Seven elevates Sean Power, while De Ceglie recruit Gemma Acton leaves
There’s been a major leadership shift at Seven, with Sean Power officially stepping into the newly-created role of director of news integration and strategy while news operations boss Gemma Acton is leaving.
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The Seven Network has confirmed several senior leadership changes, including the promotion of Sydney news boss Sean Power, and the departure of news operations boss and Anthony De Ceglie recruit, Gemma Acton.
Among the first lot of changes made by incoming director of news and current affairs, Ray Kuka, Power has been given the newly created title of director of news integration and strategy, suggesting De Ceglie’s exit has had no impact on Power’s future within the network.
Power’s new gig will see him step away from his current role as Sydney news director to take up the new Melbourne based position.
Power is well-liked at Seven, and while many agree his ascent has been swift, according to many at Seven HQ, it’s not undeserved.
“Mr Power has been an integral part of Seven’s news and public affairs division for seven years,” a Seven spokesman said yesterday.
“He is currently director of 7NEWS Sydney and, prior to that, held the role of executive producer of Sunrise, delivering consistent ratings success and growing audience trust.”
And just one year after ex-Seven exec De Ceglie appointed Acton to the national role of director of news operations, she has also left the company.
It is believed she chose to leave prior to De Ceglie’s departure.
In June 2024, it was announced that Acton would work closely with De Ceglie and other senior news leaders to “drive culture and innovation across newsrooms nationally”.
She was also responsible for leading and implementing the division’s new digital-first strategy as well as overseeing budgets.
Now Saturday Confidential can reveal Acton is joining the executive leadership team developing Wynn Resorts’ newest project – Wynn Al Marjan, moving her young family from Sydney to Dubai.
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 a Seven media release.
De Ceglie’s daily horoscope segment has been punted, as has the Friday afternoon satirical news segment. Now speculation has turned to whether Kuka will make any changes to the network’s 6pm news bulletin which is hosted by anchors Mark Ferguson and Angela Cox.
Insiders say Seven chairman Kerry Stokes prefers a solo newsreader.
Cox is another of De Ceglie’s recruits.
The above leadership changes follows the recent controversial departure of De Ceglie, who exited Seven to join the Perth Bears.
In an e-mail sent out to all Seven staff last week, Kuka said he would be going back to basics.
He also reiterated the importance of ratings, despite De Ceglie once saying, “Stop worrying about the ratings.”
“Our ratings do matter,” Kuka wrote in the leaked e-mail.
“They reflect how strongly our bulletins are resonating. They also deserve to win. We should celebrate that. My role is to support you all in continuing to leap ahead of our competitors, in every market and in every timeslot.”
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