Boomtown has appointed TV sales executive and regional media specialist Nathan Patrick as its new chairman. He succeeds Andrew “Billy” Baxter has stepped down to focus on the international growth of his business, the 24 Hour Business Plan, as well as other board roles.
Patrick takes on the role as Boomtown chairman in addition to his current role as Nine commercial director – regional. His appointment as Boomtown chair is effective from 10 August.
Patrick is a regional media specialist and advocate with nearly two decades of industry experience across WIN Television and Nine. He has held leadership roles at WIN, including Sydney sales director and commercial director and then transitioned into a regional TV leadership role at Nine. Patrick has been involved with Boomtown since its inception, serving on the SteerCo to promote the value of regional media to national advertisers.
“Appointing an internal Chair brings Boomtown’s wealth of regional knowledge and industry expertise even closer to the centre of its decision-making and harnesses the collective’s unrivalled regional expertise. We would also like to sincerely thank outgoing Chairman Andrew ‘Billy’ Baxter for his passion, advocacy and leadership during his tenure,” said the Boomtown collective.
“I’m honoured that the Boomtown collective has entrusted me with the role of Chairman. Having spent nearly two decades in regional media, I’ve seen firsthand how Boomtown has transformed perceptions of regional Australia and firmly established it as a key and growing market for advertisers,” said Patrick.
During his tenure at Boomtown, outgoing chairman Andrew ‘Billy’ Baxter led several initiatives including the landmark Boomtown Spend Snapshot report, created by Boomtown in partnership with CommBank iQ. The report found that regional consumers consistently outspend across major categories, including groceries, petrol, home and lifestyle, with many categories also recording faster growth in regional areas.
He was also involved in the formation of the inaugural Boomtown Insiders advisory council, designed to nurture budding industry talent.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to lead the Boomtown collective over the past year and to work alongside such a passionate group of people who are deeply committed to championing regional Australia,” said Baxter.
“I leave the role immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together and with complete confidence in Boomtown’s future. I’ll continue to be one of regional media’s biggest supporters and look forward to celebrating the collective’s many successes in the years ahead.”
