Nine journalist Adele Ferguson named Walkley chair as Marina Go steps down
Marina Go will step down as the Walkley Foundation’s chair later this year, after four years on the board of the not-for-profit, with Nine Entertainment Co journalist Adele Ferguson to step in as her replacement.
Go, a senior editor and businesswoman was recently appointed to the board of ASX-listed Transurban that she will join on 1 December.
Nine journalist, new Walkley chair, Adele Ferguson
Go joined the Walkey Board in 2017 and was appointed the chair in 2019. She also served on the Walkley Awards Judging board between 2014 to 2016.
“It has been an honour to chair the Walkley Board for two years, and I’m proud of the strategic roadmap I leave the foundation with,” Go said.“The work the Walkleys does in celebrating journalistic excellence is so important to the industry.”
Ferguson joined the board in 2020, and will step into the chair role following the October board meeting. The board was unanimous in its support for Ferguson.
Ferguson is a columnist for The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review. Among her many journalism honours are eight Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley. She is also a regular guest reporter with ABC’s Four Corners and 7.30.
Former ABC journalist and vice-president of the media section of the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), Karen Percy, will become the deputy chair.
“I wish Adele Ferguson all the best in the role,” Go said. “Given the accuracy, ethics, dedication and attention to detail she brings to her investigative reporting, the Foundation is in good hands.”
Ferguson said of her appointment: “Journalism has never mattered more, and I hope to continue the great work of the Walkley Foundation. I look forward to continuing the work of management and the board in delivering the Walkleys’ mission as the industry faces ongoing challenges.”
“Marina Go leaves a great legacy: a clear strategic direction that underscores the integrity and ethics that are at the heart of what the Walkley Foundation does,” Ferguson added.
The Walkley Foundation began in 1956 with the first awards for the Australian Journalists’ Association. The AJA is now part of MEAA, which continues to be the proud custodian of the Walkley Foundation.
Louisa Graham will step down as chief executive of the Walkley Foundation later this year, with plans to find a new chief executive now under way. At the same time it was announced that Lenore Taylor will step down as chair of the Walkley Awards Judging Board, to be replaced by Michael Brissenden.
In June 2021, The Walkley Foundation announced the winners of its 2021 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism, including the ABC’s Mridula Amin as the 2021 Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year.
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topics
Adele Ferguson
deputy chair
journalist
Louisa Graham
Marina Go
Nine Entertainment Co
The Walkley Foundation
