The long-serving former NRMA chief executive fills the void left by previous CEO Jeff Howard.
Rohan Lund, who has held leadership roles at Seven West Media, Foxtel and Yahoo7, has been appointed managing director and chief executive of Southern Cross Media.
Lund is charged with leading the newly merged media group comprising Seven Network, the West Australian newspaper, radio networks Triple M and Hit, and the Listnr audio platform.
This will include the consolidation of the group’s TV, radio and digital businesses, including the vastly different cultures, finding $30 million in cost saving, creating a one-stop shop multimedia brand platform that is attractive to advertisers and a stronger push into regional Australia.
As part of the leadership reshuffle, John Kelly, who served as acting CEO since Jeff Howard was suddenly ousted in February, will return to leading the audio division.
Southern Cross Media chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise will revert back to a non-executive chairman role once Lund takes the CEO reins in May.
Lund—who will start on a base salary of $1.3 million—joined the Southern Cross Media board in February alongside former oOh!media chief Cathy O’Connor, who was once tipped as a contender for the vacant CEO role.
He brings decades of experience leading large corporations in the media, telco and insurance sector.
Most recently, Lund served as NRMA chief executive from 2016 to 2025, where he transformed the business into a diversified transport, tourism and services group, with a strong focus on digital capability, brand trust, sustainability and member experience.
Prior to the NRMA, he held senior executive leadership roles across Australia’s media and telecommunications sectors, including chief operating officer of Foxtel, group chief operating officer of Seven West Media, founding chief executive officer of Yahoo!7, and chief strategy officer at Singtel Optus.
“Building trust and connections through powerful media brands is a privilege and has never been more important. These are brands with deep legacies, powered by passionate people who care deeply about their audiences, their communities and each other,” Lund said on LinkedIn.
“Super excited to work with the team to grow these brands and create even more value for listeners, viewers, partners and shareholders. Thank you to the Board for putting your trust in me.”
Mackay-Cruise said: “Rohan brings deep media experience, digital and technology-enabled transformation capability, and values-driven leadership skills.
He has led complex organisations through significant change, while maintaining a strong focus on culture, trust and long-term value creation.”
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