The Federal Government has announced the appointment of Nicolette Maury, CEO of Avani Solutions, and Louise McElvogue, interim CEO of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, to the ABC board as non-executive directors for five-year terms.
The move comes after businessman Joseph Gersh, appointed by the Turnbull government in 2018, was not reappointed to the board earlier this year, and the resignation of Fiona Balfour in February less than two years into her term.
Prior to her role at Avani Solutions, Maury was head of Europe product transformation office for Groupo Santander, CEO at Asto Digital, vice president and managing director of Intuit Australia, and held various roles with eBay Australia. In 2013, Maury won the Australian Financial Review BOSS Young Executive of the Year Award.
McElvogue is an adjunct professor in the Business School at the University of Technology Sydney, and currently serves as a non-executive director of online education provider, Cluey Ltd, and is president of the Australian Institute of Company Directors NSW Council.
She has a background in journalism, communications, marketing and board governance in Australia and internationally, and has business experience leading digital projects for brands like McDonald’s and building the UK’s first video streaming services for the BBC and Channel 4. She was part of the review committee for the Gillard Government’s Convergence Review.
Both Maury and McElvogue were nominated for appointment by the independent nomination panel as part of the merit-based appointment process for the ABC and SBS Boards.
Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland congratulated the pair on their appointment.
“The ABC, like many media organisations, faces significant challenges in today’s media environment, grappling with evolving audience trends, audiences who are increasingly consuming media digitally, and new technologies changing how their work is conducted,” she said.
“The appointment of these two highly accomplished women to the board will bolster the public broadcaster’s digital transformation, media and governance acumen as the ABC implements its Five Year Plan.”
The current chair of the ABC board, Ita Buttrose, announced in August she will step down in March 2024 at the end of her current term. The government’s selection process to fill the vacancy is currently underway. It is being conducted by the independent nomination panel for ABC and SBS appointments, supported by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, and an external executive search agency.