Foxtel in management reshuffle

Foxtel’s senior management reshuffle is part of new strategy to fend off competition from streaming rivals.

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany. Pic: James Croucher

Foxtel’s chief executive Patrick Delany has announced a senior management reshuffle that places the product function at the heart of a strategy to fend off competition from streaming rivals.

Mr Delany is combining Foxtel’s sales and marketing functions into one unit and creating a product and strategy group as the subscription-TV operator beds down a new ultra-high definition 4K service and dedicated cricket channel.

As part of the changes, Foxtel’s chief marketing officer Andy Lark is leaving the business following the introduction of a new brand positioning. A former Commonwealth Bank and Dell marketing executive, Mr Lark joined Foxtel in January of this year.

Mr Lark will be succeeded by Kieren Cooney, currently chief marketing and content officer of real estate listings firm REA Group. Mr Cooney will assume the newly created title of chief sales and marketing officer.

REA and Foxtel share common ownership.

ASX-listed REA is 62 per cent owned by The Australian’s publisher News Corp, which owns 65 per cent of Foxtel. The remainder of the broadcaster is held by Telstra.

“I would like to thank Andy for helping shape the company’s future direction. We asked him to do a specific job for us and I am grateful for the major role he played at such a critical time,” said Mr Delany.

In another appointment, Alice Mascia will lead the product and strategy group. She was most recently executive vice president of products and marketing at Sky Deutschland, part of the pan-European cable, satellite, and streaming giant Sky.

A 39 per cent stake in Sky previously held by 21st Century Fox was recently sold to US telecommunications giant Comcast in a $US15 billion deal following an auction conducted last month.

Under the new combined sales and marketing structure, senior Foxtel executive Marco Miranda has been promoted to the new role of chief revenue officer.

Commenting on the appointments, Mr Delany said: “Kieren has deep experience with companies at the leading edge of technology and marketing innovation, while Alice joins us from Sky Deutschland, a company much like ours that has met the challenges and seized the opportunities of disruptive times.

“As a leader in home entertainment, we are generating real momentum in the marketplace with the reinvigoration of our iQ4 and 4K offerings, our new movies and drama products and of course, a summer of sports like never before with our live and ad break free cricket coverage on the new Fox Cricket.”

It comes after Mr Delany installed former Nine Entertainment managing director Amanda Laing and Sky executive Euan Smith in new roles.