Seven backtracks on restructure with executive appointment​on January 21, 2025 at 8:23 am

Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media has backtracked on a major corporate restructure, appointing a seasoned advertising executive to oversee its entire sales function, seven months after removing 34-year company veteran Kurt Burnette from the position.

Henry Tajer, the former global chief executive of media buying firm IPG Mediabrands and the former head of Amazon’s advertising unit in Australia, will join Seven with a remit to bring in more revenue, three sources with direct knowledge of the appointment but not authorised to speak publicly, told this masthead.

The company is expected to make the announcement as soon as Wednesday. A Seven spokesperson declined to comment.

The appointment is a reversal of chief executive Jeff Howard’s decision to remove the company’s experienced chief revenue officer in June last year. As part of this restructure, Seven introduced a new operating model, splitting the company into three divisions, removing around 150 jobs in the process, alongside some of its most senior executives.

Chief marketer Melissa Hopkins and Melbourne managing director and head of sport Lewis Martin were made redundant in addition to Burnette as part of a cost-cutting program designed to remove $100 million in expenses from the business.

While Howard, the company’s former chief financial officer, was elevated to the top job following James Warburton’s departure in just April last year, Tajer’s arrival may be a precursor to eventually replacing the chief executive, two senior sources with knowledge of the appointment said.

Tajer is one of the best-known advertising executives in the country, having also led Japanese advertising giant Dentsu’s local outpost. He has been working with Seven in an advisory role since October and meeting with advertising executives, as reported at the time by trade outlet Mi3.

Seven’s share price is down 24 per cent since Howard took over from Warburton on April 18 last year, while it is down 43 per cent across the past 12 months. The company’s 2024 financial results showed a dip in revenue of five per cent, yet net profit after tax fell by 69 per cent.