Margy Vary to join The Conversation as its Chief Marketing Officer

Margy Vary is joining The Conversation Australia/NZ as its Chief Marketing Officer.

The new role will see Margy lead The Conversation’s marketing and reader revenue strategy in Australia and New Zealand, reporting into editor Misha Ketchell. The role carries responsibility for driving audience growth, digital engagement, customer experience, as well as leading The Conversation’s donations strategy. Margy will work to ensure The Conversation continues its recent growth trajectory, raises its profile and grows its own funding streams.

Margy is currently a freelance consultant. She spent 6 years as Marketing Director of the Guardian Australia, overseeing the local marketing and comms strategy during a period of rapid audience growth and development of the successful reader revenue strategy. For the last two years she has worked with many smaller publishers and broadcasters to help them grow their audience and revenue strategies, with a focus on purpose driven, public interest journalism. She has 20 years’ experience in advertising and marketing, including launching Virgin Atlantic in Australia and developing award winning creative campaigns at Host in Australia and Lowe in London.

Misha Ketchell, editor, The Conversation Australia and New Zealand, said: “It’s the perfect time to welcome Margy to The Conversation. With so much disruption in public interest journalism and so many new developments in reader revenue happening around the world, her expertise will ensure The Conversation stays ahead of the game. Margy’s track record in converting audience relationships into reliable and sustainable revenue streams will ensure we remain self-sufficient and not susceptible to the politics of funding. Margy brings a track record in creative, purpose-driven marketing that will be a huge asset in helping to differentiate the Conversation’s fact-based news by experts, which is needed now more than ever.”

Lisa Watts, CEO, The Conversation Media Group, said: “In 10 years we’ve gone from being a small startup to a global network with millions of monthly readers, and since COVID-19 The Conversation’s audience has doubled as people turn to experts for information they can trust. As an NFP our work is free to read and free to republish but we rely on support from donors and readers, and this role helps keep our work free and available to everyone. Margy is a great addition to the team, she brings deep expertise and we’re all very excited to work with her.”

Margy Vary said: “The Conversation has the best business model for sustaining public interest journalism, as a charity that’s not dependent on advertising revenue. I’m excited to join a team of experts with a culture of collaboration that is ideally suited to the challenges of these times, when the future of public interest journalism is under threat and Australians are more than ever crying out for facts over opinions and expertise over agendas.”

Margy is currently working as a consultant for The Conversation and will commence this new role in May 2023.