New chair, board members announced at AANA

Nestle Oceania’s director of ebusiness, strategy and marketing, Martin Brown, has taken up the chair’s post at the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA).

Brown replaces Lion managing director of global markets, Matt Tapper, who previously announced his decision to step down from the board after four years in the chair’s position. Brown joined the association’s board last November, while Tapper has been on the board since 2010.

Tapper said Brown had already made a valuable contribution to the AANA and shown strong strategic capabilities.

“Having worked in senior marketing roles in Europe, North America, Asia and now Australia, Martin understands how advertising is evolving across the global and I have every confidence the organisation will continue to be an effective champion of responsible, innovation and respected marketing under his leadership,” Tapper said in a statement.

Brown’s appointment also comes as the AANA brings on two new independent directors: Sue Oddie, a former senior TV and advertising executive and qualified corporate lawyer; and Kym Pfitzner, who boasts of a 30-year career in the global media and advertising sector, rising to executive leadership. Both hold a number of non-executive directorships and join the AANA following a constitutional change requiring two further independent directors be appointed.

Brown said he was honoured to be asked to chair the board.

“Matt and his colleagues have consistently advanced our collective interests by empowering CEO, John Broome, and his team to evolve the self-regulatory system, strengthen our governance structures and, more recently, steer our response to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry,” he said.

“I am particularly impressed by the high level of engagement and collaboration that Matt and John have fostered with other leading marketing bodies and I look forward to building on these foundations.”

Other additions to the AANA board revealed this week are Google director of marketing, Aisling Finch; Westpac chief digital and marketing officer, Martine Jager; and Lion external relations and corporate communications director, Tegan Flanagan.

In May, the AANA also confirmed Southern Cross Austereo CEO and managing director, Grant Blackley, as a board member.

The remaining board members are McDonalds CMO, Jenni Dill; Toyota CMO, Wayne Gabriel; Woolworths CMO, Andrew Hicks; and Telstra marketing executive and chief brand officer, Jeremy Nicholas.

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