Mamamia MD Kylie Rogers to join AFL as commercial director
Mamamia’s managing director Kylie Rogers is set to depart the company after more than three years to join the AFL as commercial director, Mumbrella can reveal.
Rogers will join the AFL in coming months, the organisation stated this afternoon. She will be taking the role left vacant after Richard Simkiss resigned following his admission of an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a younger woman in the ‘AFL industry.’
Kylie Rogers was named Publish Executive of the Year at the 2016 Publish Awards
“We are very lucky to have attracted Kylie to this role, and I am delighted to have her join my executive team,” said AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan in a media statement.
“She brings unique commercial, media and digital experience to the AFL, and represents the future of audience growth, new markets and commerciality to the team,” McLachlan continued.
Rogers first joined Mamamia in 2014 as national sales director, before becoming managing director of local and US operations in September 2015.
Most of her career was spent at Network Ten, in roles including national sales director, and head of Generate, when it launched in August 2013.
In 2016, Rogers was named Publish Executive of the Year at the 2016 Publish Awards.
“I have loved working at Mamamia, and thank the owners, Mia Freedman and Jason Lavigne, for the opportunity to work in such a dynamic and exciting business,” Rogers said in a statement.
“The decision has been difficult, but the opportunity to work in Australia’s biggest sport at this time of growth and change is just too exciting to pass up.
“The AFL is a progressive and innovative organisation, and I am looking forward to this new challenge.”
Founder and creative director Mia Freedman and husband Jason Levigne will re-enter business as part of the changes.
Lavigne, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Mamamia, said in a statement: “Both Mia and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Kylie over the past three years and she goes into this next chapter of her career with our gratitude, friendship, pride and best wishes.”
“Mia and I are delighted to be back steering Mamamia into it’s next phase of growth during this time of structural change within the local media industry – it’s these times that provide perfect opportunities for innovative challenger brands like Mamamia.”
It comes a month after Monique Bowley, creator of Mamamia Podcast Network departed the company. She has since been replaced by Podschool creator Rachel Corbett, who joined Mamamia earlier this month.
A month ago, Mamamia’s US operation Spring St stopped publishing, with no new content uploaded in more than a month.
This story has been updated to include statements from the AFL and Mamamia.
might want to get someone to sub your story Mumbrella. Headline says she is/was Managing Editor of Mamamia. Story says (correctly) that she is Managing Director.
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What a sensational appointment, not only will you excel at that role you love AFL! They are very lucky to have you
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They’ve lost all their staff, and their audience has halved in 12 months. In less than a year they will be out of business.
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Thanks for the head-up, Liam. Apologies for that. Now corrected.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
It’s an exceptional move for Kylie and she leaves Mamamia with our admiration and respect.
As for the characteristically anonymous comment above:
I’m sure that the 80+ passionate people who work at Mamamia will be surprised to hear that we’ve lost all of our staff (though we have certainly become far more accountability focussed and that has definitely not suited some who have found more comfortable environments).
In terms of audience, this shows a spectacular lack of understanding of where audiences lie.
We don’t game Neilsen’s ‘digital panel’ as many do if that’s what you are referring to, but we do in fact reach in excess of 18M women each month on average and we have content views in excess of 60M across all of our platforms.
We have built the largest women’s podcast network in the world – our No Filter podcast alone (one of 18 of our original regular shows) just surpassed 5 million downloads.
It’s a tough media market as everyone knows, but we are in fact in excellent health and building fantastic new products for the future.
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Congrats Kylie, such wonderful news. Cant wait to see you make your mark.
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Lol @ “Mumbrella can reveal”. This was reported in the Age two days ago and at least one other press site before you. The AFL sent out its media release confirming the appointment at least an hour before this story’s timestamp as well. So congrats on revealing this, I guess?
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We had it first, Cynic. Check the datestamp. Enjoy your lolling.
Regards,
Paul Wallbank
News Editor
Interesting interpretation of what “first” means.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/a.....yoiww.html
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I’d re-read the first line of the Caroline Wilson story you’ve linked to before you go further with that argument.
Have a good one.
Congrats Kylie.
What a coup for AFL to secure such wonderful talent!
As Jason says, Mumamia is a true Australian success story, and Kylie’s been a big part of that.
Maybe we could buck the cynical comments trend and maybe just wish them both well?
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I just want to understand what is meant by “we do in fact reach in excess of 18M women each month on average”?
Reach is a very specific audience metric. There are around 12m women in Australia. How do you reach them all … then a further 50%?
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Fantastic appointment AFL! Kylie is one of the most talented and well respected senior executives in Australia. Congratulations Kylie – so pumped for you. @Jason Lavigne – the haters will always hate mate. MWN is a local success story and you, Mia and team should continue to feel very proud.
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