CEO Will Hayward leaving Private Media

Private Media CEO Will Hayward is departing the publisher to work on a new venture.

Hayward, who has led the company that publishes Crikey, The Mandarin and Smart Company for five years, will leave “within weeks”. Private Media says it has already found Hayward’s replacement, and that Hayward will continue working until the new CEO takes up the reins.

Hayward — who has written for Mumbrella and appeared at the Mumbrella Publish conference last year — would not divulge where he was heading, beyond saying it was within the media world but not competitive with Private Media.

Private Media founder and chairman Eric Beecher praised Hayward in a press release.