Top 7 sales boss Henry Tajer exits just six months in job
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Seven is searching for a new head of sales following the exit of its chief commercial officer Henry Tajer after six months in the role.
Mr Tajer was appointed to Seven's most senior sales role in January following a radical restructure of Seven's corporate structure last year leading to the departure of seasoned Seven executives including advertising chief Kurt Burnette in June 2024.
On Monday Seven confirmed Mr Tajer will transition from his full-time role into a consulting arrangement from the end of the month.
Seven West Media managing director and CEO Jeff Howard praised Mr Tajer in Monday's announcement saying: 'Henry brought a new level of bold and innovative thinking to Seven's sales team. He drove significant change in his short time at Seven and on behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank him for his contribution. I look forward to continuing to work with Henry on opportunities to drive growth for SWM.'
Seven is searching for a new head of sales following the exit of Henry Tajer. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian
Seven West Media managing director and CEO Jeff Howard praised Mr Tajer. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Mr Tajer initially joined Seven as a consultant in August 2024 before becoming Seven's full-time CCO in January 2025, a role that saw him put on a lucrative contract at Seven.
His predecessor Mr Burnette had been on $1.25 million a year at the time of his departure.
Mr Tajer said of his departure from Seven that it would allow him to transition back to consulting work while allowing him to focus on the 'many exciting opportunities still ahead for Seven' as a consultant.
The Seven sales team will be jointly led by Mr Tajer's former direct reports, Katie Finney, Seven's national TV sales director and national digital sales director Jordan King while a search is conducted for Mr Tajer's replacement.
In May news.com.au reported Mr Tajer's appointment at Seven had been the result of a decade of lobbying for a top sales job in Australian television.
The Seven sales team will be led by Katie Finney until a replacement for Mr Tajer can be found. Picture: LinkedIn
Mr Tajer is said to have won over Ryan Stokes and his dad, Seven chairman Kerry Stokes. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.
Sources claimed he ultimately won over Seven chairman Kerry Stokes and son Ryan Stokes, non-executive director of Seven's board, leading to his appointment in January.
Mr Tajer's aggressive and at times unconventional style has drawn critics internally and externally in recent years.
He arrived at Seven following a string of short-lived roles.
Prior to consulting for Seven he was CEO of The Influence Group for a year until June 2023.
His previous role at marketing company Dentsu Aegis also lasted one year and saw Mr Tajer ruffle feathers.
He also made headlines in adland in 2017 after exiting his role as Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands – a role he relocated his family from Australia to New York two years earlier in 2015 to fill.
Mr Tajer's departure follows the recent exit of Seven's 'rookie' news boss Anthony De Ceglie after a controversial year at the broadcaster.
Originally published as Top 7 sales boss Henry Tajer exits after just six months in job
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
an hour ago
- Herald Sun
France shuts Israeli weapons booths at Paris Air Show
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Geopolitical tensions roiled the opening of the Paris Air Show on Monday as French authorities sealed off Israeli weapons industry booths amid the conflicts in Iran and Gaza, a move that Israel condemned as "outrageous". The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already under the shadow of last week's deadly crash of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Black walls were installed around the stands of five Israeli defence firms at the trade fair in Le Bourget, an airfield on the outskirts of Paris. The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza -- in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP. The companies -- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics -- make drones and guided bombs and missiles. An Israeli exhibitor wrote a message in yellow chalk on one of the walls, saying the hidden defence systems "are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination is trying to hide them from you!" French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou defended the decision during a Monday press conference at the air show. "The French government's position was very simple: no offensive weapons at the arms exposition," he said. "Defensive weapons were perfectly acceptable," he added. - Conflicts loom large - Bayrou cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the rationale behind the ban. "Given the situation in Gaza... which is extremely serious from a humanitarian and security point of view, France was keen to make it clear that offensive weapons should not be present at this exposition," Bayrou said. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "outrageous" closure of the pavilions and said the situation should be "immediately corrected". "Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organisers... it's like creating an Israeli ghetto," he said on French television channel LCI. The Israeli defence ministry said in a statement that the "outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations". "The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition -- weapons that compete with French industries," it said. "This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies' impressive and precise performance in Iran." Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting Tehran to hit back with a barrage of missiles. The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, though smaller than in the past, was already a source of tension before the start of the Paris Air Show, because of the conflict in Gaza. A French court last week rejected a bid by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget over concerns about "international crimes". Local lawmakers from the Seine-Saint-Denis department hosting the event were absent during Bayrou's visit to the opening of the air show in protest over the Israeli presence. "Never has the world been so disrupted and destabilised," Bayrou said earlier at a roundtable event, urging nations to tackle challenges "together, not against each other". - Boeing 'focus on supporting customers' - The row over Israel cast a shadow over a trade fair that is usually dominated by displays of the aerospace industry's latest flying wonders, and big orders for plane makers Airbus and Boeing. Airbus announced an order of 30 single-aisle A320neo jets and 10 A350F freighters by Saudi aircraft leasing firm AviLease. The European manufacturer also said Riyadh Air was buying 25 long-range, wide-body A350-1000 jets. But Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg last week cancelled plans to attend the biennial event, to focus on the investigation of the Air India crash. "Our focus is on supporting our customers, rather than announcing orders at this air show," a Boeing spokeswoman told AFP on Monday. The London-bound Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers and crew and another 38 on the ground. One passenger survived. neo-mra-are/lth-ekf/jh/kjm Originally published as France shuts Israeli weapons booths at Paris Air Show
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Embattled Monash IVF moves to block defecting executive's move to rival
Monash IVF is seeking to hobble the defection of one of its top executives as it reels from a series of scandals, investigations and a plunging share price. The embattled fertility giant has launched action in the Supreme Court of Victoria in a bid to limit the work its departing chief operations officer, Dr Hamish Hamilton, is allowed to undertake in a senior role at its biggest rival, Virtus Health. The action comes as Monash was on Monday forced to respond to another please-explain order from the Australian stock exchange over claims it delayed informing the sharemarket of an embryo mix-up – the second such error and resulting notice issued to them this year. After decade in senior roles at Monash IVF, including the last five as its chief operating officer, Hamilton last week began duties as Virtus' chief operating officer and head of international business. His departure and the related court battle add to the public troubles for Monash IVF – including a $56 million class action involving more than 700 patients, two separate cases of women being implanted with a wrong embryo and the resignation of its chief executive officer – which have prompted an overhaul of the way Australia's reproductive technology sector is regulated. As investigations continue into how its patients were affected by its recent errors, Monash IVF on Monday focussed its attention on the court proceedings where it sought an injunction to prevent Hamilton undertaking aspects of his new role. Appearing for Monash IVF, Richard Dalton, KC, asked the court to impose limits on Hamilton's employment at Virtus until March 3, 2026, stating he had been the 'author' of Monash IVF's Vision 2026 strategic business plan and was well placed to act on commercial secrets. Monash IVF sought orders barring Hamilton from overseeing 'non-core IVF activities' such as day hospitals, ultrasounds and donor banks within Australia, and instead requested he be limited to overseeing Virtus' international donor operations. 'Dr Hamilton, as COO, was instrumental in that strategy and he knows what Monash IVF's plans are,' Dalton said.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Etihad finally brings its Airbus A350 to Australia for first time
They're not new, but one of Etihad Airways' most sumptuous business cabins in the air will be flying between Sydney and Etihad's base of Abu Dhabi from October. The airline's Airbus A350-1000 aircraft are being deployed on the route, having been fitted out with 44 business class 'suites' in 2019. These include privacy doors, giving the occupants the feeling of first class in the lesser-yet-still-bougie cabin. Technologically, the aircraft is one of the most efficient in the sky, with its carbon polymer construction contributing to fewer emissions, faster speeds and superior cabin atmosphere comfort, no matter the class of seat. And as every long-haul traveller knows, the type of aircraft running a service makes a difference to whether you arrive refreshed or otherwise. From October 1, the A350 will join the Sydney schedule on select flights, alongside the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that's serving the route at present. Both aircraft carry the business suites. From January 31, 2026, all 10 of Etihad's weekly Sydney services will operate on A350. Melbourne will be served daily by the 787-9. Either way, Australian passengers will transit through Zayed International Airport, which opened in late 2023 and was recently named the world's most beautiful airport at the World Architecture and Design Awards. The $4.8 billion it cost to build isn't all about beauty, though. The airport is rolling out latest AI systems that include facial recognition and other smart-passenger add-ons, so it's possible for international travellers to get from their kerbside drop-off to the gate in 12 minutes.
