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Seven exec named new TEN CEO, Packer quits board

Updated: Seven's sales exec James Warburton is appointed TEN CEO, with generous parting words from David Leckie. Meanwhile James Packer quits the board.

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James Warburton, chief sales and digital officer of Seven Media Group, has been appointed chief executive at Ten Holdings while James Packer has resigned from the board.

Warburton will assume the role from 14 July 2011 when he also joins the board.

Ten Holdings Chairman, Brian Long said: “James is a high calibre media executive with an enviable track record in television and digital media sales. He has forged an exemplary reputation in the media sector in Australia and has strong relationships within the media and advertising community.”

Ten Network Holdings Limited also announced the resignation of James Packer as a director of the Company, effective immediately. Ten Holdings group chief financial officer, John Kelly, will also leave the company this month to be replaced by Paul Anderson, currently chief financial officer of television.

The changes follow major upheaval within TEN including changes to shareholders and board, declining ratings and revenue.

Warburton has been very successful at Seven and frequently named as one of several possible successors to Seven CEO David Leckie.

Warburton’s contract with Seven was up for renewal.

Update: Seven’s David Leckie releases a statement that wishes him well:

“We’re sorry to lose him.

“We are acknowledged as having the best management team in media – with great people in key roles at Seven, Pacific Magazines and Yahoo!7.

“We’ll be making some announcements in the coming days that will underline and confirm the
strength and depth of our management team across Seven Media Group.”

Source: AdNews, The Australian

34 Responses

  1. Secret Squirrel and Kenny are right, James Packer will still have a hand in any decisions going forward, they’ll just be at arms length, though resigning just so you don’t offend Kerry Stokes seems a bit rich to me – especially since it happened on the same day as Warburton’s (what a coup!) hiring – its too obvious, something else must be at play.

  2. Packer walked out as he didn’t agree with the appointment of a Seven executive as TEN CEO due to Packer’s odd cozy arrangement with Kerry Stokes regarding their agreement to not poach staff from each other – according to ABC AM.

  3. what the hell is happening over there?

    A note to TEN… If something rates well.. leave it in the same timeslot and night! There done… now can i get a six figure salary like the rest of them?

  4. I wouldn’t be clapping my hands with glee regarding the future direction (or existance) of OneHD. Packer may no longer be a board-member but he still holds a 9% stake, as does Murdoch. Both of them still have considerable clout and, if they can get Bruce Gordon on-side, will have between them nearly 40% of the shareholdings.

    I’m actually more concerned now that Packer is taking a back seat as it will permit him to act at arms length and be better able to avoid any problems with the ACCC if OneHD is replaced by Sky News.

  5. James Packer must be putting together some other big deal, so as to avoid possible perceived conflicts of interest?
    Times in TV land are getting interesting again.
    Another person to watch will be ‘Ol Man Bruce Gordon, will he gobble up Nine or make a full tilt for TEN?
    Time will tell?

  6. Graeme Samuels needs to check this development carefully as I suspect it’s an attempt to look like arms length dealings are happening but the conflict of interest for LM, JP and the rest seems too much in the ONE/PMG saga

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