The Conversation appoints Harrison Young as chairman following Jaspan’s departure
The former non-executive director of Commonwealth Bank Australia, Harrison Young, has been appointed as the chairman of academic publishing platform The Conversation.
Young’s appointment follows the departure of The Conversation’s controversial founder and executive director Andrew Jaspan, who has taken on a role as director of the Global Academy and Professional Fellowship at RMIT.
Harrison Young: now chairman of The Conversation
Prior to his 10-year stint at Commonwealth Bank Australia, Young was the chairman at NBN Co Limited for three years.
“Journalism was my first love. I was a reporter 51 years ago for The Washington Post. It makes me smile to be sitting in a news room again and working with such an outstanding team. I look forward to visiting my colleagues around the world,” he said in a statement.
Young congratulated Jaspan om his vision and leadership, but an article on The Conversation hinted at a change in management style.
“Young takes up the chairman role following a review of the media group’s strategy, structure and management. He will oversee implementation of the review committee’s recommendations to streamline governance and ensure a more collaborative approach to decision making within the global network,” the post said.
Young said The Conversation was a “bold new media outlet that informs public debate with knowledge-based journalism that is responsible, ethical and evidence-based, by unlocking the knowledge of researchers and academics to provide the public with clarity and insight into society’s greatest problems”.
Abigail Dawson was Mumbrella's senior content journalist covering event content. She left Mumbrella to move into an agency role in 2020.
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