AAP has appointed Lisa Davies, former editor of The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), as CEO.
Davis steps into the role on 14 February, with current CEO Emma Cowdroy stepping back from the role due to family commitments. Cowdroy will continue with AAP in a senior executive role.
“AAP owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Emma for her contribution over the last two years,” AAP chairman John McKinnon says.
“Emma took on the role of CEO at a time of great uncertainty but has, together with former chair Jonty Low, successfully navigated the transition to a not-for-profit, solely focused on serving the Australian public. Together, they achieved stability and created the opportunity for AAP to continue to thrive as a key source of independent, fact-based news for Australia.”
The national news agency came under new ownership in 2020, after its previous owners, including Nine and News Corp, announced its closure after more than 85 years of operation.
“To have been able to attract an executive with the calibre of Lisa is a credit to what AAP and its people have been able to achieve over the last two years,” McKinnon says.
“News media is a vital component of any democracy. But the size of Australia makes it near impossible for any one news outlet to service all communities and regions, which is why having a sustainable and independent newswire is critical to democracy in Australia.”
Davis had been editor at the SMH, which is owned by Nine, since 2017. She led the publication through the Fairfax Media and Nine merger in 2018.
"Regardless of where they live or the ways in which they consume their information and ideas, all Australians deserve access to high-quality, accurate and timely news,” Davis says.
“I see great potential for AAP to deliver this and look forward to consolidating its position as one of Australia's most trusted, national, independent news providers.
"Media diversity is crucial to democracy and I'm excited by the opportunity AAP has to service both traditional and new platforms, regional and metropolitan audiences."
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