Seven’s Gemma Acton departs, Sean Power promoted
Sean Power
The Seven Network has confirmed several senior leadership changes, including the promotion of Sydney news boss Sean Power to a national role, and the departure of news operations boss Gemma Acton.
Acton was director of news operations, a role she had been in for less than a year. She was responsible for leading and implementing the division’s digital-first strategy, as well as overseeing budgets. Prior to that, she was Seven’s finance editor.
On Friday morning, Seven confirmed she has left the business, relocating to Dubai with her family for a “new career opportunity”.
Gemma Acton
Ray Kuka, who recently replaced Anthony De Ceglie as national news boss, thanked Acton for her contribution.
“Her dedication, professionalism and mentorship have had a lasting impact on so many, and she leaves with our warmest thanks and very best wishes for this exciting new chapter for her and her family,” he said in a media release on Friday.
The network also confirmed the promotion of Power, who has been the Sydney news boss since June last year. He will return to Melbourne for the new gig.
Power will step into the role of director of news integration and strategy, overseeing the integration of nightly news content across all of Seven’s platforms.
He will be responsible for ensuring cohesive coverage plans across Seven’s news website, 7 Plus, The Nightly, and social platforms.
He will oversee major news events in partnership with national news desk director and foreign editor Hugh Whitfeld. He will also act as the key liason between programming, communications, and marketing to amplify Seven’s news brands.
Sean Power
“This critical role will mean 7NEWS has a clear plan to make our first-class journalism sing not just on broadcast but also online,” Kuka said in the release.
“Sean will enhance our delivery of news and make sure our audiences everywhere know about our exclusive and investigative content. He will also be charged with working with sales and partnerships to fund new programs as 7NEWS invests in the solid future of television.”
Power will also begin work on a new national program, that will be broadcast from Seven’s new Melbourne studios.
He said it is a “privilege to work alongside Australia’s sharpest journalists”.
Current Sydney news executive producer, Geoff Dunn, will step into the Sydney news director role in an acting capacity while a restructure is finalised, according to the release.
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