Nova Entertainment brings on first chief growth officer

Nova has created a new chief growth officer position to oversee brand marketing and communications as well as audience growth through digital product, content development and data utilisation.

Adam Johnson officially took up the newly created role this week and reports directly to CEO, Peter Charlton. Johnson boasts of 17 years’ experience across media, digital and global technology sectors, and was most recently chief marketing officer for media and entertainment company, Global, based in the UK. The position covered brand marketing, communications, customer support, B2B marketing and the direct-to-enterprise division.

The official remit at Nova encompasses brand marketing and communications efforts, digital product and content development, data and distribution strategy. Charlton said the role was very much about extending Nova’s strength in all audio channels and product sets.

Credit: Nova

“As Nova Entertainment continues to capitalise on and grow our strategic audio aspirations, Adam’s extensive experience working with some of the world’s biggest media and technology brands, combined with his consumer and data focus, will allow us to continue to grow audience across all our channels,” he commented. “This will facilitate effective promotion of Nova assets across our platforms and help deliver data and insight about our growing consumer base for our advertisers.”

Johnson saw it as an exciting time to join an audio business with Nova’s scale and ambition.

“With brands and personalities that audiences already love, I can’t wait to work with the amazing teams at Nova to help make and promote more content that people want to spend their time with, delivered on platforms that give our advertisers even more opportunities to connect with their customers,” he said.

Charlton noted that during his six years with Global, Johnson helped deliver record audience figures, pioneered digital audio growth with the launch of Global Player, and integrated out-of-home into Global’s commercial positioning and B2B marketing efforts.

Prior to Global, Johnson was the UK marketing director for Microsoft’s Mobile Devices division. His resume also includes eight years in Sydney working at creative agencies, George Patterson/Y&R, followed by Nokia Australia in 2006. 

Nova chief programming officer, Paul Jackson, who had been overseeing some brand marketing following the departure of former CMO, Tony Thomas, in 2019, remains focused on his role across programming.

A spokesperson confirmed that with a revised title as chief programming and music content officer, Jackson will work closely with Johnson on all consumer brand marketing while widening his responsibility to grow music radio station brands as well as build new ones on all platforms beyond traditional broadcast channels.

Nova’s portfolio includes its multi-state radio stations, smoothfm in Sydney and Melbourne, digital stations, Coles Radio and its podcast network.

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