Media mongrel Greg Hywood is the right man to lead Fairfax Media’s fight
In this guest post, former colleague Peter Miller argues that new Fairfax Media boss Greg Hywood is the man for the job.
Today Fairfax Media announced that Greg Hywood has been confirmed as its new CEO.
If a large majority of Fairfax employees aren’t breathing a sigh of relief at this news, then either they don’t know what’s good for them, or they are Gen Y. Gen Ys are allegedly entirely focused on what’s good for them, but generally less well informed. So they will probably do their homework and then breathe a sigh of relief.
The top job at Fairfax has been held by some pretty well credentialed dudes over the past decade and a bit. Generally they have been either newspaper men with ink running through their veins, like Bob Muscat and Brian McCarthy. Or they have been strategic business leaders like Fred Hilmer and David Kirk.
I love the cutting remark about Gen Ys. What a nightmare to work with..huge sense of entitlement, entirely focused on getting ahead whether it’s merited or their time, sloppy in their work, clock watchers with unrealistic ideas about the workplace and the wider world, and little interest in current affairs or what’s going around them. Nice anecdote about Packer. Good on Fairfax for appointing a CEO who will truly understand the business they have on their hands.
Good insider insight, but I wonder if anyone can turn Fairfax back into what it once was.
Too many people feathering their own nests at the Herald.Its a retirement village, we need some new energy.
Good on you Peter Miller.
I have also worked with/for Greg Hywood at Fairfax and I believe he is the right CEO for Fairfax at the right time. I agree with all of the above – maybe because I’m Gen X and of the opinion that the cost of inexperience has proven to be massive. Not all of the decline is market-inflicted.
good analysis, i don’t think the guy is perfect, but his intentions will be around the brands and building rather the cost cutting of late. He still needs to look at some of his senior management, the Fin needs a shake up at the top, the longer its left, the more the market will question his thinking (Hywood’s) and the reason why…it’s viewed as old school and out of touch, and the buck should stop where it belongs…