… as another MediaWorks executive feels the heat, Jeremy Corbett farewells the wireless, Michele Teague departs her Campaign Palace gig, Alt Group’s Dean Poole joins an elite club, Interbrand adds two more humans, Jade Software appoints an international marketing manager, NZ Women’s Weekly names just its fifth ever food editor, a couple more Kiwis are named in Spikes Asia juries, well-known TV director Stuart McDonald joins the Sweet Shop and Sony Ericsson welcomes a new Oceania chief.
Daly grind
The NBR is reporting that Sharon Daly, MediaWorks’ director of strategy, has been sacked following an allegation of serious misconduct.
Rachel Lorimer, MediaWorks’ publicity manager says it doesn’t comment on employees’ statuses or circumstances. But the NBR story reported two sources saying the misconduct amounted to her “emailing comments posted beneath NBR stories on the departure of [Jason] Paris,” who left unexpectedly after around one year in his TV chief executive role and is currently working out his notice period from home.
The story claimed Daly’s departure and the misconduct charge are being disputed and she had engaged legal representation.
She began her role in September last year, after spending nearly ten years with TVNZ. She also previously worked at ACP Magazines and various advertising agencies.
Daly is currently thought to be on a cruise in Alaska.
Little Red Corbett
Still with MediaWorks, although not quite as controversially, long-standing breakfast announcer Jeremy Corbett has announced his long run of early mornings are to come to an end after 18 years with 91.8 MORE FM Auckland.
Corbett’s contract ends October and he has told staff and listeners he is choosing to take a break from radio.
“I was there when she was born 18 years ago and I am so proud of the wonderful, entertaining station she has become, but really, I’m getting a bit sick of her borrowing the car and eating all the food in the fridge. It’s time she struck out on her own.”
When 91.8 MORE FM Auckland launched 16 August 1993, Kim Adamson and Jeremy Corbett – “Kim and Corbett in the Morning” —were the breakfast hosts. The pair had previously been entertaining Aucklanders from the North Shore studios of 91FM before jumping ship to the city’s newest radio station.
“It’s a real shame to soon be farewelling one of the icons of MORE FM and New Zealand radio,” says MORE FM network programme director Ande Macpherson. “However, I have total respect for his decision and am glad that we can celebrate his longevity on the station with the listeners before he does hang up the headphones.”
McPherson says plans are being worked on for MORE FM Auckland breakfast and an announcement about a replacement will be made soon.
“But most important is to enjoy the final couple of months with Jeremy and hope that he comes back to us in one way or another in the future. It is good to know he will still be in our broader [MediaWorks] family with his hosting role on the country’s leading comedy show 7 Days.”
Teague off
After just ten months in the role as managing drector of the Campaign Palace in Sydney, Michele Teague is set to depart.
Teague was head of communications for retail at Telecom and was instrumental in the branding campaign and launch of Telecom’s 3G XT mobile network. She has also had senior marketing and management roles at Restaurant Brands, Pacific Retail Group, Woolworths and as global marketing manager for Air New Zealand, where she developed the ‘Inspiring Journeys’ brand strategy.
She started her career on the agency side, including eight years at Y&R’s Mattingly. And, showing her varied interests, she was also on the the board of the New Zealand Rugby League, chairing the remuneration committee.
Put that in the Poole room
Dean Poole, co-founder and creative director of multidisciplinary design company ALT Group, has been selected to join the prestigious Zurich based Alliance Graphique Internationale, which was established in 1952 to encourage common interests and friendships across national and cultural borders in a professional club.
It is an elite club and its members have been collectively responsible for the identity design of most of the world’s top corporations and most recognisable brands. Members include Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Kenya Hara, who famously asked world famous architects to design pasta, and New York-based Paula Scher who has done identity design for Tiffany & Co, as well as Coca Cola and the Metropolitan Opera. To become a member you have to be nominated by two existing members and commit to the mission of the Alliance to promote graphic design around the world.
Poole, who last year received the John Britten Award, one of the major awards for contribution to New Zealand design will be the only current New Zealand member of the elite club of 370 of the world’s leading graphic designers and artists.
“Design is a visual language that works across cultural differences and spoken languages,” says Poole. “To be selected to join the AGI is a real honour for me to represent New Zealand design on a global stage. AGI includes some of the world’s best designers and I see this as recognition of the quality of New Zealand’s growing design culture. I hope to form new connections and build new alliances raising awareness of what is going on around the world.”
Once a year AGI opens its doors to the public, offering a glimpse into the minds of some of the most influential designers worldwide. This year the AGI Open event is in Barcelona, October 2011.
Two from that talent pool
Interbrand New Zealand has announced the appointment of Karen Jones as senior account director and Dan Castro as designer.
Jones has 20 years’ brand experience having worked for Futurebrand London, DNA, Designworks and more recently Dashwood. She has managed a multitude of top tier clients including Thomas Cook (UK), Firestone, Air New Zealand, BNZ and Fonterra.
Interbrand managing director James Bickford says she is a fantastic addition to the team as it continues its expansion in the New Zealand market. “She will add huge value to our client partnerships and growth strategy.”
Castro has worked at prestigious UK agencies STV Creative and Hookson. And Interbrand creative director Lorenz Perry says his fresh outlook will be a valuable asset to Interbrand, the wider DDB Group, and our diverse range of clients.
“Plus he’s really good on Facebook.”
Not Jaded
Jade Software has announced the appointment of Christchurch-born Daniel Clouston to assist with the international marketing of the company’s latest innovation, JOOB, a family of mobile products designed to solve hard business problems in demanding business environments.
Clouston, who has returned from London to take up the role, has worked in agency and in-house roles in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Most recently he helped launch Streamtime Software in the UK and European markets, managing the UK business, team members, client relationships and suppliers.
He will be responsible for brand strategy, messaging, marketing and public relations for the JOOB suite of products across all of Jade’s international markets and at home in New Zealand.
JOOB Mobile connects any business system to any mobile device and reduces mobile application development effort by up to 50 percent. At its international launch the mobile platform was a finalist in the mobile/wireless category of the prestigious Best of Microsoft Tech-Ed North America awards, recently held in Atlanta.
White Weekly
Annabelle White, the longtime food writer and TV presenter who has charmed readers and viewers alike for more than 20 years through her TV shows, newspaper columns and regular radio gigs, has joined the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly as food editor, only the fifth ever food editor in the Weekly’s 79 year history.
The author of 10 cookbooks including the bestseller Annabelle White’s Best Recipes, she is also known as an authority on food products, testing brands weekly and advising readers on what to use in their kitchen.
White joins other big food names Peta Mathias (entertaining), chef Simon Gault (Q and A) and Wendyl Nissen (Nana’s Pantry) in the magazine, which is the only weekly title to have a wholly New Zealand food section.
Editor Sarah Stuart says bringing this team of talented foodies together each week has one aim.
“We want to inspire Kiwi women to love to cook – whether it’s a deliciously simple 10-minute stir-fry for a family dinner or the kind of three-course extravaganza you’d pay a fortune for at a restaurant. The new Weekly food section is a celebration of what women love to eat.”
White’s new food section will launch in September.
Ooooh, Spikey
Chinese New Zealander Antony Young, former chief executive of Optimedia US and incoming chief exec of Mindshare North America, has been appointed media jury president for this year’s Spikes Asia 2011 awards. The winners will be announced in Singapore next month.
Nick Worthington is on the film, print, outdoor and radio jury, as well as the integrated jury. And The Sweet Shop’s George McKenzie has been named on the craft jury.
Colenso planning director James Hurman is a keynote speaker at the festival alongside Crispin Poter + Bogusky’s Jeff Benjamin and a few more high-rollers.
Sweets for the Sweet Shop
The Sweet Shop has announced Australian TV director Stuart McDonald as the latest addition to its roster.
McDonald, who has already confirmed hist first job and is currently in New Zealand prepping to shoot a job for TSB, comes with a wealth of experience in performance direction and comedic television.
A multi AFI award winner, some of his most notable series have been the cult hits ‘Summer Heights High’ and more recently ‘Angry Boys’. He is also well known for his dramatic work on the Foxtel series ‘Tangle’.
His desire is to now bring his accomplished skillset in performance direction to the commercial world where he is planning to focus on drama and comedy scripts.
“Whether it’s comedy or drama, as a director I enjoy finding that key that makes it real, the moment to moment. I started my career as a screenwriter and as such the heart of my work will always be storytelling. I have admired The Sweet Shop from afar for some time, and am very excited to join the team, as I think they are the most forward thinking company globally in the production landscape today”.
Chief exec/founding partner of The Sweet Shop, Paul Prince says McDonald has very obvious strengths with cast and characterisation, in any genre, from comedy to hard-hitting drama. “But what really stands out with Stuart is his depth of understanding of the idea within a narrative. His background as screenplay writer serves him very well. I’m honoured that he has chosen The Sweet Shop to manage his global commercial career.”
Phone home
Sony Ericsson has announced the appointment of John Featherstone as managing director for the Oceania region.
“Sony Ericsson’s strategic objective is leadership in Android, which is expected to become the number one mobile operating system in Oceania by end 2011,” says Matthew Lang, head of Asia Pacific region. “Given his experience and capabilities, he will be able to help us to develop and differentiate our Android smartphone range under Xperia and take the brand forward.”
Featherstone joins Sony Ericsson from SanDisk, where he held the position of country manager for Australia and New Zealand. He brings more than 18 years of telecommunications and mobile industry experience to Sony Ericsson having worked in senior roles for HTC, IBM Global Services, Telstra and UK operator O2.
He replaces Brendan Johnston who, having completed his Oceania assignment will shortly repatriate to the UK to a new role. Johnston contributed significantly to the Oceania business and oversaw the launch of Sony Ericsson’s first Android smartphones in Oceania during 2010.
