Pedestrian Group, Australia’s largest youth-focused publisher, has announced the appointment of Brad Esposito to lead the next phase of the VICE brand in Australia and New Zealand, effective immediately.
A respected editor, presenter and strategist, Esposito was part of the founding team of BuzzFeed Australia, where he spent almost six years helping grow the brand’s foothold in the market and made a name for himself reporting on internet culture and medical cannabis, in particular.
Following BuzzFeed’s editorial closure in 2019, Esposito went on to spend time as Senior Reporter at PEDESTRIAN.TV before being appointed the first director of content at one of Australia’s fastest-growing companies – telehealth startup Eucalyptus – where he’s been the last two years.
Reporting directly to Pedestrian Group publisher Vanessa Lawrence in his new role, Esposito will be responsible for the iconic youth brand’s voice, mission and strategy across all platforms, and is currently recruiting for a team of four that will include current VICE Senior Reporter and award-winning young journalist Gavin Butler.
Of his appointment, Esposito said: “I’m thrilled to be leading the charge at VICE Australia, especially at a time where there’s so much opportunity in Australian media.”
“Everyone knows VICE ’s roots of deep, culture reporting and its unique voice, and now it’s up to our team to innovate and experiment with what that means in 2021 and beyond. The media world has changed a lot since VICE launched, and the future is all about asking ourselves how (and where) our audience consumes content – and meeting them there.”
“It’s a challenge all publishers are facing, but one that VICE is uniquely positioned to grab by the scruff of the neck. I can’t wait to get started.”
Lawrence said of Esposito’s appointment: “Ushering in the next phase of the VICE brand in Australia and New Zealand relies on the perfect team; for us, that starts with Brad as our head of editorial. Few people can match his depth of knowledge about internet culture, which makes him uniquely positioned to lead the charge on telling VICE stories in new and exciting ways. We’re excited to bring both our readers and commercial clients something unique.”
Myki Slonim, president of VICE Digital across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, added: “Australia abounds in fascinating stories, characters and talent. With the ever-accomplished Brad now on board as Head of Editorial, VICE readers can look forward to more culturedefining content and innovative storytelling across the platforms.”
The announcement comes after Pedestrian Group inked a long-term partnership with VICE Media Group to be the exclusive publishing and commercial partner for VICE Australia and Refinery29 Australia – which launched on July 29 – in the Australia and New Zealand markets.
