for the future, and in celebrating the remarkable contribution Jane has made,” wrote Hawter. “The board is thrilled to be able to make an internal appointment and looks forward to working with Sally and the executive team as we continue the growth and development of Are Media.”
