Margaret Zabel tells Comms Council members: I’ve no hesitation in taking the helm
Following the abrupt departure of Daniel Leesong last week, the Communications Council appears to have confirmed former Lion Nathan marketer Margaret Zabel as CEO.In an email to members introducing her as its “new” CEO , Zabel noted the “great progress” that has been made in integrating member groups since the formation of the Comms Council two years ago to create “one stronger body to champion commercial creativity”.
It was “with no hesitation that I committed to helping shape the future direction of our industry,” she said.
Zabel wrote:
Although my background has been predominantly from the corporate sector, “jumping the fence” was an easy decision. Personally, I am passionate about excellence in creativity, results and foresightful leadership and these are all values at the heart of the Council and this industry. Likewise, my previous marketing, sales and consulting roles, most recently as the Marketing Director at Lion Nathan, have given me excellent experience in communication, business management and industry regulation.
Her brief was outlined as follows:
- To successfully deliver the committed member programs – such as the development of the Commercial Producers Council, Circus in its second year, the AWARD Speaker Series, the upcoming AdSchool graduation and Bravo awards
- To shape the strategy and priorities for the Council’s next stage with valuable feedback from the board and our members
- To serve the industry through well informed, collaborative and quality outcome focused support and proactive initiatives
The Comms Council declined to comment on the reason for Leesong’s departure.
Update: This story has been updated slightly to reflect doubt that Zabel is officially more than the interim CEO.
