Mike Sneesby Resigns as CEO of Australia’s Nine Entertainment

As a seasoned cinema enthusiast with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the recent turn of events at Nine Entertainment has been nothing short of a blockbuster drama unfolding before our very eyes. The departure of Mike Sneesby, a man who played a pivotal role in shaping the Australian media landscape, is akin to the lead actor bowing out mid-production – leaving us all wondering what could possibly happen next.


Mike Sneesby recently stepped down from his role as CEO at Nine Entertainment, a prominent Australian media conglomerate. This decision comes after several challenging months marked by internal strife, such as a vote of no confidence from the staff and the company’s board of directors.

Effective from the end of this month, Sneesby will no longer be with us. In his absence, Matt Stanton, who holds the positions of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, will step in as an interim replacement. While we conduct a recruitment process, Stanton will guide the company. According to a statement issued to the Australian Stock Exchange, Sneesby expressed that this is the opportune moment for a leadership change to propel Nine into the next stage of its strategic evolution, following the conclusion of the Olympics and Paralympics.

Following the departure of former leader Hugh Marks, Michael Sneesby ascended to the leading position within the multimedia conglomerate encompassing TV broadcasting, streaming services, and print newspapers. It’s important to note that Sneesby played a significant role as one of the founders and CEO of the Australian streaming platform Stan, from the year 2015 onwards.

In a personal message to Nine’s team on Thursday, Sneesby shared: “I wish to be transparent about the reasons behind my leaving. Let me provide some background, this year has been exceptionally tough professionally – a time that pushed our resilience to its limits. Regardless of the intense scrutiny, my commitment to delivering the best results for our team and Nine remains unyielding.

Over the past few months, I’ve given a lot of thought about my future aspirations. After discussing with my family and trusted individuals, I have chosen to explore fresh possibilities in 2025, following the completion of significant work on our company culture and the results from our culture review.

In June, Chairman Peter Costello stepped down following an incident at Canberra Airport involving a journalist, which he denies took place. Earlier in March, the organization’s news director Darren Wick left after accusations of misconduct, including misuse of power and improper behavior in the newsroom. An investigation later confirmed that staff members had suffered emotional distress as a result.

In June, company Nine disclosed their intention to eliminate 200 positions. They attributed this decision to a sluggish advertising market and the expiration of a news content agreement with Meta, the prominent U.S. social media corporation. As a result, employees at Nine initiated a work stoppage, an action that potentially risked interfering with their coverage of the summer Olympic Games, rights for which they had acquired from competitor media group Seven.

Read More

2024-09-12 05:46