Scribner to exit oOh!media

oOh!media chief customer officer, David Scribner, is heading for the exit after what the company says has been an executive review of its business plans for the future.

The news comes just a month after the ASX-listed out-of-home player confirmed its founder and CEO, Brendan Cook, would remain at the helm until at least the end of 2020. It also follows a raft of initiatives including a $167 million capital raising effort to help shore up the group’s position during the COVID-19 crisis.

In a statement, Cook said Scribner’s remit upon joining the group in 2018 was to change its market perceptions and value proposition by 2020. Since then, oOh!media has transformed its data, marketing and sales capabilities and embraced a customer-led business agenda, he said.

“David established a fantastic foundation for our customer-focused approach in the business and, as a result of his infectious passion for out-of-home, inspired many colleagues on the powerful medium it can be for delivering ROI and brand outcomes to clients,” Cook said.  

However, with the advent of COVID-19, the executive team had undertaken a deep dive review of the business to determine current and future needs, a process that made clear a realignment was required, Cook said.  

“It was evident from the work of David and others that we had all the right pieces in all the right places to deliver a customer focused offering to Australian advertisers and agencies,” Cook continued. “It also became clear to both David and I that we needed to realign our business structure to cater for future requirements, and that the chief customer officer role moving forward would not provide David with the professional fulfilment he wanted, nor would it deliver significantly to business growth.  

“David agreed it was best for both him and the business that he stepped aside, leaving behind a legacy that included his significant contribution to the Adshel integration, the refocus of our themes for the future, and the tireless work to ensure the business is COVID fit.”  

Scribner is now on the hunt for a new professional opportunity and he said he realised it was time to make the tough decision to leave oOh!media.  

“I loved the fact that I was working in out-of-home, that I was part of the evolution of the medium and that I worked with a great team in a good business,” he commented. “However, I recognised the time had come to move on, as there was not much more I could contribute to the business in this current environment.”  

Customer-facing functions will be managed by Cook until the new organisational structure has been confirmed. 

Prior to joining oOh!media, Scribner spent 18 months as CEO of TrueLocal. He also spent six years at Virgin Mobile, firstly as CMO then as CEO.

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