Seven West Media redundancies: Three of network's top executives exit
Kurt Burnette, Melissa Hopkins, and Lewis Martin are all reportedly leaving the business.
After a round of redundancies on Tuesday, Seven West Media is reportedly losing three senior executives.
Chief revenue officer, Kurt Burnette, chief marketing officer, Melissa Hopkins, and head of sport and managing director of Seven Melbourne, Lewis Martin are all exiting the business according to the Australian Financial Review.
This week's redundancies saw the company axe up to 150 jobs after the network flagged further cost-cutting exercises in February, by then-CFO Jeff Howard and former CEO James Warburton. Howard stepped up to the CEO role of Seven West Media after Warburton officially left the post on April 18.
This week's redundancies are not limited to any one division, with journalists from the television and print divisions, sales and marketing roles, as well as printing roles to be cut.
Mediaweek has contacted Seven for comment.
Lewis Martin said: “I have loved everything about my time at Seven and in the media, primarily the wonderful people I have worked with, and competed against.”
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Burnette joined Seven in 1990, with Martin joining not long after in 1994. Hopkins joined Seven last May, moving over from her previous role as CMO of Optus.
The redundancies come days after Seven journalist Robert Ovadia was sacked by the network after an internal investigation was conducted into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
In an interview with The Australian, the Sydney-based crime reporter confirmed he had been fired after 23 years with the network.
“Yes I’ve been sacked and there will be more to say about that in the appropriate forum at the appropriate time,” Ovadia told The Australian.
Other recent exits include Craig McPherson, who stepped down after Seven’s Spotlight program became embroiled in Bruce Lehrmann‘s failed defamation battle against 10 and Lisa Wilkinson. Replacing him in April was Anthony De Ceglie, appointed Seven West Media’s new director of news and current affairs.
In the wake of ex-Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach‘s evidence, EP Mark Llewellyn also left the network.
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Top image: Kurt Burnette, Melissa Hopkins, and Lewis Martin
