Southern Cross Media Group has hired Mamamia chief executive Natalie Harvey to the newly-created role of chief revenue officer, effective September.
She will fill the void left by chief commercial officer Sebastian Rennie, whose role was made redundant.
Harvey will be replaced by Luca Lavigne, the 28 year old son of co-founders Mia Freedman and Jase Lavigne, has worked at Mamamia for more than a decade, rising from content producer to COO and chief product officer, and now CEO.
Southern Cross said the creation of the chief revenue officer role “aligns with a newly streamlined operating model designed to accelerate growth opportunities across the business and support SCA’s evolving commercial strategy, with a sharp focus on digital transformation”.
Reporting directly to managing director and chief executive officer Rohan Lund, Harvey will lead SCA’s commercial strategy with a heavy in-market focus, driving premium revenue and active business development. She is uniquely positioned to lead commercial growth across SCA’s unified national portfolio, bringing deep expertise across both television and audio platforms and a proven track record of building digital commercial businesses.
Harvey brings more than 20 years of media experience, holding senior leadership roles across both major publisher and agency sectors.
Most recently, Harvey served as CEO Mamamia after initially joining the group as chief revenue officer in January 2024. At Mamamia, Harvey will be succeeded by Luca Lavigne.
Prior to this, she was the national sales director at Seven West Media. She also brings extensive agency experience, including over nine years at UM Australia where she was promoted to general manager, and earlier media-buying and investment roles at MediaCom.
“There is some fantastic momentum across the group right now and an enormous opportunity once we bring together the power of the combined group in content and advertising. As we evolve our operating model to bring decision-making closer to our products and customers, creating the chief revenue officer role ensures we have single-minded leadership over our national commercial strategy,” Lund said.
“Natalie brings an extraordinary depth of media experience and a proven track record across both publisher and agency sectors. Her exceptional skill set in building digital commercial businesses, paired with her deep expertise across television, audio and publishing platforms, makes her the ideal leader to unlock the full potential of our combined strengths and drive our digital transformation forward.”
Harvey said: “What really excites me about the role is the combination of trusted brands, talented people and a clear ambition for the future. The business has an incredible opportunity to unlock the full potential of its combined strengths, creating even greater value for audiences and brand partners. Rohan has a compelling vision for the future, and I’m excited to work alongside the team to help deliver on that ambition.”
Harvey joins Southern Cross Media Group at a challenging time for legacy TV and audio companies. Recently, Southern Cross announced it would cut up to 300 roles across the business to save $150 million.
Rennie has worked at SCA since February 2023, where he has led the audio sales teams through a period of transformation. He is widely respected commercial leader who served as chief investment officer of WPP Media in Australia and Canada.
