Seven’s new business model sees Adelaide MD Vikki Friscic take on the newly-created role of head of sales strategy and enablement as chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette, chief marketing and audience officer Melissa Hopkins and head of sport and Melbourne MD Lewis Martin head out the door.
Seven West Media has overhauled its operating model by separating its television business, Digital and ring-fencing its Western Australia operation.
Yesterday, B&T reported that three high-profile executive leaders – Burnette, Hopkins and Martin – had been made redundant amid a cost-cutting exercise that could see up to 150 roles slashed.
Under the new model, SWM will have three divisions: Television, Digital and Western Australia.
Seven’s chief content officer, entertainment programming, Angus Ross, has been appointed Group MD of Seven Television.
SWM chief digital officer Gereurd Roberts takes on the new role of Group MD, Seven Digital. And Maryna Fewster continues as CEO of SWM Western Australia, responsible for its broadcast, digital and print brands in a state in which Seven dominates the media landscape.
Other management changes include the appointment of Brook Hall as Seven Network’s chief content officer; he was previously Seven’s Director of Content Scheduling.
Seven Adelaide managing director Vikki Friscic will take on the newly-created role of head of sales strategy and enablement.
Friscic joined Seven a year ago and is the former leader of Carat in South Australia. She brings extensive experience working on the agency side and in TV.
Trent Dickeson, currently director of operations and transformation, has been appointed to the new role of chief operating officer, and acting chief financial officer Craig Haskins has been given the role on a full time basis.
Howard: ‘We Needed To Change’
SWM managing director and CEO Jeff Howard said restructure was designed to “build a better media business and to make the most of the opportunities ahead of us, we need to change the way we think and operate. That includes changing the way our executive team is structured and how it works together.”
He added: “We’re setting up new, accountable and transparent profit centres for our Television and Digital business units. The dedicated, end-to-end digital business unit will make sure we capture all the growth digital is going to deliver. Television and Digital will work very closely with our content teams to ensure we maximise the digital growth opportunity as it develops. We’re also appointing a Chief Operating Officer to drive continuous improvement and efficiencies.
“We now have three clear divisions covering Television, Digital and WA. They will be supported by executives and teams working across all three to achieve stronger cooperation, consistency and the best possible results for everyone.
Howard thanked Burnette, Lewis and Hopkins for their more than 65 years of combined experience at Seven.
While disappointed to make the moves, he said: “Our focus, however, is on ensuring Seven West Media’s structure matches our strategy to optimise television, deliver our digital future, find new revenue streams and manage our costs responsibly.
“In his 34 years at Seven, Kurt played a key role in building the best Sales team in the business, leading us to market leading revenue share, and bringing important innovations to market for our clients. He has also championed the industry’s adoption of total TV and converged trading, which are critical to our future.
“Across three decades at Seven and most recently as head of sport, Lewis and his team have made Seven the first choice for Australians when it comes to sport on TV, be it AFL, cricket, Supercars, the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games or any of the many other sports across the screens of Seven. They are the reason Seven is Australia’s home of sport. Lewis was also a vital part of our work with the Big Freeze and the Royal Children’s Hospital Telethon.
“Melissa made a significant difference to the way Seven takes itself to market and how we talk to both viewers and advertisers. In 15 months, she built a new marketing and creative team, led key marketing and brand initiatives and helped refocus Seven as a digital first business.”
