Stuff chief executive Laura Maxwell is leaving the New Zealand media company to join News Corp Australia.
Stuff Group owner and publisher Sinead Boucher will now move back into leading the company "for the next stage of its transformation", the company announced earlier.
Maxwell was appointed chief growth officer in 2022, and in June 2023, became the CEO.
Shortly after Stuff's announcement, News Corp Australia announced she would take up a job managing its Queensland newspaper mastheads. It follows a major restructuring of Rupert Murdoch's Australian news publishing business earlier this year.
Maxwell's new job, in News Corp's state and communities mastheads division, includes the regional and community newspapers in the state of about five million people.
Boucher said Maxwell was leaving with the organisation's "best wishes and thanks".
"In her time with the business — first as chief growth officer and then for the past year as chief executive officer — Laura has supported our executive team as we delivered significant change in the business."
"Over this period we have restructured the organisation, completed a total technology replatform, refined our print portfolio and shaped the group into two distinct businesses — Stuff Digital and Masthead Publishing — with separate content, product and revenue strategies.
"This step in our five year transformation strategy has been well executed and Laura has helped to set us up for the next stage as we look to invest in new technology, capability and skills for the future."
Maxwell who is of Taranaki Ngāti Mutunga and Te Āti Awa descent, said she was extremely proud to have played a part in reshaping Stuff.
"It has been a privilege to work for a female-owned business and with such a strategic entrepreneur as Sinead, who is bold and brave and cares deeply about the future of the industry.
“Media businesses are both people and technology driven. Although journalists and content are what most people focus on, modern media is as much about product, innovation and ensuring you are ahead of the technology curve."
Maxwell added she was "proud of the strong partnerships we have formed with other media organisations" such as MediaWorks, and the recently formed Warner Bros. Discovery collaboration, ThreeNews.
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