Nine restructures, brings in Amanda Laing
Nine Entertainment has confirmed an operating model reset, announcing it will split into three consumer-focused divisions, with a new executive team.
Nine’s refreshed operating model will “more effectively leverage the group’s portfolio of premium media assets, simplify business operations, reduce duplication, and provide greater accountability”.
The business will divide into three: streaming and broadcast; publishing; and marketplaces.
Under the new operating model, Stan CEO Martin Kugeler and Nine CMO Liana Dubois have been made redundant, with Nine transitioning to “a more streamlined” eight-member executive team, under acting-CEO Matt Stanton.
Nine has appointed experienced industry executive Amanda Laing as managing director of the streaming and broadcast division, which brings together Stan, 9Now, broadcast TV, and radio.
Laing was recently chief commercial and content officer at Foxtel Group and MD at Binge.
The current publishing division, led by Tory Maguire, will be expanded to include nine.com.au, alongside Nine’s publishing assets, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian Financial Review.
Meanwhile, the creation of a marketplaces division provides “more targeted oversight of Domain and Drive” and ensures Nine is “capitalising on value creation opportunities from streaming and broadcast and publishing and across the group”.
Alex Parsons will oversee marketplaces, in addition to his current chief digital officer role.
Nine has also appointed James Boyce as director of regulatory, public affairs and communications, to “enhance the group’s focus on the regulatory environment”. He joins from Paramount Australia and New Zealand, where he was head of government and regulatory affairs.
The leadership team will consist of:
Acting Chief Executive Officer: Matt Stanton
Managing Director – Streaming & Broadcast: Amanda Laing
Managing Director – Publishing: Tory Maguire
Chief Digital Officer and Managing Director – Marketplaces: Alex Parsons
Director – Regulatory, Public Affairs and Communications: James Boyce
Acting Chief Financial Officer: Graeme Cassells
Acting Chief Sales Officer: Matt James
General Counsel & Company Secretary: Rachel Launders
Chief People Officer: Vanessa Morley
Nine says the new model will “help deliver the group’s Integrated Audience Platform strategy, while strengthening Nine’s operational and financial performance”.
Stanton said, in a public statement: “Our operating model reset will help accelerate the strategic transformation underway at Nine by improving how the different parts of the business work together.
“Our new approach will better position the business to manage the challenging external environment and ensure the company is future-fit to sustainably deliver for our consumers, partners, shareholders and people.
“Aligned with the greater accountability that flows from resetting the operating model, I’m pleased to unveil a new and focused executive team to lead Nine through its next phase of growth,” he continued.
“The appointment of Amanda, one of the top media executives in the country, will add extraordinary industry expertise and energy to Nine’s experienced executive team in 2025, while James will sharpen the group’s focus on the evolving regulatory landscape.”
In a note to staff, seen by Mumbrella, Stanton explained the restructure further:
“We’re acutely aware of the silos that exist, resulting in a duplication of efforts and a platform-led mindset. This means for many parts of the business, the power of the Nine Group isn’t being leveraged and our cost base is being impacted. This shift begins today and will ultimately make it easier for you to do your jobs.”
Stanton explained the transition to the new operating model will happen “over the coming months”, with “the operation of the business at the forefront of our decision making.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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Smart from synergy perspective but also makes sense given the poor standing in the cultural review (not highly covered in press) specifically around Stan and behaviour among leadership.
With legacy “club members” mostly gone albeit too late, after years of issues at Stan -great people remain gladly,
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Very interesting times indeed, but what I can say is that Amanda Lang is an incredibly impressive operator. Kudos!
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It’s kind of a Wild Thing to let an acting CEO dismiss senior leaders and deliver a huge restructure isn’t it?
I’d be wondering why I haven’t got the job full time were I Matt Stanton.
In any case, it’s another kick in the crotch for marketing at Nine, with publishing marketing leadership decimated in 2024, the CMO gone in 2025, and other functions like Stan already very thin in that area.
It seems like another case of senior leadership not understanding what marketing is, and being too scared to scale down sales in lean times for advertising.
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So, no marketing presence in the executive leadership team?
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Sad to see Martin go, he was a clear, concise and strategic leader and stood against of the toxicitiy enabled and encouraged by his predecessor.
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hope you bring back Sam Armytage permanently to replace the Male presenter currently on the Today morning show.
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Stan has been outside of the nine entertainment mothership too long and didn’t like sharing toys with others
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Simplifying the exec team is a smart move and some decent appointments no doubt, but one has to ask how the HR lead is still in a job, given the putrid culture at Nine, particularly in Broadcast that has been allowed to fester for years, surely the clock must be ticking.
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