The driving force behind The Australian Financial Review’s digital transformation, Fiona Buffini, has been appointed Editor of the nation’s premium business, finance and political publication.
Buffini will succeed the Financial Review’s longest-serving Editor, Paul Bailey, who last month announced his resignation after 11 years leading the masthead and who will finish in the role at the end of this week.
Her appointment follows a competitive internal and external application process.
Buffini joined the Financial Review nearly 25 years ago. A former chartered accountant, she worked her way up from reporting to editing, including news editor, news director and the masthead’s Deputy Editor (digital).
“I am deeply honoured to join Editor-in-Chief Michael Stutchbury and Managing Editor Cosima Marriner to lead the best newsroom in the country,” Buffini said. “I am excited to continue the Financial Review’s digital evolution, to find new audiences for our indispensable reporting and to build on the extraordinary achievements of editor Paul Bailey.”
Welcoming her appointment, Stutchbury said: “No-one knows the ins and outs of the Financial Review newsroom better than Fiona. She is totally across the Financial Review’s news agenda, its position in Australian media and its role in supporting a more prosperous nation.
“Her unique combination of reporting, editing, and newsroom management experience and her track record in devising and driving the Financial Review’s digital transformation makes her the natural leader of the masthead’s next phase of growth.”
James Chessell, Nine’s Managing Director of Publishing, added: “Huge congratulations to Fiona who has been a star from the moment she joined the Financial Review during the first term of the Howard administration. She is blessed with a remarkable work ethic and unflappable temperament as well as a determination to maintain the masthead’s strong digital growth. I look forward to her already significant contribution to the Financial Review becoming even greater.”
For the past two years as Deputy Editor (digital), Buffini has led the team responsible for the Financial Review’s digital platforms, including afr.com, the Financial Review app, newsletters, and podcasts.
As News Director and Digital Editor between 2015 and 2020, Buffini positioned the Financial Review to accelerate its digital transformation during the pandemic, expanding live coverage and building on the masthead’s digital newsletters.
Today, the Financial Review has the most digitally-focused audience and subscriber base of any newspaper masthead in Australia. It has the third biggest digital-only audience of any newspaper masthead and the only national newspaper brand to grow its readership over the past year.
