Nine has officially ended its global, down-the-back of every couch search for a new CEO, landing on acting CEO and now former chief financial and strategy officer Matt Stanton.
The Nine Board confirmed Stanton’s appointment after a “comprehensive international search process” involving a high-calibre field of candidates.
Previously he was CEO of Barambah Organics, Chief Transformation Officer at Woolworths, and CEO of Bauer Media (now Are Media). After joining Nine as chief strategy officer in 2022, Stanton has been acting CEO since October 2024.
Stanton replaced Mike Sneesby, who stepped down last year following a turbulent time for Nine amid a long-running review into its organisational culture.
Stanton now leads a restructured Nine, with three divisions: Streaming & Broadcast; Publishing; and Marketplaces.
Amada Laing joined as a managing director of the streaming and broadcast division. Toby Maguire runs the publishing division. Alex Parsons serves as the chief digital officer and managing director – Marketplaces.
Nine chair Catherine West said “The Board is delighted to confirm Matt as the Nine CEO. Following a thorough and competitive recruitment process, Matt was clearly the best credentialed leader to maintain the momentum on our strategic and cultural transformation. He has done an outstanding job as Acting CEO.
“Matt’s mix of strategic and commercial acumen, transformation and media experience, strong values, and an open and collaborative approach to leadership, make him the right person to lead Nine. After developing the Group strategy, Matt has a deep understanding of Nine, our priorities, culture and people and has earned the respect of the senior leadership, the broader workforce, the market and the Board.”
Stanton said “It’s an honour and a privilege to lead the talented and dedicated team at Nine. Nine is a great Australian company that plays a vital role in the national conversation. We have an exciting future, underpinned by the best people and assets in the media sector. We have moved at pace in recent months to strengthen the Group, and I’ve been buoyed by the buy-in from people across the company as we progress our ambitious plans to reset and grow the business. I am committed to continuing to reform and strengthen Nine in the interests of all shareholders and our people.”
