The new CEO will be highly paid, given the role will bring together the chief executive positions at RNZ and TVNZ.
OPINION:
The Government's ambitious timeline for merging TVNZ and RNZ into Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM) by the middle of next year means that we could expect to see a chief executive appointed in the coming months.
This job will be highly paid, given it will bring together the chief executive roles at RNZ and TVNZ.
The RNZ 2021 annual report shows that the top-paid staffer earned a salary of between $520,000 and $529,000, while the TVNZ annual report for 2022 indicated a base salary of $810,000 for the chief executive (previously Kevin Kenrick). The salary of the TVNZ boss is, however, dependent on commercial incentives and rose to $2.08m in his final year in charge. The TVNZ boss usually earns in the vicinity of $1.5m once full incentives are taken into account.
Given the leadership role at ANZPM will bring together those sets of responsibilities under a single umbrella, it's fair to assume the chief executive will be looking at a base salary in the vicinity of $1m per annum, plus any additional commercial incentives on top of that.
The person charged with this responsibility will need a unique mix of skills – perhaps only achievable by merging a collection of lesser mortals.
Given the toxic debate spinning around the merger and the current lack of clarity, the chief executive of the organisation will have to be an adept communicator capable of helping the public and critics understand why this structure is necessary.
In addition, the person will also have to feel comfortable straddling the corporate and public sectors, given that ANZPM will be state-owned but still have commercial imperatives.
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the executive, however, will be merging two markedly different cultures into a single functioning entity.
Cultural conflict is one of the biggest encumbrances to mergers running smoothly and has the potential to lead to a habit of blaming the previously disparate department.
The seeds of this cultural conflict have already been sown in Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson's comments that TVNZ has a longer way to go than RNZ when representing what the Government wants to see in ANZPM.
The onus of ensuring that bitterness doesn't seep into the operation will now be on the shoulders of the incoming CEO, who will also have to deal with public scrutiny and Government expectations at the same time – not to mention the prospect of a new Government having a completely different view of what the public broadcaster should be doing.
Predictions are always a fool's game, but there are a few executives in New Zealand that could have the necessary skills to make a success out of a job that currently looks like the worst hospital pass an executive could receive.
Here's a rundown of a few of the potential frontrunners for the biggest gig in New Zealand media. And given this all comes amid the Women's Rugby World Cup, we've taken some guidance from the sports reporting team to give each executive a powerlist rating.
Thompson has done an sound job of running RNZ and developing it into the most trusted media organisation, according to two recent independent reports.
He certainly seems interested in the role, as he is currently wrapping up a trip to England and Canada, researching how the BBC and CBC are run in those countries.
There is perhaps no one in the country with more experience at running a public broadcaster than Thompson – and he has to be viewed as a contender to land the gig.
However, a key blind spot in Thompson's career is commercial experience. Having spent the last nine years at RNZ, he has been sheltered from the harsh commercial reality of the industry that was systematically gutted by the emergence of the tech industry.
Further back in his career, he worked as group executive editor at Fairfax Media (the previous owner of Stuff) – a role that would have also had a decent level of separation from the commercial side of that business.
TVNZ earned more than $300m from advertising in the last financial year, and the Government cannot be expected to fill that entire void.
ANZPM will likely still have a significant commercial imperative – and Thompson might struggle to offer a compelling argument for why he's the right person to manage this aspect of the organisation.
The other issue for anyone from the RNZ fold is the struggle the brand has in engaging with younger audiences. RNZ previously tried to increase its younger audience through the youth-themed site The Wireless, but this was eventually canned. Then in 2020, a plan to replace RNZ Concert on the FM frequency with a youth-focused show backfired remarkably amid outrage from fans of the existing setup. This fiasco even led former Prime Minister Helen Clark to question the competence of the RNZ board over its handling of the proposal. Not exactly a sterling reference for anyone interested in leading New Zealand media into the future.
If ANZPM is to achieve the goal of the longevity of local broadcasting in New Zealand, we need to find a way to drag the youth along for the ride. At the moment, we're still relying on RNZ being something that Kiwis grow into – but there's no guarantee of that continuing amid changing media consumption habits.
Thompson will have to bring a sharp collection of ideas to the table to show how he plans to bridge that generational gap.
In 2018 Thompson had to apologise to a select committee after inadvertently misleading MPs over the infamous coffee meeting between Carol Hirschfeld and Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran. Hirschfeld lost her job at RNZ in the fallout.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 2
Editorial skill: 5
Culture building: 3
Communications nous: 3
Government whispering: 3
Total score: 16/25
TVNZ chief executive Simon Power has a unique blend of political and commercial experience that could make him an interesting option for the leadership role at the newly formed entity.
The former National Party MP spent a decade at Westpac working his way up the ranks to general manager of institutional and business banking, as well as holding an interim role as acting chief executive after the departure of David McLean.
He definitely gets a big check mark in terms of commercial aptitude, but his political background is more complicated.
It's understood that members of the Labour Party weren't exactly enamoured with the idea of a former National Cabinet minister leading the public television broadcaster. They'll likely be even more concerned if he were to take the leading role in the fully merged entity.
Power certainly hasn't endeared himself to Labour by pointing out that he thinks the merger legislation is poorly drafted.
The counter-argument to this is that someone from the National Party might, in fact, be the best person to ensure the merger survives. This merger needs to outlast this Government, which means that someone needs to ensure National Party members also buy into the idea.
The National Party is already using the merger plans as a major attack line against the Government, saying that this simply shouldn't be a priority at this point. These calls will only become louder and threaten to derail the entire plan.
The other thing working against Power at the moment is the series of scandals that have hit the broadcaster in recent months. First, there was the Kamahl Santamaria scandal and now we've also had the casting issues for FBoy Island. Although both of these issues were dealt with speedily, they certainly aren't among the gold stars on the executive's CV.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 2
Culture building: 3
Communications nous: 3
Government whispering: 5
Total score: 18/25
The current chairman of the RNZ board, Dr Jim Mather has a 25-year business management career spanning both the private and the public sectors.
He has a strong media track record, having served as the chief executive of Māori Television between 2005 and 2013.
Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson has stressed the importance of ensuring greater representation for the Māori community through public broadcasting, and there are few that would take this objective as seriously as Mather.
Mather earned a PhD in Māori economic development through AUT University in 2014, and he is also an accountant by trade.
That accounting background could come in handy, as Mather will constantly be challenged to justify financial decisions being made within the organisation.
Mather is also well-known to everyone in the Beehive and has worked well under different governments.
His comfort in both the public and private sectors must be viewed as a major advantage.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 4
Editorial skill: 4
Culture building: 3
Communications nous: 4
Government whispering: 5
Total score: 20/25
Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney inherited one of the toughest jobs in media when she took over in 2020.
Not only was this in the middle of a pandemic typified by cancelled sporting events, but also at a time when the pay-TV broadcaster was fighting against streaming giants.
The cards were stacked against her, but the trained solicitor has shown herself adept at making smart decisions every step of the way.
The company's latest financial result stands in sharp contrast to the many predictions of its imminent demise.
Sky TV increased its revenue from $711.2m to $736.1m and its net shot up from $44.2m to $62.2m - all of which led to the company reinstating its dividend.
Total subscriber numbers also increased 4 per cent, to 990,761 - representing Sky's second straight gain after years of customer losses.
Moloney knows how to run a media company, but it would take something astounding to coax her out of Sky right now.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 3
Culture building: 4
Communications nous: 5
Government whispering: 3
Total score: 20/25
Whereas every other person on this list has made a name for themselves by managing others, Bailey Mackey is someone who actually knows how tough it is to make something that people want to watch.
As the chief executive of Pango Productions, Mackey has been involved in signing deals with major international film giants Freemantle Media, Amazon and National Geographic.
The GC, the All or Nothing All Blacks documentary, The Life and Times of Temuera Morrison and Sidewalk Karaoke are just some of the shows he's had a hand in.
Mackey is also a familiar name in government circles, having served on Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council alongside a handful of other business leaders.
Mackey has worked with pretty much every media company in this country over the course of his career.
In a 2019 interview with Mahi Tahi Media's Julian Wilcox, Mackey described the main aim of his company Pango as to "influence the world through Māori storytelling".
Mackey has shown time and again in his career that there is an audience for local stories that are well told.
Even if Mackey doesn't go on to become the chief executive of ANZPM, you'd hope that leadership reserves a seat around the board table for someone who actually has experience bringing local stories to life.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 4
Editorial skill: 3
Culture building: 4
Communications nous: 4
Government whispering: 4
Total score: 19/25
Sussan Turner has had a long career in the media industry, serving as the group CEO at MediaWorks from 2010 to 2014. She was formerly also managing director of Radio Otago and the CEO of Radioworks. She was previously a director on the TVNZ board and also joined the NZME board in 2018.
She has arguably the most well-rounded media career out of anyone on this list – and certainly has the credentials to do a good job. She is also unique in that she has first-hand experience in bringing together radio and television cultures while at MediaWorks.
However, given that those two arms have since been separated again under the new management structure, amalgamation doesn't always mean longevity.
It's also worth noting that most of Turner's experience is on the commercial side, and it's unclear whether she'd want to deal with the headache of Wellington bureaucrats at this stage of her career.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 3
Culture building: 5
Communications nous: 3
Government whispering: 3
Total score: 19/25
A long shot given that Vodafone would pay handsomely to hold on to his services, Jason Paris has many of the characteristics that would make a good boss at the merged public broadcaster.
Earlier in his career, he worked at both TVNZ and MediaWorks (serving as the chief executive at TV3 and Four for a year and a half from 2010).
He has tackled tough rebrands twice in his life – first at Spark and now at Vodafone. And he also has an incredible knack for taking the public along on the journey. The Spark change, in particular, demanded a massive shift in the culture at the company to show the public that it wasn't just a cosmetic shift.
There are few executives that come close to Paris when it comes to communicating with the public, with the Vodafone boss sometimes picking up conversations directly with customers on social media.
Paris has also been one of the most vocal supporters of using te reo Māori in the mainstream. He's made tough calls in pulling advertising from media shows that didn't reflect his company's brand – and he has no qualms challenging those who question whether a major telco should be using te reo Māori.
If the Government is eager to get the public and opposition political parties to buy into what ANZPM should represent, then someone like Paris could be uniquely placed to deliver on that objective.
That said, there's no shortage of businesses here – and abroad – who wouldn't mind Paris in their executive ranks should he decide to leave Vodafone.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 2
Culture building: 5
Communications nous: 5
Government whispering: 3
Total score: 20/25
Highly respected and well-liked, Theresa Gattung could be the steady pair of hands needed to ensure this merger doesn't shiver to death amid the frosty reception it is currently receiving from the public and critics alike.
Gattung has experience operating in the uncomfortable lines between Government and commercial enterprise, having served as CEO of Telecom during the regulatory Armageddon that hit the sector.
She has admitted that her tenure at the helm did have mixed reviews, but she later went on to co-found the My Food Bag business, which grew rapidly in a short space of time.
She currently serves as the chairwoman of Tend Health, AIA New Zealand and Global Woman, as well as backing the ArcAngels II fund, which backs women-led startups.
Given that she remains committed to so many projects, it's questionable whether she would be willing to return to the trenches of running a business that the Government is intent on transforming.
The one thing that Gattung's career does show is that it can pay off to place huge responsibility in the hands of someone who is young, talented and competent. Gattung was only 37 when she became chief executive at Telecom – and she would go on to spend eight years at the company.
In this sense, it might actually pay to take a lesson from this and consider someone with the enthusiasm and hunger to make ANZPM work in the longer run.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 2
Culture building: 4
Communications nous: 5
Government whispering: 4
Total score: 20/25
A self-confessed media junkie, MediaWorks chief executive Cam Wallace would offer a calm presence at the helm of ANZPM.
Sources within that business have suggested that he has introduced a level of professionalism and structure that was absent before.
When the pandemic hit Air New Zealand, Wallace was seen as a safe pair of hands and was responsible for fronting many of the tough media interviews during that period – it's a reputation that has only been strengthened during his time at MediaWorks.
He has worked to clean up the boys' club culture at MediaWorks which led to a series of terrible headlines early in his tenure. He's also made tough calls in parting ways with broadcasters who were causing headaches for the company with advertisers. Some of the decisions attracted huge public scrutiny, but Wallace was also able to communicate his reasoning for those moves with poise.
He's comfortable in the limelight and he's a strong performer under pressure, characteristics that would serve him well as the boss of ANZPM.
Wallace is also linked to the National Party, given that he spent so many years working closely with Christopher Luxon during his years at Air New Zealand.
This again must be seen as an advantage given the importance of ensuring that the merger isn't dismantled or derailed by a National Government.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 3
Culture building: 4
Communications nous: 5
Government whispering: 4
Total score: 21/25
The current chief executive of Craigs Investment Partners, Simon Tong spent four years at Fairfax Media between October 2013 and March 2017.
After leaving the media industry, Tong made the move into banking by joining ASB. His talent was quickly identified and he moved up the ranks to eventually take on the role of executive general manager of digital, data and brand at ASB.
His performance at ASB would see him handpicked by Craigs Investment Partners for his first CEO role – a position he has held since September 2021.
The trio of skills Tong honed at ASB – digital, data and brand – are core competencies that are required in any modern media organisation. Add to this his prior experience in the media industry and you have a mixed skillset that could work well in leading the ANZPM.
And given Power's route to the helm of TVNZ, it's already clear that decision-makers behind the scenes don't exactly mind someone with a number-crunching background taking control of a media entity.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 2
Culture building: 4
Communications nous: 4
Government whispering: 3
Total score: 18/25
Professional director Joan Withers has spent more than 25 years in the media industry, holding chief executive positions at both Fairfax NZ and the Radio Network.
She currently serves as chairwoman of the Warehouse Group and as a director at ANZ New Zealand and previously served as the chair of Mercury NZ, Auckland International Airport and TVNZ.
There are few CVs on this list that feature such an impressive list of senior roles at major corporates, but her recent career trend does seem to suggest she currently prefers behind-the-scenes directorial work.
She hasn't held a chief executive role since leaving Fairfax New Zealand in 2009. That said, she was chairwoman at TVNZ for eight years between 2009 and 2017 and understands the inner workings of that organisation better than most.
She would have been a key adviser to former chief executive Kevin Kenrick, who successfully steered the business through an incredibly tumultuous period.
Even if just for an interim period next year, Withers could be the steady pair of hands the organisation needs to get through that tough initial period.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 5
Editorial skill: 3
Culture building: 3
Communications nous: 3
Government whispering: 4
Total score: 18/25
The former Saatchi & Saatchi boss has a strong understanding of the commercial imperatives of the industry, and also has a knack for building strong cultures.
As someone with an advertising background, Wilson has experience working with both government and commercial stakeholders as key clients.
One of the biggest challenges for ANZPM will be finding a way to get two diametrically opposed cultures working together and focusing on their similarities rather than their differences.
While at Saatchi & Saatchi, Wilson garnered a reputation as a leader who listened to his staff and worked hard to adjust the culture of the agency. He introduced flexible work policies and put in the effort to ensure his staff were not burnt-out. He also championed creativity and focused on developing work that actually resonated with New Zealanders.
Wilson would eventually be replaced at Saatchi & Saatchi, but many industry insiders have tipped him as a possible executive candidate for one of New Zealand's big companies.
And given that the ANZPM brand will have to be built from the ground up, a bit of marketing nous might go a long way.
Powerlist rating
Commercial experience: 4
Editorial skill: 3
Culture building: 5
Communications nous: 5
Government whispering: 3
Total score: 20/25
Disclaimer: No current staff at NZME, publisher of the NZ Herald, were considered for inclusion in this article.
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