After an impressive ten-year tenure at triple j, Ollie Wards (pictured below) will finish up as triple j Content Director at the end of this week.
In an exciting move for the station, stepping up as the Acting triple j Content Director for the next six months is Laura McAullife (main photo), who has been leading the inimitable triple j Hack team as Executive Producer since 2018.
Ollie Wards has had a decorated decade at triple j, beginning with his stint as triple j Breakfast Producer to Tom & Alex in 2010. Since 2012 Ollie has overseen all aspects of programming, from talent scouting to show development for triple j’s Breakfast and Drive programs, including Matt & Alex, Ben & Liam, Sally & Erica, Veronica & Lewis and Hobba & Hing. He has launched triple j programs like daily new music show Good Nights and sex and relationships program The Hook Up, while also fostering the team at triple j Unearthed and overseeing the huge growth oftriple j’s social channels. Ollie has also been responsible for some of triple j’s most fun content ideas like Requestival and Ausmusic TShirt Day, while showing incredible leadership through important triple j milestones like moving triple j’s Hottest 100 to the fourth weekend of January.
After this huge contribution to triple j and the Australian media landscape, Ollie heads off for new opportunities, including a television drama series inspired by his #1 ABC podcast, Unravel True Crime: Snowball, and we wish him the very best.
Wards commented: “It’s been an absolute honour to work with the best in the biz at triple j, as one of the caretakers of an institution that means so much to our audience and the music industry. I’ll still be listening, but from now on I’ll just have to text in feedback like everyone else!”
Laura McAuliffe began her career as an intern in 2007 at ABC Illawarra, before climbing the ABC ranks and earning the coveted role of ABC Sydney Senior Producer with Robbie Buck. She then went on to work on ABC podcasts such as Ladies We Need to Talk, Fierce Girls and Mindfully as an ABC Audio Studios Supervising Producer. On taking up the role of triple j Hack EP in 2018, Lauraoversaw the development of a hugely talented team, including Tom Tilley and Walkley Award nominee Avani Dias. She’s also been largely responsible for the expansion of the team’s digital content, helping deliver stories like the falsely accused terror suspect Mohamed Kamer Nizadeen, and coordinating the upcoming Four Corners and triple j Hack collaboration.
McAuliffe said: “We’re always standing on the shoulders of giants at triple j. Ollie leaves behind an incredible legacy and big shoes to fill, but I couldn’t be more excited to step up and continue the good work.”
As Wards heads off on Friday, he leaves triple j in a strong position, with the station’s ratings at an all-time high in 2020. With an ongoing focus on digital growth, our online presence is also stronger than ever, with triple j ranking as the #1 radio station in Australia on social media platforms and Spotify. We look forward to more of this success under Laura McAullife’s guidance for the remainder of the year.
