Australian youth-focused publisher, Pedestrian Group, has announced its appointment of VICE brand’s new leadership team in Australia and New Zealand, effective immediately.
The quintet will be led by head of editorial, Brad Esposito, who will report directly to Pedestrian Group publisher, Vanessa Lawrence.
Other appointments include senior video producer, Nick Wray (formerly of Network 10 and BuzzFeed), award-winning journo and new senior news reporter, Gavin Butler, multimedia reporter, Arielle Richards, and writer and producer, Julie Fenwick (formerly of Acclaim Magazine).
“VICE made a name for itself uncovering the stories at the edge of life: under-reported, unseen, and unknown,” said Esposito (main photo, third from left).
“The challenge for our team, and what we’re already working hard on, is rethinking the iconic VICE approach for right now.
“That means telling stories in a multi-platform way, while speaking to our audience where they actually are; expect to see VICEAU all over the internet this year, as we try out new formats, ideas, and reporting beats that speak to a generation that has been screwed over by a huge number of institutions – whether it’s housing, climate, politics or culture.”
Lawrence (main photo, second from left) added: “Between them, Brad, Julie, Nick, Gavin, and Arielle have the perfect amount of experience, hunger, and internet literacy to lead the next big boom of digital storytelling across VICE Australia and its many channels.
“It’s going to be a huge year for the team, and we’re excited to hit the ground running.”
The appointments follow Pedestrian Group inking a long-term partnership with VICE Media Group in March last year to be the exclusive publishing and commercial partner for VICE Australia and Refinery29 Australia in the ANZ markets.
