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Jane Huxley replaces Brendon Hill as Are Media CEO

Are Media has announced the departure of CEO Brendon Hill, with former Spotify, Pandora, Microsoft and Fairfax Media executive Jane Huxley appointed to the role.

Huxley will start on 26 April, with Hill revealing the change following extensive recent discussions about the company’s future strategy with the board.

Hill said: “The board and I have been discussing the future strategy for the business and the opportunity to accelerate the growth in digital.

“Following the integration of Pacific [Magazines] and the development of a new strategic plan for the combined Are Media group, this is the right time for me to step aside and make way for a leader experienced in digital transformation.”

Huxley was most recently Spotify’s regional managing director, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She also spent time with Microsoft and Fairfax Media (now Nine Entertainment Co), and was the founding managing director for Pandora in Australia and New Zealand.

Are Media chairman, Clark Perkins, thanked Hill for his time with the company. “Brendon has done an excellent job at Are Media, especially the integration of the Pacific Magazines business, managing the business through COVID-19, and in crafting a new strategy for 2021.

“The business is very profitable and is delivering excellent results, and we are in a strong position to perform even better over the coming years.

Perkins added: “The board of Are Media is eager to sustain the excellent combined publishing platform that has been established under Brendon’s leadership and to accelerate the growth of the digital business.

“The key pillars of the business in women’s entertainment and lifestyle, food, homes, motor and industry all have significant opportunities to grow and develop both their traditional media and digital audience reach. We are delighted to have attracted a leader of Jane’s calibre to lead the business.”

Hill has served as Are Media CEO since 1 June, 2019 (then Bauer Media), when he took over from Paul Dykzeul. During his time Bauer Media bought Pacific for $40 million from Seven West Media. The combined entity was also then sold by the privately-owned Bauer Media to private equity firm, Mercury Capital.

Dykzeul spent two years in the role, which was previously held by Nick Chan for a period of just over 12 months.

In 2012, Australian Consolidated Press (ACP) sold its magazine assets to Bauer Media for $525 million, four years after James Packer sold the business, and other media assets, to private equity group CVC Capital for $5.6 billion.

The magazine hot seat: Leadership at 54 Park Street in the past decade

2011: ACP Magazines boss Phil Scott leaves, replaced by the company’s chief financial officer Matt Stanton.
2012: ACP sold to Bauer Media for $500 million, to become known as Bauer Media (Australia).
2015: Publisher David Goodchild replaces Stanton at the helm of Bauer Media.
2016: Pacific magazine CEO Nick Chan appointed CEO at Bauer Media.
2017: Chan departs the company after just over 12 months in the role. He is replaced by Paul Dykzeul, Bauer Media’s New Zealand CEO, to take on the CEO of Australia and NZ role.
2019: Paul Dykzeul retires from the role with then managing director Brendon Hill to take his place.
2020: Bauer Media buys Pacific Magazines from Seven West Media, combined business is sold by Bauer Family to Mercury Capital, and rebranded to Are Media.
2021: Hill is replaced with former Spotify, Pandora, Microsoft and Fairfax Media executive Jane Huxley.

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