Margin Call: Dyson, Ziegelaar join Seven board

Leading tax lawyer joins Seven West’s board just after a 20 per cent cut in directors fees takes effect. Picture Glenn Hampson

The Kerry Stokes-controlled Seven West Media is set to appoint lawyers Teresa Dyson and Michael Ziegelaar to its board of directors.

The appointments are part of a process of renewal at the heavily scrutinised media group, following the departure of two of its female directors this year.

The new directors join the board just after a 20 per cent cut in director fees takes effect.

Dyson is a well-regarded Brisbane-based law partner at McCulloch Robertson, while Ziegelaar is a partner specialising in mergers and acquisitions partner at Freehills in Melbourne.

Dyson is also chair of business law section of the Law Council of Australia and earlier this year joined the board of Energy Queensland.

The appointments are set to be announced as early as today.

Earlier this morning the Stokes-chaired Seven West board announced that long-serving director Michelle Deaker was retiring from her position as a director of the group, which is run by chief executive Tim Worner.

Also at the media group’s annual meeting, Stokes and non-executive director and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett were re-elected to the board.

More than 17 per cent of shareholders voted against Kennett’s return while just over 7 per cent voted against the proprietor.

Stokes told the market that Deaker would not continue as a SWM director due to increased demands from her role as managing partner of venture capital outfit OneVentures.

Gilbert and Tobin partner Sheila McGregor also left the Seven board in February amid the scandal surrounding Worner and his former mistress and company PA Amber Harrison.

Also on the SWM board is Stokes’ son Ryan Stokes, James Packer’s Crown executive chairman John Alexander, Evans and Partners principal David Evans, Stokes lieutenant Peter Gammell and iiNet founder Michael Malone.