Tim Worner appointed Seven West Media CEO

Seven Network CEO Tim Worner will also become CEO of parent group Seven West Media from July 1st, replacing outgoing CEO Don Voelte.

Voelte was appointed nearly twelve months ago following the resignation of David Leckie and remains as a Board Director and Non-Executive Deputy Chairman.

Seven West Media includes Seven Network, The West Australian, Pacific Magazines and a joint venture with Yahoo, Inc.

Chairman Kerry Stokes said: “We are delighted that Tim has accepted this role as Chief Executive Officer of Seven West Media. He deserves it. He’s the right man for the job. He is an outstanding executive and has played a key role in Seven’s success.

“Tim’s intimate knowledge of the creation of content provides him with the experience to ensure Seven West Media’s continuing success as the company evolves, grows and meets the challenges of a changing consumer market. On a personal note, I have known Tim from my first days as a shareholder in Seven.

“He has accepted and met every challenge put to him over the past eighteen years.

“At Seven West Media’s recent investor day, the company’s management team presented its strategies and approach to building our media and content businesses over the coming years. We are well-placed.

“Tim will be leading a great management team and guiding our strategy, our people and our products as we further build Seven West Media.”

Formerly the head of Programming at Seven, Tim Worner said: “This is an exciting time for these businesses. There is no question we are undergoing rapid change in our marketplace and it is clear we must respond to the change. But we will do it knowing that these businesses are driven by passion and by people who really care about what they create each day. To be able to work even more closely with the best brands and the best people in their respective fields is a privilege. It’s a role I am both humbled and thrilled to take on.”

Mr Worner began his career at Seven as a journalist with Seven News in Perth. Following a career in television production including his role as Head of Sport for Seven in Melbourne and Head of Production for the Seven Network, he was appointed Director of Programming and Production in late 2002. Mr Worner and his team in programming and production have completed a clean sweep of television ratings in primetime over the past seven years and the successful introduction of new digital channels on Seven’s broadcast television platform. Mr Worner was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Broadcast Television, for Seven West Media in 2011.

In his new role as Chief Executive Officer of Seven West Media, Mr Worner will guide the development of Australia’s biggest and best-performing multiple platform media and audience company across the Seven Network, The West Australian, Pacific Magazines and the company’s Yahoo!7 joint venture with Yahoo, Inc.

The company’s media presence stretches across three television channels on its broadcast television digital platform, one of Australia’s two biggest magazine publishing companies, Australia’s best-performing newspaper and new developments driving Seven West Media’s presence in online and new media technologies.

Mr Stokes added: “Twelve months ago, on behalf of our board, I asked Don Voelte, as one of our non-executive directors, to take on a most challenging role for our business. As Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Seven West Media, he has made an outstanding contribution implementing some fundamental changes to ensure our company meets the demands of a rapidly changing media landscape.

“Don has always been quite clear that his management role at Seven West Media was only for the short-term and that his job was to put in place the structures and people that allowed the company to meet the challenges of the future. He was honest. He was right on his timings. He has delivered. Don is an outstanding business executive and on behalf of the board, our people, and our shareholders, I thank him. Don will remain closely involved with Seven West Media and I look forward to his continuing role with the company.”

Don Voelte AO will have a continuing involvement with Seven West Media as a Director on the Board of the company and has accepted the role of Non-Executive Deputy Chairman, to which he has been appointed by the board effective 1 July 2013.

Mr Voelte said: “Over the past twelve months, our management and all of our people have stepped up to the plate in a difficult market. We have made tremendous progress. We have the best brands and people in the media. And I know in Tim, we have the right man to lead Seven West Media.”

Tim Worner will take on his new role from 1 July 2013.