DIGITAL CONTENT INDUSTRY LEADERS GROUP

8 June 2004
78/04

I am pleased to announce the first appointments to the Leaders Group for the Digital Content Industry Action Agenda

Mr Tom Kennedy, Managing Director of Brainwaave Interactive Pty Limited, will chair the leaders group, which will develop a strategic direction for this agenda in order to grow Australia's digital content industry and to identify critical issues facing the industry.

The digital content sector is worth an estimated $19 billion and the potential for further growth is considerable.

All appointees to the leaders group are senior industry members, representing media, games and post-production organisations, as well as the health and education sectors, where digital content creation can be a powerful driver of growth.

To ensure the broadest possible coverage of the digital content sector, other industry representatives will be involved in working groups that will be established to focus on areas such as investment attraction, skills, export markets and research and development.

The findings of these working groups will be fed into considerations by the leaders group, which will report to Government in 2005, with an outline for a strategic direction of the industry. The leaders group will hold its first meeting next month.

A list of the members of the Digital Content Industry Action Agenda Strategic Industry Leaders Group is attached.

More information about the Digital Content Industry Action Agenda and the terms of reference are available at www.industry.gov.au/agendas.

Media Contact: Carina Tan-Van Baren (02) 6277 7480 or 0439 425 373

 

DIGITAL CONTENT INDUSTRY ACTION AGENDA LEADERS GROUP

 

Chair

Mr Tom Kennedy is the Chief Executive Officer of Hyro Limited and Managing Director of Brainwaave Interactive Pty Limited. Mr Kennedy has more than 16 years experience in media and technology markets, covering software publishing, distribution and interactive content creations and management. He was a member of the Australian Government's Broadband Advisory Group and has served as a member on several committees and groups within the Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Portfolio. He is the past president of the Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Association (1997-98) and a board member for seven years. Mr Kennedy is also a Director of the Biennale of Sydney, Chairman of the Internet Industry Association and is a Commissioner of the Australian Film Commission.

Leaders

Ms Kim Anderson is Director of Digital Services for the Nine Network. Ms Anderson was Director of Marketing and Network Services, Ninemsn, and was responsible for development of the Ninemsn network content and marketing strategies, including the integration of Channel Nine and Australian Consolidated Press properties. She was the Director of Business Development (Publishing) at Ecorp (formerly PBL Online) and also the head of development for the Australian Multimedia Enterprise, the investment vehicle set up by the Australian Government to invest in and stimulate private investment in multimedia. Ms Anderson is also a member of the Australian Research Council's College of Experts.

Dr Terry Cutler is the Managing Director of Cutler and Company Pty Ltd and Chair of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne. Dr Cutler has extensive expertise and interest in the arts, multimedia and communications. He is a former Chair of the Australia Council and its New Media Arts Board. He has an extensive background in participation in government committees and advisory panels on information and communication technologies at both State and Commonwealth government levels.

Mr Patrick Delaney is Executive Director of Content, Product Development and Delivery at Foxtel. Until recently Mr Delaney was Project Director of Digital Foxtel Sydney and prior to this was Chief Executive Officer of XYZ Entertainment, the owner and distributor of Arena, Channel [V], Lifestyle, Music Max, Discovery Channel and Nickelodeon.

Ms Jennifer Hughes has worked in the Australian music distribution and film distribution businesses since 1980. Initially, Ms Hughes worked in the music industry with CBS Records (now Sony Music), Warner Music, EMI Music Publishing and Virgin Vision. Ms Hughes worked for the Southern Star Group for four years, as Head of Video, New Media and Airline Sales. Ms Hughes joined Macquarie Bank Group and is currently Executive Vice President for their wholly-owned film division, Macquarie Filmed Investments, and Manager of their film fund, Macquarie Film Corporation. In 2002, Ms Hughes was involved in the Macquarie Nine Film and Television Investment fund which invested in film and television projects including the TV series McLeods Daughters, feature films Gettin' Square and Under the Radar, and the telemovie ThePostcard Bandit. Ms Hughes was Executive Producer of the feature films Bad Eggs and Under The Radar.

Ms Susan Mann is the Chief Operating Officer for the Le@rning Federation, a joint venture of Curriculum Corporation and education.au Limited. Ms Mann was Director of the Curriculum Program at Curriculum Corporation and has held Executive level management positions with the Victorian Department of Education. She has also been a policy analyst at the Victorian Board of Education, a General Curriculum consultant for Victorian primary and secondary schools and a member of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Board.

Ms Lynley Marshall is the Director of New Media & Digital Services, ABC. She has over 19 years experience in the broadcasting industry and held a series of senior broadcasting positions in New Zealand before joining the ABC in 2000.

As Director of New Media & Digital Services, she is responsible for the integrated delivery of the ABC's digital content, including ABC Online, broadband services, digital and interactive TV, SMS, MMS and other emerging platforms.

Lynley manages the ABC's digital strategy and content development, and represents the Corporation's interests on various industry groups addressing the development of digital broadcasting.

Mr Zarah Nalbandian is Managing Director and co-founder of Animal Logic. Based in Sydney, Animal Logic is regarded as the leading Australian visual effects house and has approximately 300 employees. Animal Logic produces world standard production resource for commercials, film and new media content. Recent success stories include The Matrix and Moulin Rouge.

Mr John Richardson from Cox Richardson Architects, a national and international practice with projects including the Sydney Superdome and Aquatic Centre and the Eureka Stockade Interpretive Centre in Ballarat. Mr Richardson is the Chair of the Australian Services Roundtable, an industry association for service industries.

Mr John Rimmer is an ICT strategist in both the public and private sector. Until recently Mr Rimmer was the CEO of the National Office for the Information Economy. Mr Rimmer was the founding Executive Director of Multimedia Victoria and has been a member of many boards, including the Australian Broadcasting Authority, the Chair of the New Media Fund of the Australia Council, and the Chair of the Internet services subsidiary VICNET of the Library Board of Victoria. Mr Rimmer also has a background in the health sector.

Mr Greg Siegele is co-founder and CEO of the leading Australian games development company Ratbag. Based in South Australia, Ratbag has found great success with its racing car computer games in the United States games market. In the US, their racing simulation games consistently win best racing game of the year awards and the Dirt Track Racing franchise has generated a total of US$24 million.

Mr Michael Snelling is the Chief Executive Officer of the Brisbane Festival and the River Festival. He has been Director of the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Director of the Australian Centre for Photography Workshop and the Experimental Art Foundation. He was the President of the Contemporary Art Organisations of Australia and Chair of the Asialink Visual Arts Committee. He is currently Deputy Chair of ELISION Contemporary Music Ensemble, Chair of the Queensland Government's Visual Arts, Crafts, Design and Museums Panel, and Chair of the New Media Arts Board of the Australia Council.

Professor Duane Varan is the Director of the Interactive Television Research Institute and holds the inaugural Chair in New Media at Murdoch University in Perth. Professor Varan is recognised as a global innovator in iTV applied research and is one of Australia's foremost authorities on digital communication and marketing. He has provided iTV consulting and training services for clients including Saatchi & Saatchi, Optus, Nike and Pizza Hut. He has also received numerous teaching awards, including the Prime Minister's Award for University Teacher of the Year.