Fairfax to rebrand under new boss
Sinead Boucher has been named as the chief executive of Fairfax Media’s New Zealand business, which is being renamed Stuff.
Boucher replaces former managing director Simon Tong, who left Fairfax NZ in March, shortly before its proposed merger with rival publisher NZME was rejected by the Commerce Commission.
Andrew Boyle had been serving as acting managing director for the past six months.
Fairfax Media’s Sydney-based chief executive, Greg Hywood, said Boucher had established herself as an impressive force in modern media.
‘‘She steps into the chief executive role having had a long and distinguished career in traditional and digital media,’’ he said.
Boucher was previously Fairfax’s group executive editor in New Zealand for four years.
Prior to that she was appointed Fairfax’s first group digital editor in 2007, tasked with developing the then fledgling Stuff website.
In 2015, Boucher was awarded Fairfax’s internal Woman of Influence award in recognition of the role she has had in advancing gender diversity, at Fairfax and beyond.
Boucher joined Fairfax’s The Press in 1993 and worked there for several years, initially as a branch office reporter in North Canterbury.
She later relocated to the United Kingdom to work at the Financial Times and Reuters before returning to The Press as associate editor in 2004 and then developing her digital and newsroom leadership in group-wide online and digital roles.
Boucher said the decision to rename Fairfax NZ as Stuff reflected the direction of the business and its status as ‘‘the country’s biggest digital brand’’.
‘‘I feel privileged and proud to have the chance to lead a company with such a strong connection to New Zealanders and the communities we live and work in,’’ Boucher said.
Hywood said the business’s name change would take effect over the coming month.
Stuff attracts an audience of 2.1 million. Fairfax NZ’s portfolio also consists of newspapers, including the Sunday Star-Times, the Dominion Post and The Press, as well as community website Neighbourly and internet provider Stuff Fibre. –Stuff