News Ltd has hired former Westpac GM of strategic marketing, Damian Eales, to the role of strategic partnerships director.
According to The Australian, the new position will see Eales drive the integration of the Fox Sports acquisition into the business and oversee the adoption of a new measurement system for newspapers.
News’ acquisition of Consolidated Media Holdings last year for a reported $1.94bn gave the media conglomerate full ownership of Fox Sports.
Eales is now charged with driving greater integration of sports content across print, digital and mobile products to create “the biggest audience of sports fans in Australia”.
He will also assist News in adopting a new readership methodology in development by The Newspaper Works.
The industry body for the major Australian newspapers is developing a new readership measurement system which will account for audiences over all platforms including print, online, smartphones and tablets. It aims to provide a more accurate picture of newspaper readership.
Eales spent a total of 18 months at Westpac from February 2011 to July last year. According to his LinkedIn account, he has not held an official role anywhere since departing Westpac six months ago.
Prior to Westpac he was group general manager, financial services and marketing at retail giant David Jones.
