Morry Schwartz installs ad executive as head of Schwartz Media

Less than a week after the resignation of Schwartz Media chair Morry Schwartz, the company has appointed advertising executive Ben Shepherd as its new chief executive officer.

Schwartz Media is the publisher of The Saturday Paper, The Monthly and 7am Podcast and is owned and was founded by Schwartz.

Shepherd will begin the role next year after the departure of long-time chief Rebecca Costello, who departed in November to join Guardian Australia.

Advertising executive Ben Shepherd joins Schwartz Media as CEO.

Shepherd will join Schwartz Media after spending just under 12 months at Japanese advertising conglomerate Dentsu as its Australian chief investment officer. It will be his sixth role in five years, a period that has included stints at advertising agencies Thinkerbell and CHEP Network, and roles at PwC and Bain & Company.

Schwartz said last week it was the right moment for him to take a break and that internal opposition to coverage of the Gaza conflict did not play a role in the timing of his move.

“There’s lots of reasons,” Schwartz said. “I’m stepping aside to give them the freedom to run the company. All of the people there are terrific.

“I’m going to give myself a holiday.”

Schwartz Media founder Morry Schwartz stood down as chair this week.Credit: Peter Braig

Shepherd will start in February, with Zoe Featherstone acting as Schwartz Media general manager in the meantime. Featherstone has also been promoted to deputy chief executive, with editor-in-chief Erik Jensen also on the publisher’s executive leadership team.

“Schwartz Media is home to the most vital, most respected and most enduring media brands we have in Australia, produced by Australia’s most respected voices,” Shepherd said.

“To serve the amazingly talented people in the business, its outstanding writers and its loyal and engaged readers, as its CEO, is a privilege.”

Schwartz said he had complete confidence in Shepherd to lead the company into its next stage of growth.

Some prominent journalists at Schwartz Media were part of a cross-industry contingent to sign a letter condemning coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas last month. The letter prompted a range of responses from editorial leadership and management across different outlets, however, Jensen did not take any action in relation to Schwartz journalists who signed the letter.

“We uphold the rights of journalists to express their personal opinions,” Jensen said.

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