JCDecaux reveals new executive leadership team

Josh McDonnell
By Josh McDonnell | 1 November 2018
 
Steve O'Connor

A split of JCDecaux and APN Outdoor executives make up the leadership team for the newly formed out of home business.

Following the successful closing of the $1.2 billion APN and JCDecaux merger deal on 31 October, JCDecaux Australia and New Zealand CEO Steve O'Connor has now revealed who will be joining him on the executive team.

With questions regarding broader changes looming, JCDecaux has stated it will be "business as usual" for the two companies during the integration planning phase, which will be implemented in the new year.

The current COO at APN Outdoor, Andrew Hines, will take on a similar role within the new business, following 16 years at APN.

Long-time JCDecaux executives including chief financial officer Brendan O’Neil, chief commercial officer Max Eburne and CMO Essie Wake will all remain part of the business under the new entity.

O'Neil, one of the longest-serving executives within JCDecaux, has been with the business since it launched in Australia in 1998, while Eburne has been with both local and international sides of the business since 2006.

Wake has had a 19-year career in the media industry and prior to joining JCDecaux was research and strategy director with
Initiative.

NZ country head Mike Watkins, who is currently in the same role at APN, will continue to lead the New Zealand business as part of the new business.

“I am confident that we have the right combination of talent, skills and experience in our new leadership team who will now work together to create a market leading out-of-home company in Australia and New Zealand,” O’Connor says.

“As the world’s largest out-of-home advertising company we can bring all the benefits a global brand can offer and, with the addition of APN Outdoor’s scale and expertise, behave like the market leader that we are."

The leadership team and I will work closely to combine our talent, capabilities, products and technology to deliver our clients a world-class offering.”

AdNews understands that the remaining executive team from APN Outdoor, which includes CEO James Warburton, GM sales Mark Fairhurst, GM marketing Charlotte Valente, CFO Philip Knox and GM people culture and performance Annaliese van Riet, have all exited the business.

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