May 21, 2004
APN strengthens NZ management team ahead of listing SYDNEY,
May 21, 2004 –APN News & Media Limited [ASX:APN] today announced a new management structure for its New Zealand publishing assets.
APN Chief Executive Brendan Hopkins said a new division – APN New Zealand National Publishing –would oversee the
publication of:
The New Zealand Herald, the country’s largest circulating daily newspaper, The Aucklander, a total Auckland market
coverage free weekly news magazine, and New Zealand Magazines, which publishes the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly, the most
read women’s magazine in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Listener, the top-rated current affairs magazine in New
Zealand.
Mr Ken Steinke becomes Chief Executive of APN New Zealand National Publishing, Mr Rick Neville becomes Deputy Chief
Executive and Ms Sarah Sandley joins the Division as publisher of New Zealand Magazines.
APN’s New Zealand regional newspapers will continue to report through the Group’s trans-tasman Regional Publishing
Division, led by Chief Executive Martin Simons.
Mr Craig Marsh, Chief Operating Officer of New Zealand regional newspapers (nine dailies and 35 community titles), is
relocating to Hawke’s Bay to lead the group from a regional base. Mr Darren Siegertsz, recently appointed as Divisional
Finance Manager, New Zealand regional newspapers, will also move to Hawke’s Bay. The Regional Publishing Division will
maintain a strong presence in the Auckland market through Presspak NZ, its national selling arm led by Mr David Lewis.
Mr Hopkins said the new management structure would generate operating efficiencies as well as promote the development of
new magazine-based products for distribution in APN newspaper titles. The new structure positions the company ahead of
listing on New Zealand Exchange Limited [NZX], which it anticipates will occur by mid-June, after which it will be one
of the largest listed companies in New Zealand.
The new Division will report as a single entity, alongside APN’s four other trans-Tasman Divisions: Regional Publishing,
Radio, Outdoor Advertising and Commercial Printing.
ENDS