Southern Cross Austereo is preparing for a further shift in leadership after chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise said he will leave the board on 30 June 2026, with Teresa Dyson lined up to take over the chair from 1 July. The change comes as the broadcaster and media group moves through the post-merger phase of its integration with Seven West Media and faces mounting attention from activist investor Sandon Capital.
Mackay-Cruise said his exit followed a period of major structural change and pointed to the completed combination with Seven West Media as the defining feature of his tenure. In comments released to the ASX, he said the company had been reshaped under his watch and argued that the appointment of Rohan Lund as chief executive left SCA better placed for the next stage. Variety and RadioInfo also reported that he framed the handover as an appropriate moment to move on after nearly six years on the board and more than two years as chair.
Lund, in an internal email seen by Mediaweek, set out a reset agenda centred on growth, tighter costs and a stronger digital emphasis. He also acknowledged the strain that recent upheaval has placed on staff, saying the business had been through a great deal of change and uncertainty. His note suggested a sharper push to rebuild momentum around revenue, operating discipline and audience engagement across audio, television, publishing and digital platforms.
Dyson, who joined the board earlier this year after more than eight years at Seven West Media, will step into the independent non-executive chair role at the start of July. She said the board would focus on capturing the full value of the merged assets while managing succession carefully. The transition is not limited to the chair: Ido Leffler is also due to retire on 30 June, and SCA has begun searching for more independent non-executive directors.
The board reshuffle is unfolding alongside pressure from Sandon Capital, which has lodged notices under section 203D of the Corporations Act seeking the removal of Mackay-Cruise, Leffler and Marina Go. According to SCA, the resolutions are expected to be put to shareholders at the annual general meeting before 30 November 2026. The company has said the planned departures of Mackay-Cruise and Leffler mean the notices are unlikely to alter the broader outcome, while also noting that SGH Limited intends to back Go’s re-election. SCA says it has not been asked to convene a separate general meeting.
Source Reference Map
Inspired by headline at: [1]
Sources by paragraph:
Source: Noah Wire Services