John Kelly was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer – TV and Audio for the Southern
Cross Media Group in February 2026, with responsibility for leading the integration of the
Group’s television and audio assets following its transformational acquisition of Seven
West Media. In this role, John is focused on aligning strategy, operations and culture
across the combined portfolio to unlock synergies, accelerate growth and deliver
enhanced value to audiences, partners and shareholders.
John brings more than 25 years of strategic, operational, and financial leadership
experience across Australian media and sporting organisations. He spent 16 years in
executive roles at the Ten Network, including eight years as Group CFO, before serving as
Chief Operating Officer at Football Federation Australia. He joined SCA as Chief
Operating Officer in 2016, where he oversaw the business’ general management teams,
strategy, research, insights, and digital audio, and facilitated key sporting rights,
television affiliations and digital audio partnerships.
Appointed Managing Director & CEO of SCA in 2023, John led the development and
execution of the company’s strategy to increase shareholder value, profitability and longterm sustainability. Under his leadership, SCA completed its audio-first transformation,
culminating in the divestment of its TV assets and accelerated growth of LiSTNR. He was
instrumental in the SCA acquisition of Seven West Media in early 2026, creating one of
Australia’s largest integrated media companies.
In January 2026, John transitioned to Managing Director – Audio, leading SCA’s audio
portfolio, including the Triple M and Hit networks, alongside LiSTNR, with a focus on
audience growth, product innovation and strategic partnerships. He will continue to
oversee the Audio division while serving as Interim Chief Executive Officer – TV and Audio.