The drums are beating more loudly that Amanda Laing will surface at Nine Entertainment as its next chief executive.
It comes with questions over whether Mike Sneesby remains at the helm of the publisher, broadcaster and streaming service provider after facing criticism over the company’s response to sexual harassment allegations against former news boss Darren Wick.
The Australian’s media section in May described Sneesby as a “dead man walking”, and chairman Peter Costello has since resigned and been replaced by Catherine West.
The understanding is that the chairman has been canvassing the organisation and interviewing top executives with a view to making changes.
If Mike Sneesby is replaced, as some have earlier predicted, it’s thought Laing has been singled out as the candidate to replace him at the top of the organisation.
Nine owns newspaper publications such as The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Financial Review, as well as Stan, a stake in Domain Group and Channel 9.
Sneesby was appointed the boss of the organisation in 2021, replacing Hugh Marks.
At that time, Laing was considered to be on Nine’s wish list for the job when she was Foxtel’s chief commercial and content officer.
She is a former Nine executive.
Laing resigned from Foxtel in April.
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