ARN has announced the appointment of Ollie Wards as director – video and social.
Reporting to ARN chief content officer Kerri Elstub, Wards newly created role, will define and lead ARN’s digital video and social content strategy, growing audience reach and engagement across platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
He will scale and amplify ARN’s content across the iHeart platform, while also driving distribution across Spotify, Apple Podcasts and beyond. In this role, Wards will strengthen partnerships with major platforms, develop innovative content formats, and deliver new revenue streams, shaping the next phase of ARN’s entertainment offering.
Wards joins ARN from TikTok, where he served as director of music for Australia and New Zealand. There, he led the platform’s music strategy, driving music and cultural impact through the growth of active artists, trends and industry partnerships.
Prior to this, Wards spent a decade at triple j as content director. Earlier in his career, he worked in commercial radio production and branded integrations in the UK with Global.
The appointment comes as ARN continues to expand its digital ecosystem through its global partnership with iHeart. With access to iHeart’s global product and engineering teams, Wards will help accelerate ARN’s video and social content strategy, while unlocking new commercial opportunities.
ARN chief content officer, Kerri Elstub said: “Ollie is one of the most respected digital and content leaders in the country, with a sharp instinct for what audiences connect with and how culture moves across platforms. As we continue to evolve into a true entertainment company, video will play an increasingly important role in how our content is created, experienced and shared.
Ollie will be instrumental in scaling that capability, amplifying the content we create every day in new and innovative ways, while also unlocking original formats and revenue opportunities beyond broadcast.”
Wards said: “You’re reading this, but next time it’ll be an awesome video in your feed! I’m excited to be driving video and social for iHeart and some of Australia’s most loved personalities and brands, plus building some new ones. We’ll be evolving how ARN makes great content for wherever audiences discover it. You’ll see!”
