Fairfax Media events boss Andrew McEvoy resigns
Fairfax Media’s managing director of life media and events Andrew McEvoy has resigned, ending his three years with the publishing company, Mumbrella can reveal.
Andrew McEvoy resigns from Fairfax Media.
Mumbrella understands McEvoy will be speaking to staff this morning.
At Fairfax, McEvoy was responsible for the company’s new business portfolio including events as well as the Life Media brands (GoodFood, Drive, Traveller, Essential Baby, Essential Kids).
His resignation follows on from the announcement that Fairfax would be separating out the Domain Group and listing it separately on the ASX.
McEvoy said the growth of Fairfax Events means it is now second only to Reed Exhibitions in the events industry in Australia, and generating “pretty good margins”.
“We are not going to save Fairfax. It’s one more string to your bow but it’s not about saving Fairfax,” he said.
Fairfax Media has been approached for comment.
Update 12:04pm:
Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood has issued a staff email announcing McEvoy’s departure, with general manager of events Sarah Pohlman taking on an expanded role as a result of his departure.
The note:
All,
A short while ago Andrew McEvoy held a staff briefing to let the Life & Events teams know that he’s decided to leave Fairfax.
Since joining Fairfax three years ago, Andrew has led the rapid expansion of Fairfax Events to become Australia’s largest mass participation events business.
Since FY13, events revenue has more than doubled; the number of events has grown to more than 50; and event participant numbers have increased to more than 2 million.
Andrew has been the driving force behind several commercial opportunities, including our Drive joint venture with 112, and our expansion of our travel category in particular.
He has created closer ties between our lifestyle publishing assets and audiences and the Events business. The Life team is well placed to continue leveraging these ties as they move to become part of Australian Metro Publishing.
Sarah Pohlman takes on an expanded role leading the Events business as General Manager, reporting to me. Sarah has extensive experience in successfully managing and commercialising events. She joined Fairfax Events in 2014 as Business Development Director and became GM mid last year.
Andrew will support the transition of the Life and Events businesses until early April.
Please join me in thanking Andrew for his immense contribution, and congratulating Sarah on taking on her new leadership responsibilities.
Regards,
Greg
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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New Aus Post CEO?
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This story said it all: https://mumbrella.com.au/fairfax-media-names-chris-janz-md-metro-publishing-division-426315
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was not a great hire for fairfax despite all of the hype. huge cost that failed to deliver. just look at the spectrum now website that is still not updated from last year. mcevoy leaves with fairfax events in crisis. having hired then fired almost all of his direct reports, he did the decent thing by resigning as he had nobody else left to blame. hywood wasn’t going to fire his mate that he appointed on such a huge salary. albeit he was demoted bigly only weeks ago.
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Writing on the Wall – exactly.
Subtlety of the annual report also…. McEvoy will “focus on the profitability of events”. 2 weeks later he has “resigned”.
Massive salary. Negative return. Hywoods big hire gone.
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He is a very good person.
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Hywood placed two bets. McAvoy, his mate, delivered zip at great expense. Catalano, his mate, is the other. I’m betting on a 100% strike rate.
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Andrew is a great person to work for, I don’t know why the other fools are bagging him!
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Andrew is one of the greatest leaders any organisation would want. No one in this world is perfect but if there is one thing i know for sure its that Andrew is the bomb…. he is the main even … the whole damn show.
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A good operator — but he was brought into do some some half-baked role, running a cobbled together division, far beneath someone of his seniority and experience. It was always seen internally as being a stepping stone/holding pattern until he could slip into Hywood’s job. But that is now not going to happen so he’s out. As for being overlooked to run Metro Media: that’s just going to be about cutting costs as revenues continue to sink (losing very expensive execs like McEvoy and very likely soon Allen Williams is part of that, as is the marketing “restructure” announced today). Not sure it’s a job that McEvoy — or any other seasoned exec — would actually want.
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His attitude might be have been that it was “far beneath someone of his seniority and experience” yet he was getting paid almost twice what he was at TA to run a “cobbled together division” that was created especially for him by his tourism mate Hywood. Lets not ignore the fact that McEvoy was demoted a few weeks before he resigned. We can only “guess” this was due to performance. It must be embarrassing for all involved given the massive promotion surrounding the appointment. Life Media is already gone, let’s see what’s left of Events in a year. It’s a race with Hywood to see what goes first.
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Good guy who became increasingly worn down by the stunted thinkers in the boardroom at Fairfax. I hope his next move is more fulfilling.
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