Following on from his departure from the ABC in February, Chris Oliver-Taylor has joined Totem Global as global director of strategic partnerships.
The role will see the executive work to expand the digital media company’s global reach, and drive content acquisition and distribution deals across social media, FAST, linear, and other digital distribution channels, with a priority on factual and unscripted content.
Launched in 2012, Totem’s focus is on social video growth and monetisation, working with entertainment companies and creators to extract value from their back catalogue, and leading strategy projects with businesses and social platforms. In recent years it has moved from consulting into building owned and operated channels, working with titles like CJZ’s Bondi Rescue, which it has grown from 15 million views a year on social media to 1.3 billion, and David Batty’s Black As, which it has grown from 300,000 to 100 million views per month.
In the last 12 months, the company is said to have created more than 4,000 videos and generated 12 billion views.
Totem Global CEO and founder Steve Crombie told IF the team was looking forward to working with Oliver-Taylor.
“Chris has a great strategic vision, strong international relations and a passion for building impactful partnerships. Most importantly, he is very driven,” he said.
Oliver-Taylor was the ABC’s inaugural chief content officer, overseeing audio, digital, and screen content, a role he held for less two years.
Prior to, he was head of physical production at Netflix ANZ, and he is also a former CEO of Fremantle Asia Pacific and managing director of Matchbox Pictures.
Oliver-Taylor’s departure from the ABC followed the broadcaster’s chair Kim Williams’ decision to reinstate and elevate ABC Audio in late 2024, reducing his remit. Following Oliver-Taylor’s resignation, the broadcaster discontinued the chief content officer role.
His tenure at the ABC was marked by the controversial dismissal of newsreader Antoinette Lattouf from a short-term contract in December 2023. Lattouf has pursued an unfair dismissal claim against the broadcaster in the Federal Court, with closing submissions heard in late February. The judge in the case, Justice Darryl Rangiah, is considering his judgment.
Oliver-Taylor started at Totem Global last Wednesday.