Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.
The Christian O’Connell Show (l-r) Jack Post, Christian O’Connell and Patrina (Patsy) Jones
Christian O’Connell didn’t mince words on air this morning, revealing the emotional intensity behind Jack Post’s unexpected decision to leave The Christian O’Connell Show on GOLD104.3.
“This has been a really intense couple of days. I asked Jack to take Thursday and Friday off to think about it,” O’Connell said. “He told me he didn’t need that time. He was still leaving, which is he literally called me out of the blue with no warning that he was thinking about leaving within 10 days.”
It was a bombshell for listeners and no doubt for The Australian Radio Network (ARN) who, back in 2021, had extended Post’s contract at the network for another four years.
But for O’Connell, who’s helmed the number-one Melbourne breakfast show with Post since launching in 2018, the impact is deeply personal.
Kate O’Connor
Kate O’Connor is to leave BBC Studios, ending a remarkable six-year tenure that saw her lead the international expansion of Bluey to critical acclaim.
O’Connor, as Director of Brands and Commercial at BBC Studios, managed local brand development for the company.
A former lawyer, she has over a decade of experience in the TV industry and played a pivotal role in building BBC Studios’ ANZ licensing operation.
Under her leadership, Bluey has achieved huge commercial success.
Nine has announced the appointment of Brian Gallagher as Commercial Director – Audio to drive the next phase of growth for Nine Radio’s commercial offering.
Gallagher, who has worked as Chief Sales Officer at Southern Cross Austereo, Chief Executive Officer at Ignite Media Brands, is currently the Chairperson of Boomtown.
His new appointment is part of a refreshed sales structure that will come into effect from July 1, 2025.
The restructure is designed to leverage Nine’s scale and cross-platform reach across Total TV, Total Publishing and Total Audio.
Anathea Ruys and Lisa McMillan
UM Australia has appointed Lisa McMillan as Managing Director, Government, to oversee the agency’s work across the Australian Federal Government and ACT Government accounts.
McMillan replaces Brett Elliott, who left the agency earlier this year.
Her remit includes strategic leadership of UM’s Government practice, overseeing the Federal and ACT Government accounts and guiding a national team of over 80 specialists in policy-driven media communications and public sector engagement.
Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, has appointed Michael McEwan as Director of Droga5 Melbourne, effective late May 2025.
He brings nearly three decades of experience in the marketing industry, having held senior roles both in Australia and internationally.
McEwan joins the Droga5 ANZ leadership team from M&C Saatchi Group, where he spent five years – most recently serving as CEO of M&C Saatchi AUNZ. Under his leadership, the agency secured major clients and delivered award winning campaigns, earning accolades at D&AD, Cannes Lions, One Show, and multiple Effies in 2024.
Lee Leggett and Lindsay Bennett
Clemenger BBDO has appointed Lindsay Bennett as Head of Brand and Communications, a newly created role designed to accelerate growth and shape the agency’s next chapter following the integration of CHEP Network, Clemenger BBDO and Traffik.
She will work closely with CEO Lee Leggett and the leadership team to define how the newly formed Clemenger BBDO shows up in market. Her remit spans brand, communications and new business, with a sharp focus on translating earned media into business growth.
Bennett joins Clemenger BBDO after returning to Australia from New York, where she was Vice President of Corporate Communications at GALE.
Thinkerbell has marked the departure of its very first employee, Emma O’Leary, in true Thinkerbell fashion, by (temporarily) rebranding the agency to O’Learybell.
O’Leary, who joined on day one and has been instrumental in shaping the agency’s culture, is leaving to become Head of People at QT Hotels.
Co-founder Adam Ferrier said the one-day rebrand is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to O’Leary’s lasting impact on the business: “The thing we will miss most about Emma is her laugh which is why we have dedicated the bar at Thinkerbell South to be forever named in her honour.”
Tahlia Phillips and Chantelle Schmidt
Vinyl Group has announced the appointment of Tahlia Phillips as Head of Publishing at Vinyl Media, in a move that signals the company’s ambition to build one of Australia’s most influential cultural media portfolios.
Phillips steps into the newly created role after nearly a decade at Concrete Playground, where she served as General Manager. She joined Vinyl Media following the group’s acquisition of the leading digital city guide earlier in 2025.
Vinyl Media has also appointed Chantelle Schmidt as Editorial Director for Refinery29 Australia, marking the platform’s return to the local market.
Schmidt brings more than 15 years of experience across publishing, branded content, social, podcasting, and affiliate strategy. She has worked with brands including Elle, Popsugar, Netflix, and Mamamia, and previously led branded and e-commerce content across Pedestrian Group’s suite of titles. She also worked on Refinery29 during its previous Australian iteration.
Are Media has appointed Nisar Malik as Head of Sales, Victoria, effective 26 May 2025. The move is part of the company’s strategy to enhance its digital capabilities and drive advertising growth across its omnichannel platform.
With over 25 years of experience in media sales across digital, television, and cross-platform channels, Malik will lead sales operations for Victoria. He will report to Anna Quinn, Director of Sales, and collaborate with Are Media’s national sales leadership team to implement the company’s commercial strategy.
Malik joins from his previous roles at Nine Network, where he was Group Business Director, and ViacomCBS (now Paramount) as National Sales Director. He also held the position of Sports Sales Director at Network Ten.
Jamie Gilbert-Smith
Nine has confirmed the departure of Jamie Gilbert-Smith, Director of Trade Marketing, following a strategic restructure of the Trade Marketing team.
In a note to staff shared this week, Matt James, Chief Sales Officer, acknowledged the “tough decision” to realign parts of the business, resulting in the disestablishment of the Director of Trade Marketing role.
“After careful consideration, and as part of our ongoing efforts to align our business needs, we have made the tough decision to restructure the Trade Marketing team, impacting the role of Director of Trade Marketing,” the internal email read.
Since joining Nine nearly three years ago, Gilbert-Smith has played a key role in evolving the company’s Trade Marketing strategy, leading efforts to bolster the brand’s presence in market.
The Pistol has appointed Tudor Stefanescu to the role of Head of Owned Channels.
In the newly created role at the digital marketing agency, Stefanescu will be responsible for leading and growing The Pistol’s owned channel offering and SEO function, with a focus on content, email automation and loyalty.
He will work closely with The Pistol’s performance team to unite its paid and owned offerings to deliver strategic omnichannel solutions for clients.
Zitcha has appointed Alberto Vergara to the newly created role of head of data and AI.
Vergara will drive the unified retail media platform’s AI innovation program by implementing predictive analytics to anticipate consumer needs, developing AI-powered recommendation engines to better match brands with high-intent audiences, and creating autonomous optimisation tools that elevate campaign performance.
With more than 25 years of software engineering computer science and AI experience, Vergara joins Zitcha from Quantium, a global leader in data science and artificial intelligence, where he served as an engineering lead for over two years.
Paper Moose has appointed Hannah Day as its new Head of Production.
She joins the independent B corp full service agency from Hogarth Australia, where she served as Executive Producer. She brings over a decade of experience in both large-scale and independent agencies, she has led production across major brands including Suncorp Group, Vodafone, Subaru, and Nestlé.
In her new role, Day will spearhead the growth and evolution of Paper Moose’s production capabilities, ensuring the agency remains at the forefront of industry trends with smart, sustainable solutions. Her focus will be on delivering added value for clients at every stage of the production process.
Lani Cush and Jacob Arnott
We The People has appointed Lani Cush as its new Client Service Director.
She is known for her ability to merge deep strategic thinking with bold creative execution and brings close to two decades in client service and strategy to the social-first agency.
Cush joins We The People from her recent role as Strategy Partner at Sunday Gravy, with previous senior experience as Head of Strategy at Think HQ & Hardhat prior.
Her extensive experience in social and digital marketing, audience engagement, and business transformation will be invaluable in scaling We The People’s strategic capabilities and driving even greater results for client partners.
AGENCY has promoted Tom Ormes to the newly created role of Group Chief Creative Officer (CCO), overseeing creative strategy across its growing international footprint.
Previously Executive Creative Director at DO. AUS, Ormes’ elevation supports the agency’s expansion plans, including the launch of its UK office later in 2025.
The move consolidates creative leadership across DO’s offices in Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the forthcoming UK operation. Ormes brings nearly 30 years of global experience from markets including New York, Dubai, and across Asia.
Scott Sargeant, Zaneta Pawlik and Crystal Ku
Wildstone has made three key appointments to its Australia team. The new recruits include Scott Sargeant as Commercial Director, Zaneta Pawlik as Strategy and Operations Director and Crystal Ku as Senior Legal Counsel, expanding the team to six.
Sargeant joined Wildstone from oOh!media, where he spent more than 17 years. He began at the firm with a role in sales, before moving into billboard product management and later into commercial negotiations.
At Wildstone, he will focus on growing the company’s national billboard portfolio through acquisitions, partnerships and the strategic digitisation of existing sites.
Incubeta has promoted Lani Cummins as Managing Director of its Australian and New Zealand operations, as the business expands its presence across Australia and the wider APAC region.
Cummins joined the global digital marketing group during its launch in Australia over 13 years ago and has played an instrumental role in the business’s evolution – from borrowed desks and a five-client roster to a national agency with a growing regional presence.
He has been pivotal in shaping the office’s strategic direction, talent culture, and client relationships – helping grow the business more than fivefold in that time.