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Foxtel COO Rohan Lund to depart

Former Seven exec to depart Foxtel amid "flatter executive" internal re-structure.

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Former Seven West Media exec Rohan Lund, who joined Foxtel as its Chief Operating Officer in 2013, will depart as Pay TV provider restructures. Presto also moves to management by its joint venture with Seven.

Richard Freudenstein, Foxtel Chief Executive said, “Over the past two years Foxtel has been through unprecedented change to set itself up for future success. We are very proud of what has been achieved in such a short space of time. Significant changes have included a new pricing and packaging structure, the launch of products such as broadband and iQ3 and the establishment of the Presto Entertainment joint venture with Seven West Media.

“As we move from launch of these new businesses and initiatives to the consolidation and growth phase, it has become apparent that we need to put in place a flatter executive structure by appointing senior executives to take direct responsibility for them. At the same time management of Presto Entertainment has moved to the joint venture, which now has its own board and management structure.

“In recent discussions with current COO, Rohan Lund, we have agreed that the group structure no longer requires the COO position and that his role should now be split between different business divisions. Therefore, Rohan has decided to leave Foxtel and look for opportunities elsewhere. Fortunately, Rohan has agreed to remain with the business until September to see through the remaining phase of the programs he has led and to help me with the transition into the new structure, which is outlined below.

“Rohan has been an important part of the executive team during the last two years, building an outstanding team and driving a new energy and direction through his organisation. He has been a key contributor to our successful pricing and packaging strategy, the launch of Broadband and iQ3, reinvigorating Telstra as a key sales channel for Foxtel, and in the negotiation of the joint venture for Presto Entertainment with Seven West Media.”

New Structure
From September, the responsibilities of the COO will be split between the existing CFO division, a new Broadband division and a newly created Product & Operations division.

Andrew Lorken will join as Executive Director of Broadband in September. Andrew comes from Accenture, where he has been a senior partner since 2012. During his time at Accenture, Andrew has worked entirely with NBN Co on their transformation program for all of their non-information technology programs, including construction, network operations, and commercial and business operations. Prior to his time at Accenture, Andrew held senior consulting roles across multiple industries but with a significant focus on the telecommunications sector, including with Telstra, Vodafone and the US based AT&T.

I am also pleased to announce that Moritz von Hauenschild will join Foxtel in September as Executive Director, Product and Operations. Moritz will take on responsibility for Product, Wholesale and Operations and will sit on the Presto Entertainment Board.

Moritz is no stranger to Foxtel, having worked here between 2002-2007 as Head of Product Development, during which time he had responsibility for negotiating content agreements and the development and launch of new digital platforms.

Since leaving Australia in 2007, Moritz worked as a partner for BC Partners, a leading international private equity firm, where he was responsible for all media and entertainment investments globally. During his eight years with BC Partners, Moritz sat on several boards and held senior executive/operational roles in the firm’s three largest media and entertainment investments covering three distinct subscription TV markets: Unitymedia in Germany, Com Hem (Sweden’s largest subscription TV player) and Suddenlink Communications in the USA.

Prior to Foxtel, Moritz worked for six years for the Boston Consulting Group, primarily consulting to media companies (subscription TV companies, broadcasters and major studios) in Germany, Brazil, the U.S. and Australia.

One Response

  1. Yeah, I wouldn’t be trumpeting the “success” of the IQ3. Worst product by-far, that Foxtel or any company has released/or could release to the market. Onto my 3rd box so far, with 2 reboots on an average day.

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