logo
Top 7 sales boss Henry Tajer exits after just six months in job

Top 7 sales boss Henry Tajer exits after just six months in job

News.com.au16-06-2025
Seven is searching for a new head of sales following the exit of its chief commercial officer Henry Tajer after six months in the role.
Mr Tajer was appointed to Seven's most senior sales role in January following a radical restructure of Seven's corporate structure last year leading to the departure of seasoned Seven executives including advertising chief Kurt Burnette in June 2024.
On Monday Seven confirmed Mr Tajer will transition from his full-time role into a consulting arrangement from the end of the month.
Seven West Media managing director and CEO Jeff Howard praised Mr Tajer in Monday's announcement saying: 'Henry brought a new level of bold and innovative thinking to Seven's sales team. He drove significant change in his short time at Seven and on behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank him for his contribution. I look forward to continuing to work with Henry on opportunities to drive growth for SWM.'
Mr Tajer initially joined Seven as a consultant in August 2024 before becoming Seven's full-time CCO in January 2025, a role that saw him put on a lucrative contract at Seven.
His predecessor Mr Burnette had been on $1.25 million a year at the time of his departure.
Mr Tajer said of his departure from Seven that it would allow him to transition back to consulting work while allowing him to focus on the 'many exciting opportunities still ahead for Seven' as a consultant.
The Seven sales team will be jointly led by Mr Tajer's former direct reports, Katie Finney, Seven's national TV sales director and national digital sales director Jordan King while a search is conducted for Mr Tajer's replacement.
In May news.com.au reported Mr Tajer's appointment at Seven had been the result of a decade of lobbying for a top sales job in Australian television.
Sources claimed he ultimately won over Seven chairman Kerry Stokes and son Ryan Stokes, non-executive director of Seven's board, leading to his appointment in January.
Mr Tajer's aggressive and at times unconventional style has drawn critics internally and externally in recent years.
He arrived at Seven following a string of short-lived roles.
Prior to consulting for Seven he was CEO of The Influence Group for a year until June 2023.
His previous role at marketing company Dentsu Aegis also lasted one year and saw Mr Tajer ruffle feathers.
He also made headlines in adland in 2017 after exiting his role as Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands – a role he relocated his family from Australia to New York two years earlier in 2015 to fill.
Mr Tajer's departure follows the recent exit of Seven's 'rookie' news boss Anthony De Ceglie after a controversial year at the broadcaster.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Australian cattle industry reacts to US beef imports relaxation
Australian cattle industry reacts to US beef imports relaxation

News.com.au

time2 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Australian cattle industry reacts to US beef imports relaxation

Australian beef leaders believe that the future of our $75 billion industry depends on the federal government's decision to relax import laws on US beef being a correct choice. Cattle Australia has called for an independent review into the bombshell decision, announced on Thursday, saying there was 'simply too much at stake' for the nation's biosecurity. Industry figures were 'unsurprised' at the call and don't expect much demand for American beef, with one likening it to 'selling ice to the Eskimos'. The decision came after a '10-year process' and was not directly linked to ongoing tariff negotiations with the US, despite Donald Trump criticising the beef trade imbalance between the two nations, the government said. US beef has been allowed into Australia since 2019 but now cattle born in Canada and Mexico will also be available for import after a biosecurity assessment. Cattle Australia chief Will Evans told ABC radio on Thursday the body had to trust the government's process, stressing bureaucrats 'made the assessment themselves'. 'When you have a $75 billion industry relying on them not making this mistake, I am sure they have been cautious in their decision-making,' he said. But Mr Evans in a statement also said it was 'a little disappointing' the government did not 'provide industry with the full details' before making the announcement. Later on Thursday afternoon, Cattle Australia called for an independent scientific panel to review the government's decision. 'While we have been given assurances … we believe an independent scientific assessment is a sensible and prudent way forward. This must occur before imports commence,' he said. 'There is simply too much at stake when it comes to Australia's world-leading biosecurity status not to get a second opinion. 'Given the Minister's confidence she should have no issue appointing an independent panel to take the highest level of precaution in protecting the Australian beef industry.' Mr Evans earlier said Australia's beef industry was self-sufficient and any imports of US beef were 'unlikely to have any effect on the market', stressing that the US 'cannot currently meet its own needs, with Australia exporting almost 400,000 tonnes of beef to the US in 2024'. In fact, US beef prices have been hitting record levels domestically with a nine per cent growth since January alone. Ground beef is retailing at about US$9 for one pound (450g). Despite the Australian government's protestations otherwise, the Trump administration has heralded the move as a 'major trade breakthrough' gained through the President's tariff agenda. In a statement titled 'Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins: President Trump Secures Greater Ag Market Access to Australia for American Beef', US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins congratulated Mr Trump. 'This is yet another example of the kind of market access the president negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way,' she said. James Jackson, a beef and cattle farmer and ex-president of NSW Farmers, told he 'can't think of a reason' why Australian businesses would import more expensive US beef. 'There may be sort of bespoke restaurants, you know, guaranteed American (beef) … Texan steak or something like that,' he said. 'People may do it, but I seriously doubt it. 'The main reason there wasn't beef coming into Australia was that the economics of it weren't there, and the Americans didn't tidy up their traceability enough.' Previously, concerns over mad cow disease prevented the import of beef products from cows born in Canada and Mexico – which were regularly brought into US supply chains. The US now says it can trace all cattle to the farm and through the supply chain, after its farmers had long resisted more stringent regulations. Mr Jackson said the timing of the announcement was a 'bit suspicious' when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was hoping to negotiate on aluminium tariffs with the US, but did not believe there would have been any compromise on biosecurity. Tammi Jonas from the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance also said the timeline made it appear the government was 'kowtowing to Trump' but added she did not foresee much impact. 'I suspect that it's more about filling seasonal gaps,' she said. 'So if we have massive drought here you'll see an increase in imports from the US, I would imagine. 'But the only ones who stand to benefit from this, of course, are the major processors, the multinationals.' Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told reporters in Canberra on Thursday the decision was 'the culmination of what has been a 10-year process'. 'The US has been able to bring beef into Australia since 2019. In 2020 they asked (for) expanded access. 'This process now is at conclusion and has taken around five years to conclude, purely based on science and a rigorous assessment by my department.' She said the risk assessment was conducted by experts and 'Australia's biosecurity system is world renowned for a reason'. Mr Trump was also US President in 2020, near the end of his first term after winning the 2016 election. Nationals Leader David Littleproud said on Thursday afternoon he was 'gobsmacked' at the move and suggested there was a 'real risk' to health and biosecurity. 'It's a huge call from our Federal Government to come out with something like this,' he said. 'And I guess it exposes us, I think it exposes us immensely. It's of immense concern. 'I don't know how what's changed apart from probably some political pressure from the US?' Tim Ryan, chief of the Australian Meat Industry Council, said the move was 'not necessarily a surprise' and the council had been engaged in the process for several years. 'We raised previous concerns with what was on the table. The assurances we gain from the government as part of this decision have met those concerns that we previously raised,' he said. But Mr Ryan said he the commercial drivers of US beef arriving in Australia were 'pretty limited'. 'We're not expecting really any beef to arrive in Australia from the United States,' he said. 'At the end of the day, Australia produces the best beef in the world. We're an efficient producer of product like that. It's a bit like selling ice to the eskimos, but that said, we still need to follow the rules of trade. 'We rely on reciprocal treatment when we send our products all around the world, us accepting the United States' beef along the same terms is really a win for rules.'

US hails move to drop 'absurd' beef ban, as Labor says 'nothing suspicious'
US hails move to drop 'absurd' beef ban, as Labor says 'nothing suspicious'

SBS Australia

time2 hours ago

  • SBS Australia

US hails move to drop 'absurd' beef ban, as Labor says 'nothing suspicious'

The United States has hailed Australia's decision to drop a partial ban on beef imports as a "major trade breakthrough" for Donald Trump and his administration, as the federal government faces questions over whether the move was made to appease the president. The Opposition has also raised biosecurity concerns over Thursday's announcement, with the federal government insisting the decision followed a decade-long science-based review. Many Australian cattle producers will have been left blindsided by the decision, an industry group says, but the level of American product arriving in Australia is expected to be very low. "American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world. It's absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years," US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. "Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines. This is yet another example of the kind of market access the president negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way." Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says Australia would "never compromise" on biosecurity. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas The US has been able to send beef to Australia since 2019, but any beef raised in Canada or Mexico before being slaughtered and processed in the US was previously barred due to biosecurity concerns. One concern was that Mexico's livestock tracking system could inadvertently lead producers to import beef from parts of the continent where there were disease outbreaks. But the latest announcement will lift the ban on beef sourced from Canada or Mexico after the US introduced more robust movement controls in late 2024 and early 2025, allowing for improved identification and tracing throughout the supply chain. The change is widely viewed as a bargaining chip Australia could use while attempting to push for tariff exemptions from the US. 'Nothing suspicious' about beef ban lift "It looks as though it's (biosecurity) been traded away to appease Donald Trump," Littleproud told ABC's Radio National on Thursday. He said the government has been "flat-footed" in negotiations and was now risking biosecurity to play "catch-up". Trade Minister Don Farrell said the timing had nothing to do with US calls, saying: "There's nothing suspicious about this". "If we want to export our beef overseas, then we have to accept that other countries will want to import their beef into Australia," he told Sky News. The Opposition has also raised biosecurity concerns, with frontbencher James Paterson calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "stand up ... and explain" to Australia's beef farmers that the government hasn't "watered down" biosecurity. "The prime minister himself has said [in April] that we couldn't relax the restrictions on the importation of US beef because of serious biosecurity concerns," Paterson said. "So if the government has found some way of dealing with that issue, protecting our domestic agricultural industry from the introduction of foreign diseases and pests, then they should say so." Nationals leader David Littleproud has demanded further information about the decision, accusing the government of using the beef industry to play "catch up" in negotiations with US President Donald Trump. Source: AAP Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said it was something Australia would "never compromise" on. "The US beef imports review has undergone a rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade," Collins said. "The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks." Australian producers may feel 'blindsided', but industry figures not rattled Cattle Australia CEO Will Evans believed the move would not have been made unless the government had the utmost confidence in the science, but said some would still be unhappy with its decision. "There's going to be a lot of people today who feel blindsided by this, there's going to be a lot of people who are going to feel really frustrated and threatened by this," he told ABC radio. "We need to talk to them. "The US is an incredibly important trading partner — we need to maintain access and we need to maintain relationships with them." Evans said the industry had "put faith" in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's expertise, with the deal largely favouring Australian exporters. "They've made this assessment themselves. They've said: 'look, we've looked at this. We've looked at the best science. This is a decision we feel comfortable with'," he said. Some have raised worries US beef could impact Australia's domestic market, but industry representatives remain relatively unperturbed. "It's a bit like selling ice to Eskimos," Australian Meat Industry Council CEO Tim Ryan told the ABC. Evans said the domestic beef industry is self-sufficient and any imports of US beef are "unlikely to have any effect on the market here". The US beef industry can't supply domestic demand, he said. The US remains one of the main export markets for Australian beef. — With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store