TVNZ commercial director Jodi O'Donnell is the broadcaster's new chief executive.
TVNZ commercial director Jodi O'Donnell is the broadcaster's new chief executive.
TVNZ has announced its new chief executive - Jodi O’Donnell. She will become the broadcaster’s first female CEO.
O’Donnell, who has been with the broadcaster for more than 20 years, is currently TVNZ’s commercial director, responsible for driving revenue performance.
“Jodi’s an outstanding commercial leader who’s delivered significant innovation andstrategic change throughout her time at TVNZ,” said TVNZ chair Alastair Carruthers.
“She has a deep understanding of the media landscape and is passionate about the challenges and opportunities TVNZ faces as it pursues a digitally-led future.”
Carruthers earlier described the appointment of the new chief executive as “probably the most important decision the board is going to make in the next five years”.
O’Donnell will be responsible for leading a massive, all-of-business transformation at the state broadcaster over the next 12 months and beyond.
“I’ve had the immense privilege of spending most of my career at TVNZ, Te Reo Tātaki,” said O’Donnell.
“I feel strongly about the importance of local media and telling New Zealand’s stories. TVNZ has a rich and important history, and it also has an exciting future ahead of it. We have an incredible group of TVNZers who are committed to our advertisers and our audiences and I’m looking forward to leading our people as we transform the business into a digital first media organisation.”
O’Donnell, who officially starts in the new role on January 30, replaces Simon Power, who left TVNZ in late June after just over a year.
The broadcaster’s head of legal and corporate affairs, Brent McAnulty, has been the interim chief executive at TVNZ since Power’s departure.
Carruthers paid tribute to McAnulty.
“His calm guidance has steered the business through a constrained advertising period, while delivering important programming for our viewers, including the return of free-to-view sport to TVNZ and comprehensive coverage of the 2023 general election. As previously announced, TVNZ is fortunate to have Brent as the organisation’s first chief operating officer when he assumes this role in the New Year.”
Carruthers and McAnulty have outlined the huge transformation facing the state broadcaster in the next 12 months.
“Much of TVNZ’s current infrastructure is reaching end-of-life and maintaining the status quo is not an option,” says Carruthers in the broadcaster’s just-released annual report.
“There is a need to move from a broadcast organisation with digital bolted on to a digital-first media entity. A new digital foundation will allow TVNZ to move more nimbly and flexibly. It will enable the creation of the future platforms required to serve a broader range of diverse audiences. It is pleasing to see this project under way.”
TVNZ acting CEO Brent McAnulty.
McAnulty said that while the merger with RNZ had been called off, “the challenges facing the media sector that provided the impetus for the proposal remain.
“People are watching more TV shows than ever before, but how they are watching continues to change significantly.
“The direction consumers are moving is clear and digital streaming is critical to TVNZ’s future success. We’ve made a great start, delivering consistent audience and revenue growth with TVNZ+. It’s time for us to move faster though, and that means accelerating our digital transformation.”
TVNZ’s annual report confirms the earlier 2022/23 financial results - a net profit after tax of just $1.7 million, compared with a $7.9m profit in 2022/23.
Media Insider revealed in July that TVNZ is expecting a bottom-line $15.6m loss for its 2023-2024 financial year after two years of profitability.
Traditional broadcast audiences are dropping and TVNZ is embarking on a major digital and cultural transformation, including upgrading the technology and user experience of its widely praised TVNZ+ on-demand platform.
“This will require significant investment, to be funded through cash reserves and earnings,” says the company’s four-year statement of intent, released earlier this year.
Carruthers, who became chair of TVNZ in July, said at the time that the appointment of the new chief executive was “probably the most important decision the board is going to make in the next five years”.
He expected interest would be high, and while the best candidate “might already be here”, the search was likely to extend globally, he told Media Insider.
“It is funny how many LinkedIn pings I’ve suddenly got,” he joked at the time.
After a brief break for Power, it was announced last month the former Cabinet Minister and Westpac bank executive would return to the finance industry. He will become the chief executive of KiwiSaver provider Fisher Funds, replacing Bruce McLachlan who will retire in February.
Former TVNZ chief executive Simon Power.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
