Former SWM CMO Charlotte Valente reunites with James Warburton at Supercars
Former SWM CMO Charlotte Valente joins James Warburton at Supercars
Supercars’ newly anointed CEO James Warburton has tapped into Seven West Media’s talent pool to fill key marketing and public relations roles.
Former SWM chief marketing officer Charlotte Valente has been appointed the championship’s new CMO, while long-standing Seven Network sports journalist Matthew Carmichael joins as communications director.
Valente has a long professional history with Warburton, serving as SWM’s inaugural CEO between 2019 and 2022, shortly after Warburton became the media organisation’s managing director in August 2019. She previously worked with him at APN Outdoor.
After leaving SWM in December 2022 and taking a year-long career break, Valente became head of marketing for the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She will officially start in January and will be tasked with consolidating Supercars’ various marketing functions—including broadcast, digital, and PR—under a unified framework.
Until Valente joins, Warburton and recently hired chief strategy and growth officer Mark Pejic are overseeing the marketing function, alongside head of marketing Brenda Younes.
“I’ve always been deeply passionate about sport—and motorsport in particular—so the opportunity to contribute to such an iconic and successful sporting property is incredibly exciting,” Valente said.
“I’m thrilled to join the sport at such a pivotal time, when innovation, digital transformation, and creativity can unlock even greater reach and engagement. I’m passionate about using data-driven insights and integrated marketing to attract new audiences, deepen fan loyalty, and further elevate Supercars’ position as one of Australia’s most exciting sports and entertainment experiences.”
Carmichael will join Supercars on 17 November and will report to Valente. It was announced in September that Seven Network would not be renewing his contract as a sports reporter, after almost 23 years.
“Matt is one of Australia’s most respected sports journalists and presenters,” Warburton said. “His 23 years at Seven, extensive relationships across media, sporting codes, and athletes, and his deep understanding of Supercars bring instant gravitas to our communications and PR function.”
Warburton returned as Supercars CEO on 23 July, having previously held the role from 2013 to 2017.
