Matt Stanton has taken the reins as Nine’s managing director and CEO, a role he has held in an interim capacity since October.
Stanton joined the company in the second half of 2022 as chief strategy officer, having served as CEO of Barambah Organics, chief transformation officer at Woolworths, and CEO of Bauer Media (now Are Media).
He stepped into the acting CEO role at Nine, following the resignation of Mike Sneesby, who departed ahead of the release of a cultural review that found the company had a systemic issue with abuse of power and authority, bullying, discrimination and harassment, and sexual harassment.
Stanton has since overseen a reset of Nine’s operating model with an updated executive team spread across streaming and broadcast, publishing, and marketplaces.
The Nine Board confirmed Stanton’s appointment after a comprehensive international search process involving a high-calibre field of candidates.
“The Board is delighted to confirm Matt as the Nine CEO,” Nine chair Catherine West said.
“Following a thorough and competitive recruitment process, Matt was clearly the best credentialled leader to maintain the momentum on our strategic and cultural transformation. He has done an outstanding job as acting CEO.
“Matt’s mix of strategic and commercial acumen, transformation and media experience, strong values, and an open and collaborative approach to leadership make him the right person to lead Nine. After developing the group strategy, Matt has a deep understanding of Nine, our priorities, culture, and people and has earned the respect of the senior leadership, the broader workforce, the market, and the Board.”
Stanton said it was an “honour and a privilege” to take on the leadership role.
“Nine is a great Australian company that plays a vital role in the national conversation,” he said.
“We have an exciting future, underpinned by the best people and assets in the media sector. We have moved at pace in recent months to strengthen the Group, and I’ve been buoyed by the buy-in from people across the company as we progress our ambitious plans to reset and grow the business. I am committed to continuing to reform and strengthen Nine in the interests of all shareholders and our people. “