Deputy chair Catherine West will take over the reins at 9 Entertaiment after Peter Costello stepped down as chairman following an altercation with a journalist.
The previous federal treasurer introduced his resignation on Sunday after being accused by a reporter of assaulting him at Canberra Airport on Thursday.
Mr Costello denied the allegation later that day, saying The Australian’s Liam Mendes fell after backing into an promoting placard whereas asking him questions.
‘I thank the board for his or her help during the last decade and notably throughout the occasions of the previous couple of weeks,’ Mr Costello mentioned in an announcement.
‘There are monumental challenges forward however I consider 9 is the perfect positioned Australian media firm to climate them and prosper.’
9 deputy chair Catherine West (pictured) will substitute Peter Costello as chairman of the community
Peter Costello (pictured) on Sunday resigned from his position as chairman of 9 Leisure Co. following an altercation with a reporter at Canberra Airport on Thursday
Ms West thanked him for his ‘dedication and dedication’ to the corporate.
‘As chairman, he has at all times put the wants of the corporate first and his resolution to face down and move on the baton of main 9 right now is according to that method.’
In addition to the 9 board, Ms West has served on boards at Monash IVF Group and Peter Warren Automotive and was previously a Sky govt in the UK.
Ms West was appointed deputy chair in September 2023 after becoming a member of the board in 2016, in response to 9’s company web site.
She is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Firm Administrators.
Ms West holds a Bachelor of Legal guidelines (Hons) and Bachelor of Economics diploma from the College of Sydney.
She is a director of the Sydney Breast Most cancers Basis, chair of the Nationwide Institute of Dramatic Artwork (NIDA) and a director of the NIDA Basis Belief.
Ms West acts as chair of the Board of Governors of Wenona College
9 has been embroiled in scandal over the previous couple of weeks, coping with sexual harassment allegations inside the organisation.
Australian journalist and shareholder activist Stephen Mayne mentioned putting in a feminine chair may assist shift an industry-wide tradition that is ‘not very pleasant’ in direction of ladies.
‘It’s fairly an indictment that there is by no means been a feminine chair of a serious public media firm, and possibly it will result in change within the media,’ he advised ABC radio on Monday.
Ladies now make up nearly 40 per cent of boards within the ASX 200 however stay rarer on the prime stage, Australian Institute of Firm Administrators information reveals, making up simply 9.5 per cent of chairs at these firms.
‘So hopefully it will result in additional change going ahead,’ Mr Mayne mentioned.
Mr Costello had been chairman since 2016.
In a video printed by The Australian, Mendes follows Mr Costello by the airport as he asks about 9 chief govt Mike Sneesby.
‘I walked previous him, he walked again into an promoting placard and he fell over,’ Mr Costello mentioned.
‘I didn’t strike him … if he is upset about that, I am sorry, however I didn’t strike him.’
Mr Costello, 66, was questioned by The Australian journalist Liam Mendes (pictured) after arriving at Canberra Airport on Thursday afternoon
9 chairman Peter Costello (pictured) was filmed showing to push over a journalist at Canberra Airport on Thursday
Mr Costello seems to stroll in direction of the reporter at one level earlier than the journalist falls backwards.
‘You’ve simply assaulted me,’ Mr Mendes says within the video.
Labor Treasurer Jim Chalmers criticised Mr Costello and mentioned if anyo45one knew it was actually vital to deal with journalists with respect, ‘it needs to be the chairman of a serious media organisation’.
