High school dropout now top CEO to speak at conference

01-03-2009 | Not Specified

Going from high school dropout to CEO of New Zealand's largest media company is quite a journey, one that will make an interesting story for attendees of the 2009 ASB Agribusiness conference.

Joan Withers, CEO of Fairfax Media is one of the keynote speakers at this year's conference, held in Blenheim from 18-21 May 2009.

English-born Withers has been head of Fairfax's NZ arm since 2005, when she took the plunge back into management after eight years as a professional director.

As well as serving on the boards of Auckland International Airport (the only directorship she retained after taking on the Fairfax job), The Warehouse Group, Tourism Holdings and Meridian Energy, she was a member of the Fairfax Media Advisory Council.

She has a passion for the media, having spent many years in the advertising industry and latterly as CEO of New Zealand's largest radio network, the Radio Network.

Life began somewhat differently when she dropped out of high school in New Zealand after the fifth form, at the tender age of 16.

She has described herself as "fairly wilful" and says she was distracted by a boy called Brian.

But it was the early 1970s and jobs were plentiful. Withers worked her way up through bank and clerical jobs to a cadetship with a community paper prior to having six years off with her son.

Returning to the community paper, she switched to advertising sales, as jobs were scarce on the editorial staff.

By 1988 she had decided that a tertiary qualification was called for so embarked on a pressure-cooker two-year MBA course at the University of Auckland, whilst working fulltime as an advertising executive.

She says it was "two years of incredibly hard work" but required more of a sacrifice from her family than herself.

The boy called Brian, (former distraction in her life, now husband of 36 years) and son Jamie took over running the household while Withers concentrated on the job in hand.

She says all she did was go to work and go to MBA lectures, but that lessons learnt during the course have facilitated the huge leap forward in her career.

Described as "incredibly competent and insightful" by directors she has served with, and as "one of commerce's clearest thinkers", Withers has also been praised for her willingness to do the necessary homework and come to grips with the issues before any of her meetings.

She has been reported as admitting to being "the nerdy swat around the place" but she is committed to taking a strategic approach whilst fully understanding the issues.

Since joining Fairfax management in 2005 the company has shown huge growth in digital media, with the development of Fairfax's Media Online Division and the purchase of Trademe.

However over the past year Fairfax, along with other media organisations, has shed staff at their stable of metropolitan and provincial daily papers as advertising revenues have fallen.

Withers says these are incredibly difficult times, with a downturn unprecedented in her lifetime, providing huge challenges for all businesses.

"This is a period where business owners will need to be tenacious, whatever sector they are in, and look at the value-drivers in their business as well as the cost structures."

Withers will also be addressing the conference on the growth of her career and the key triggers of that journey, as well as the difference between governance and management.

"In most instances I've just responded to people giving me opportunities- you have to grasp them when they are offered," she says.

  Printable View