JCDecaux Australia & New Zealand CEO, Steve O’Connor, today announced the appointment of David Watkins as Finance Director.

Watkins has been with JCDecaux for fours years and is currently General Manager, Finance and Company Secretary. He has more than 10 years’ experience in the finance sector, with six of those years spent in the Out-of-Home industry.

During his career prior to JCDecaux, Watkins has worked with Ernst & Young as a Senior Manager in Australia, the UK, US and France. He moved to the mining sector as Group Financial Controller at Evolution Mining and then joined Opus Group in a similar role just after its listing on the ASX. He is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Company Directors and the Governance Institute of Australia.

In his new role at JCDecaux, Watkins will lead the finance and technology teams at JCDecaux in Australia and New Zealand, and retain his Company Secretary duties. He is already part of the executive leadership team.

“David has been an invaluable member of our finance team this year working through the integration of APN Outdoor into JCDecaux and his promotion is well deserved. David will work closely with me and the leadership team to further grow our business in Australia and New Zealand as we continue our path as the leading and most innovative Out-of-Home advertising company in the region,” O’Connor said.

Commenting on his promotion, Watkins said: “I really enjoy the culture and energy at JCDecaux and I’m excited to lead the finance team as we continue to grow.”

Current Chief Finance Officer, Brendan O’Neil, is leaving the business.

“I would like to acknowledge the huge contribution Brendan has made to our business during the last 22 years and wish him all the best for the future,” O’Connor said.