Crowley new APN chief as Cameron O'Reilly resigns
VINCENT Crowley, currently group finance director, is to succeed Cameron O'Reilly as chief executive officer of APN News & Media.APN chairman Liam Healy yesterday announced that Mr O'Reilly (35) had advised the board of his intention to resign from the ceo position, with effect from June 30, 2000.
Mr O'Reilly will be returning with his family to Europe, after an absence of 12 years, where he will pursue a number of private business interests.
His wife, Ilsa, is UK-born.
The O'Reilly family have extensive private interests on a global basis and it is understood that Dr AJF O'Reilly will be funding his son's private sector investments.
Cameron O'Reilly, who will remain a non-executive director of APN, said last night that he looked forward ``to working closely with Vincent (Crowley) over the next eight months to manage the transition.'' He also remains as a director of the full Independent plc board.
Mr Crowley (45) has been an APN board member since December 1994, and was appointed group finance director in July 1996. In May 1997, he was appointed to the board of Independent Newspapers plc. Mr Crowley began his career with Arthur Andersen & Co, before spending six years at Independent's Dublin HQ as group financial controller.
A brother of Peter Crowley, recently appointed managing director of IBI Corporate Finance, he is a son of the late Niall Crowley, former chairman of AIB and Irish Life.
Cameron O'Reilly has been a director of APN since 1988, becoming deputy chief executive in 1992 and chief executive in 1996.
Liam Healy, APN chairman, said: ``Cameron has made an enormous contribution to the development of APN since it was floated in 1992.
``APN has grown from a Queensland-based newspaper into one of Australia's most broadly based media companies.''
Mr Healy said that APN had the highest growth in earnings per share of any major Australian company over the past five years.
* VODAFONE AirTouch plc and Independent News & Media have launched a new generation of internet-related content and transactional services.
Under the agreement announced yesterday, Independent will provide Vodafone mobile customers with news and other information services, while Vodafone's UK subsidiary will provide Short Message Service (SMS) delivery and billing services.
The partnership will concentrate initially on services in the UK and South Africa, expanding later into Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Independent News & Media (UK) also announced yesterday that the Rt Hon Paddy Ashdown and the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC will be joining its board of directors.
Mr Ashdown is a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, while Mr Clarke is a former Chancellor of the Exchequer.
