News Corp’s Damian Eales to move to New York as global head of transformation
News Corp’s chief operating officer Damian Eales is set to move to New York, taking on a newly-created role as global head of transformation for the media giant.
Eales will be tasked with overhauling the Murdoch-owned empire, following seven years in Australia as the COO.
In an email to staff, News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller said Eales will provide the business with a new ‘contemporary structure’.
“The role of Damian’s team will be to create a contemporary structure for the company that embraces a shared services model and uses shared skills and experiences to reduce costs and also ensure News Corp’s techniques and technology are genuinely the best in the world,” said Miller.
Miller credited Eales as a driving force behind News Corp Australia’s transformation and restructuring the business ‘to ensure we are now set up for growth’.
Under Eales, the media business aligned its print and digital arms and launched content marketing agency Sudden.ly. Eales was thought to be an option for the top job in Australia should Miller step down, although the recent appointment of former WPP AUNZ CEO Mike Connaghan brought that possibility into question.
“One of Damian’s great achievements during his time with us has been aligning our goals and strategic direction across the whole of the company. He leaves the rest of the executive team with the building blocks in place to achieve an aligned, agile, growth-orientated future and I personally thank him for that major contribution,” Miller said to staff.
Eales’ role will not be replaced, but Miller said some executives would take on additional responsibilities. Eales will operate from New York as of September.
Mark Reinke and Richard Skimin will take on audience growth and consumer revenues, Michael Ford will oversee M&A and strategy while Julian Delany will focus on digital and tech operations.
News Corp Australia has undergone several changes this year as it battles with the economic outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a leadership restructure and the closure of several titles.
Good luck to Damian but where are the women NewsCorp? Michael, Mike, Michael, Julian, Mark and Richard is an astonishing line up in 2020.
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Hi Just wondering,
While I completely agree with you that the leadership team is overwhelmingly male, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out News Corp Aus sales boss Lou Barrett, commercial product managing director Emma Fawcett and managing director of food and travel Fiona Nilsson. As I didn’t mention them in the story I thought it was important to reflect their roles here – but clearly those positions don’t make the balance even.
Thanks!
Hannah Blackiston – Mumbrella
WHIMN is a good example of how they view women, very two dimensional.
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Goodbye whimn hello min
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Not to mention their host of executive & business leaders are female i.e. CFO – Susan Panuccio, Head of Govt Affairs – Antoinette Bush, Global Real Estate – Tracey Fellows, Chief Strategy Officer – Anoushka Healy and so on and forth………..
https://newscorp.com/about/leadership/
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Except, sadly, Whimn was conceived and run by…..women. Nicole Sheffield et al
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So does Bauer and Pac.
Oh sorry.
All three don’t exist anymore
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Thanks Hannah. Yes it’s not even close to 50% of the most senior positions and since the roles described here are the real power base in the company NewsCorp has a lot to answer for. Where is the female candidate for the next CEO?
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What if these people that are males are the most qualified for their jobs and they do a great job of developing female talent around them? I’m sure there’s plenty of females that respect and work closely with the News leadership team. Congrats to Damian on his promotion – one that’s hopefully based on merit rather than gender.
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What if the people who make the judgement on “qualification” are all male and tend to judge based on their own reflection? I suspect a short unconscious bias course might be informative to What if?
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I think this is a very important discussion but can I also just say what an incredible innings Damian has had. He has never rested, never given in and has achieved things that even the biggest optimist might have blanched at 5 years ago. Big loss for Australia but I wish him very well in the US.
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