Vice-president Catherine West will take the reins of Nine Entertainment after Peter Costello resigned as president following an altercation with a journalist.
The former federal treasurer announced his resignation on Sunday after being accused by a journalist of assaulting him at Canberra airport on Thursday.
Costello denied the allegation later that day, saying The Australian’s Liam Mendes fell after crashing into an advertising billboard while asking him questions.
“I thank the board for its support over the past decade and particularly during the events of recent weeks,” Costello said in a statement.
“There are huge challenges ahead, but I believe Nine is the Australian media company best placed to overcome them and thrive.”
Vice-president Catherine West (pictured) will replace Peter Costello as president of the network.
Peter Costello (pictured) resigned as chairman of Nine Entertainment Co. on Sunday following an altercation with a journalist at Canberra airport on Thursday.
West thanked him for his “dedication and commitment” to the company.
“As chairman, he has always put the needs of the company first and his decision to step down and pass on the management baton at Nine at this time is in line with that approach.”
In addition to Nine’s board, Ms West has served on the boards of Monash IVF Group and Peter Warren Automotive and was previously an executive at Sky in the UK.
West was appointed vice president in September 2023 after joining the board in 2016, according to Nine’s corporate website.
He is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms West has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney.
She is Director of the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation, President of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) and Director of the NIDA Foundation Trust.
Mrs. West serves as president of the Wenona School Board of Directors.
Nine has been embroiled in a scandal in recent weeks, relating to allegations of sexual harassment within the organisation.
Australian journalist and shareholder activist Stephen Mayne said installing a female chair could help change a culture across the industry that is “not very friendly” towards women.
“It’s quite an indictment that there has never been a female president of a major public media company, and perhaps this will lead to a change in the media,” she told ABC radio on Monday.
Women now make up almost 40 per cent of ASX 200 boards, but remain less common at the top level, Australian Institute of Company Directors data shows, making up just 9.5 per cent of the presidents of those companies.
“Hopefully this will lead to further changes in the future,” Mr Mayne said.
Costello had been president since 2016.
In a video published by The Australian, Mendes follows Costello through the airport as he asks about Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby.
“I walked past him and he hit a billboard again and fell,” Costello said.
“I didn’t hit him…if you’re upset about it, I’m sorry, but I didn’t hit him.”
Costello, 66, was questioned by Australian journalist Liam Mendes (pictured) after arriving at Canberra airport on Thursday afternoon.
Nine chairman Peter Costello (pictured) was filmed pushing a journalist at Canberra airport on Thursday.
Costello appears to walk toward the journalist at one point before the journalist falls on his back.
“You just attacked me,” Mendes says in the video.
Labor treasurer Jim Chalmers criticized Mr Costello, saying that if anyone knew it was really important to treat journalists with respect, “it should be the chairman of a major media organisation”.
