Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has named Anthea Kane as chief financial officer for Australia and New Zealand as it rounds out its executive team following the appointment of CEO Henry Tajer.
Anthea joins DAN from ANZ Banking Group where she has held multiple roles across more than 17 years, most recently as the CFO global technology, services and operations – a division of the bank spanning 33 countries with more than 20,000 people.
DAN has stated that Kane will act in a strategic partner position with the recently appointed and incoming CEO, Henry Tajer, who begins in the role 18 February.
Kane will play a key role in executing and delivering on the group’s strategic, commercial, operational and financial objectives, as well as contributing to the organisation’s regional and global finance functions.
“Anthea is known for her strong stakeholder management, team engagement, and commitment to delivering real business value through transformation. I believe she is well positioned to lead Dentsu Aegis Network into an exciting next phase of growth," DAN HR director Luke Speers said.
Kane will also be supported by Jeff Askew, who has been promoted to the newly created role of deputy CFO after acting as the interim CFO.
This role will manage all commercial finance as well as DAN's business transformation program, and acquisition integration activity.
Additional roles during Kane's career extend to several global businesses including Shell, Coopers & Lybrand, and KPMG.
Kane will have dual reporting lines to both Tajer and Simon Jones, DAN APAC CFO. She will join the DAN ANZ board on her commencement with the company.
"It's exciting to have the opportunity to work in such a well-respected, innovative and diverse organisation, and to partner with an exceptional leadership team to drive the strong performance of the business," Kane said.
This week it was revealed that Tajer would be joining the business from Amazon, taking over the vacant role following the shock departure of now Carsales commercial director Simon Ryan.
Questions have already been asked as to what stance Tajer will take upon entering the business as the network looks to focus in on boosting its "traditional media" businesses.
Speaking exclusively to AdNews, Tajer outlined his grand plans for the business, stating he wanted DAN to be perceived as more than just a media group as he examines its structure going forward.
Kane's appointment rounds out a month of leadership shuffling within the network, with former with former Dentsu X national MD, Angela Tangas, exiting the agency for a larger role within DAN as executive director of business operations.
Elsewhere within the business, DAN also announced it had completed an overhaul of its APAC leadership structure, which impacted all three of its core agencies, Carat, Vizeum and Dentsu X, and led to redundancies in its Singapore office.
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