2021: Women Behind TV

In 2010, 2013 and 2016 TV Tonight filed on Women Behind TV.

Now on International Women’s Day is the fourth instalment noting key decision makers at Australian broadcasters.

Beverley McGarvey, Chief Content Officer & EVP, ViacomCBS Australia & New Zealand remembers joining 10 in 2006 from her role as  Director of Programming at TV3 NZ, where  the majority of programmers were women and one CEO was female.

“When I came here, it was often said to me, ‘It’s quite a male dominated industry.’ But I had never experienced that before because I’d worked in different markets. I do recall an instance where we had an LA screenings dinner and the programmers and the CEOs were all there. Everyone else at the table was male. That said, it was great dinner, and they were all very evolved, brilliant, guys. There was no problem with it, but it was just an observation in the gender mix.

“That’d probably be slightly different these days, and of course there’s people like Amanda Laing doing a phenomenal job at Foxtel. So there are definitely more women in senior role than there were then. I think probably we are not as advanced as some other markets. My boss is a woman. I work for Maria Kyriacou, who is the president of our cluster. The president of our streaming group, Kelly Day is also female. So there’s a lot of very senior, competent executive women at ViacomCBS.”

In 2021 diversity and inclusion extends to much more than gender parity.

“Obviously, representation on screen is one of the key pillars, because need to be able to see yourself on TV. Also, it is the right thing to do, not just for your audience, but commercially. Shows are better when you have a broader group of contestants. If everybody is the same, it’s boring. It is just better TV. When MasterChef & Amazing Race has a range of contestants, it is just more interesting,” she continues.

“There are certain shows that are harder to get the diversity you might like, because of the tone of the show. But we work hard, not just with our reality shows but in our dramas.”

As part of ViacomCBS global the Australian / NZ company also undertakes initiatives for staff including Champions of Change, Reconciliation Action Plan and more. There is also a ‘No Diversity / No Commission’ strategy which encompasses both on & off screen representation.

“Really what that’s about is making sure that your production partners understand what’s important. You don’t want to get pitched a management team for a show, that’s all one gender. We do so much work with production partners, and there are different types of people coming through their structures, so that you get diversity of thought and diversity of experience. It’s more about working with each production, to ensure that it matters to us. We’re the commissioners, so it has to matter to them.

“Most of the production companies here are actually very forthcoming in working with us on that. The big production companies all have global parent companies, instigating the same sorts of initiatives themselves.”

ABC

Entertainment & Specialist:

Jennifer Collins, Head Factual & Culture
Sally Riley, Head Drama, Entertainment & Indigenous
Libbie Doherty, Head Children’s Production
Roberta Allan, Head Content Curation & Distribution
Georgina Waite, Head Content Business
Manda Hatter, Head Operations
Julie Hanna, Manager Factual
Chloe Cassidy, Acting Manager Development & Partnerships
Kalita Corrigan, EP Arts
Cath Dwyer, Manager Radio National
Julie Browning, Manager Society & Culture
Louise Smith, Executive Producer, Drama & Comedy
Rebecca Anderson, Development Manager
Margaret Ross, Executive Producer, Indigenous content
Rachel Millar, EP Entertainment
Fran O’Riordan, EP Factual Entertainment
Jan Stradling, Executive Producer, Children’s TV
Mary-Ellen Mullane, EP Children’s
Amanda Isdale, Development & Coproduction Manager, ABC Children’s
Laura McAuliffe, Manager triple j, Unearthed and Hack
Meagan Loader, Manager Double J, rage and ABC Country
Natalie Edgar, Channel Manager (ABC TV, ABC TV Plus, NEWS)
Sacha Gregson, Head Content Investment & Policy

Other parts of the ABC:

Leisa Bacon, Director Audiences
Judith Whelan, Director Regional & Local
Jocelin Abbey, Head Marketing
Alicia Olsen-Keating, Head Audience Data & Insights
Jo Mullaley, Head Audience Planning
Kath Earle, Head Screen, Sport & Events
Lee Glendinning, Head Content Curation & Platforms
Di Constantini, Head ABC Made
Helen Clifton, Chief Digital & Information Officer
Melanie Kleyn, Chief Financial Officer

Seven

Seven West Media is proud to announce it has joined with UN Women Australia as the Australian broadcast partner for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021. The partnership will see Seven West Media supporting key IWD events around Australia in the lead up to and on 5 March, three days before IWD. Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: “We’re proud to enter into this partnership with UN Women Australia in support of International Women’s Day 2021. For us, this is a natural partnership: our workforce has a 50-50 gender balance and over half of our managers are female. We’re honoured to join forces with UN Women Australia to celebrate International Women’s Day.”

Julia Quinn Business Manager
Charlotte Valente Chief Marketing Officer
Carley Angel Chief of Staff
Katie McGrath Chief People and Culture Officer
Edie Li Commercial Analyst, Digital Content/Device Partners and Product & Tech
Kate Ayoub Commercial Analyst, Digital Sales
Michele Santamaria Commercial Analyst, Group Broadcast Operations & IT
Amanda Munce Commercial Content Manager
Lisa Deringowski Commercial Content Manager
Michelle Tran Commercial Content Manager
Brenda Chau Content Operations Manager, 7plus
Alicia McQuilty Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Emma Dallimore Deputy News Director
Malin Lilleskare Digital Ad Ops Manager
Natalie Harvey Network Sales Director
Samantha Augeard Director
Kerry Parcell Director of Revenue and Operations
Davanh Inthachanh Director People & Culture
Heidi De Boer Director, Marketing
Sylvia D’Souza Executive Producer
Sarah Stinson Executive Producer The Morning Show
Kim Samuel Financial Controller
Alison Sandy FOI Editor
Rebecca Barnett General Counsel – Digital and Technology
Danni Hickox Group Sales Manager
Jessica Britten Group Sales Manager
Katherine Wright Group Sales Manager
Rahshina Prentice Group Sales Manager
Sage Croston Group Sales Manager
Andy Killeen Group Sales Manager, Adelaide
Martine Lozevski Head of Campaign Management
Bonnie Mui Head of Commercial Inventory
Shani Kugenthiran Head of Commercial Product
Homaira Razi Head of 7plus Programming
Simone Green Head of Consumer Marketing
Julie McGauran Head of Drama
Emelia Millward Head of Insights, Audience Intelligence
Samantha Johnston Head of IT and Networks
Caroline Campbell Head of Marketing 7QLD
Jessica Hall Head of Media and Trade, Network Marketing
Shan Denham Head of Procurement
Di Fitzgerald Head of Production Seven Brisbane
Clare Gill Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs
Suzanne Fassoulas Head of Reward & Performance
Renee Quirk Head of Sport Business Affairs
Joanna Sutcliffe Head of Strategy, Sydney
Angela Giunta Head of Tax
Shweta Bhatia IT Project Manager
Erin Campbell IT Service Desk Team Leader
Caroline Eagleson Manager, Playout Schedules & Content Preparation
Alison Booth National Publicity Manager
Brittany Stack National Publicity Manager
Kate Amphlett National Publicity Manager
Nicole Bence Network Digital Sales Director
Gemma Acton Network Finance Editor
Ann-Maree Luke Network Trading Manager
Sally Young News Director 7QLD
Angela Paul Playout Schedules Supervisor
Joanna Marie Davey Product Designer, 7plus
Winnie Tsang Product Manager, 7plus
Mandy Roberts Production Supervisor Unscripted
Helen Evans Revenue Operations Trading Manager
Georgie Nichols Sales Director Sydney
Fiona Clark Senior Digital Commercial Product Strategist
Veronique Maury Senior Legal Counsel
Clarissa Chun Senior Sales Executive
Annette Herbert Senior Sales Executive
Lana Blanchard Senior Sales Executive
Rani Eaton Series Producer – Better Homes and Gardens
Lucy Addario Series Producer – Home and Away
Jenny Forsyth Series Producer – Sydney Weekender
Peta McMurray Sport Sales Manager Sydney
Katie Finney Strategy Solutions Director
Kirsty Sprigg Supervising producer
Michelle Vella Supervising producer
Jasmine Kostas Supervising Producer, Sunrise
Monica Lepore Supervising Producer, Sunrise
Flynn Chloe Supervising Producer, The Morning Show
Susannah Mather Sydney Digital Sales Manager
Lucy Brodie UK Programming Manager
Ashlee Mullany US Bureau Chief

Nine:

Nine Executive:
Kylie Blucher Managing Director, Nine Queensland & Northern NSW
Victoria Buchan Director of Communications & Public Relations
Nola Hodgson Head of Investor Relations
Rachel Launders General Counsel & Company Secretary
Vanessa Morley Director, People & Culture
Maria Phillips Chief Financial Officer
Lizzie Young Managing Director, Group Marketing & Local Markets

Programming & Content:
Amielia Casey Head of 9Now Programming & Operations
Tina Diaz Nine Network Executive Producer
Kate Jackson Programming & Acquisitions Manager
Kim Kevans Commercial Director, Programming & Production

News, Current Affairs & Sport:
Kate Donnison Queensland Bureau Chief
Fiona Dear Executive Producer, A Current Affair
Kate Limon Regional News Director
Jacqui Lumb Chief of Staff, Wide World of Sports
Josie McRae Today Show Content Director
Amanda Paterson Queensland News Director
Kirsty Thomson Executive Producer, 60 Minutes

Sales:
Bec Lawrie Sales Director, Nine Queensland
Liana Dubois Director, Nine Powered
Nicki Kenyon Director, Powered Enterprise, Melbourne
Michele O’Neill Director, Powered Enterprise, Sydney
Anna Quinn General Manager, Nine Powered
Davina Stait Head of Research, Digital & Publishing
Sarah Stewart Director, Content Partnerships

Publicity & Marketing:
Kathryn Galvin Head of Brand Marketing
Kellie Hampton Head of Programming & Publicity, NBN
Helena O’Dowd Head of Media and Partnerships
Kristen McGrath Head of Media Talent
Amanda Poulos Head of Publicity

Nine.com.au:
Brooke Bayes Managing Editor, Nine.com.au
Kerri Elstub Editorial Director, Nine Digital

Nine Board:
Samantha Lewis Independent Non-Executive Director
Mickie Rosen Independent Non-Executive Director
Catherine West Independent Non-Executive Director

10:

Beverley McGarvey, Chief Content Officer & EVP, ViacomCBS Australia & New Zealand
Natasha Coxhead, VP Finance (member of the Executive Leadership Team)
Cat Donovan, VP Publicity & Communications (member of the Executive Leadership Team)
Liz Baldwin, General Manager – Digital (member of the Executive Leadership Team)
Catherine Zaharias, Senior Director Pay Brands
Helen Mcmurdo, Senior Director Youth & Entertainment Brands
Lisa Squillace, National Sales Director
Toni Skaife, General Manager TEN Melbourne & General Manager Content Business Affairs
Ange Neville, General Manager & Sales Director – Brisbane
Jean Jenkins, Head Of Marketing Strategy
Diane Ho, Sydney Sales Director
Tamar Hovagimian, Partnership Director Effect
Yeesum Lo, Head Of Development
Azar Marashian, Head of Acquisitions
Sophie Hicks Lloyd, Director of Digital Sales
Sarah Johnson, Head of Publicity
Vida Scott, Head of Communications
Kirsty Wilson, Head of Social Content
Vanessa Arden Wood, Head of Content & Commercial Partnerships
Karen Song, Head of Network Design
Katherine Sawers, Head Of Insights Projects
Amanda Jessup, Head of Network Styling
Rachael Brand, Head of Brand Entertainment Production
Anastasia Cowan, Head Of Enterprise Content And Licensing
Nicole Sinclair, Vice President, South Asia (Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia & India) ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
Caroline Wallace, Head of Commercial Production
Natalie Kerr, Senior Marketing & Optimisation Manager

PRODUCTION
Sarah Thornton, Head of Popular Factual
Hilary Innes, Executive Producer
Cathie Scott, Network Executive Producer
Tamara Simoneau, Executive Producer – Studio 10
Alenka Henry, Co-Executive Producer – The Living Room
Sally Joyce, Co-Executive Producer – The Dog House
Nicole Rogers, Supervising Executive Producer – The Living Room
Rashell Habib, Social & Digital Editor – 10 News First
Holly Green, Executive Editor Queensland – 10 News First
Gerda Jezuchowski, Executive Editor/Producer Adelaide – 10 News First
Nicole Strahan, Executive Editor/Producer Melbourne – 10 News First
Pamella Magill, Executive Editor Perth – 10 News First
Stefanie Sonnleitner, Head of Advertorial Sales

SBS:

Nitsa Niarchos, SBS Chief Financial Officer
Jane Palfreyman, SBS Director of Marketing
Mandi Wicks, SBS Director NACA
Clare O’Neil, SBS Director of Corporate Affairs
Sarah Yassien, SBS Director of Corporate Strategy
Tanya Denning-Orman, SBS Director, Indigenous Content
Kyas Sherriff, Head of Commissioning and Programming, NITV
Nicki Roller, SBS Deputy Head of Production
Susie Jones, SBS Commissioning Editor, Documentaries
Haidee Ireland, SBS Channel Manager – SBS On Demand
Alessandra Vodicka, SBS Channel Manager, SBS Food
Kaye Warren, SBS Acquisitions Manager Non-Scripted
Bridget Ryan, SBS Acquisitions Manager Scripted
Virginia Melrose, SBS Head of Content Operations
Chloe Lake, SBS Head of Social Media
Uma Oldham, SBS Head of Group Marketing
Jo’an Papadopoulos, SBS Head of Publicity
Donna Chang, SBS Development Executive, Scripted
Michelle Cheng, SBS Content Industry Diversity Advisor
Lanneke Hargreaves, SBS Managing Editor-Current Affairs
Rhanna Collins, Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs, NITV
Karla Grant, NITV Executive Producer & Presenter Living Black
Georgina Davies, SBS Executive Producer Dateline
Catherine Whelan, SBS Executive Producer- Sport
Fiona Williams, SBS Managing Editor, Movies, TV & SBS Home Page
Kate Young, SBS National Manager, Brand Partnerships
Anna Dancey, National Sales Manager, NITV
Abigail Thomas, SBS Head of Product Strategy
Anna Saunders, SBS Senior Marketing Manager
Amy Stockwell, SBS Head of Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility
Sarah Vahtola, SBS Corporate Communications Manager
Marina Saggers, SBS Corporate Communications Manager
Therese Iverach, SBS Codes & Guidelines Manager
Amber Wood, SBS Senior Legal Counsel
Lucinda Edwards, SBS Senior Legal Counsel
Lyn Kemmis, SBS Senior Legal Counsel
Natalie Muir, SBS Audience Strategy & Insights Manager

Foxtel:

Amanda Laing – Chief Content & Commercial Officer
Alison Hurbert-Burns – Executive Director BINGE
Stephanie Quinn – Head of Content Partnerships
Fleur Fahey – General Manager Acquisitions
Rebecca McCloy – Director of Sport Acquisitions & Partnerships, FOX SPORTS
Sarah Hewlett – Director of Marketing, Foxtel
Kim McConnie – Director of Marketing, Kayo
Wendy Moore – Group General Manager, Lifestyle and Arena
Heather Tropman – Group Director of Distribution Partnerships
Sally Connell – Chief People Officer
Lynette Ireland – Chief General Counsel
Lesley Portwain – Chief Customer Service Officer
Lisa Cronin – Director Customer Marketing, Foxtel
Lana Greenhalgh – Drama Executive
Abbey McGhee – Head of Content Marketing
Sara Lake – Head of Content Story
Heidi Clemmensen – Head of Programming, Lifestyle
Angela Blackman – Head of Programming, Premium Entertainment
Anna Stamatatos – Head of Creative Production
Miranda Stojanovski – Head of Trading
Amber Elliott – Head of Brand Marketing

BBC Studios Australia & New Zealand:

Fiona Lang, General Manager, Australia and New Zealand
Kylie Washington, Director of Production, Australia and New Zealand
Emily Griggs, Head of Production Development
Kate O’Connor, Head of Business Development and Commercial
Deb Tod, Head of Content Sales and Co-production
Laura Dumbrell, Head of Communications, APAC
Christina Carras, Head of Programming and Ad Sales
Louise Hill, Acting Head of Live Entertainment
Lottie Wilson, Head of Acquisitions