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New CEO's message to staff

Monday, 15 December 2008

Good Afternoon.

Yesterday, I was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Media Limited. It is an honour to lead such an outstanding media company, and I shall work tirelessly to make the company even more successful.

As you all know, Fairfax Media has great mastheads, websites, printing centres, radio stations, events and market strength – and most importantly, a committed and valued staff across Australia, New Zealand and the United States. I believe firmly in the company and its future.

We produce first-class journalism in print, online and on the air. We have innovative sales people. We have excellent results from our many print centres. Our businesses are supported by dedicated administration staff. Our company is about quality in all areas.

There is much to be done. Over the next month or so, I shall proceed just as I did when I became Deputy CEO and the head of Australian Publishing and Printing for Fairfax in mid 2007. I shall meet with the senior executives and discuss the businesses and the operations, and then put in place the organisational structure and processes that I believe will work best for the company overall.

At the same time, I shall be developing plans for our strategy, priorities and the measures necessary to implement the best way forward. This will be a thorough process.

In the meantime, it is very much ‘business as usual’, with an immediate emphasis on the best performance we can obtain in these last weeks before Christmas. I look forward to meeting as many of the staff as possible, starting with The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald and The Australian Financial Review today. I shall be meeting Melbourne-based staff next Monday and TradeMe staff in New Zealand on Tuesday. It may be a little while before I see all staff, but I shall do my best!

We are working in times of tremendous economic uncertainty. Therefore, our management ability and judgement need to maximise every opportunity presented at all our publishing and media assets.

I am looking forward to working with you all in the future, to the challenges ahead, and to achieving the full potential of the company.

On a personal level, I am sure we are all looking forward to sharing Christmas and the New Year with our friends and families. The Directors of Fairfax Media Limited join me in wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy festive season. May the joy and goodwill of Christmas be yours through the coming year.

Kind regards

Brian McCarthy

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