Bauer Media Australia CEO Nick Chan has left the company, and is replaced by New Zealand CEO Paul Dykzeul, who will now be the CEO of both branches.

The company says he starts in the role immediately and will relocate to Sydney in due course.

Bauer recently lost a high-profile defamation case brought against it by Rebel Wilson, and is currently in the process of working out a remuneration figure, including lawyers fees, expected to run into the millions.

A source within Bauer says that the defamation case is unrelated to the change of CEO, as the article pre-dates Nick Chan’s appointment.

Chan was at the company for a little over a year, lasting roughly the same length as his predecessor, David Goodchild. In that time significant publications such as Dolly have went out of print, in a challenging period for the magazine industry.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on whether Chan left the company on his own accord.

Andreas Schoo, executive board member, Bauer Media Group says: “I want to thank Nick for the work he has done in helping to position the business for future growth and wish him the best in his future endeavours.”

Bauer says Dykzeul has significant media experience across Australasia, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UK and South Africa. Dykzeul has been CEO of Bauer Media New Zealand (formerly ACP Magazines) since 2007, returning home after spending 11 years in Sydney.

Speaking on his appointment, Dykzeul says, “Across print, digital and events, Bauer Media has the strongest portfolio of leading magazine brands that connects audiences with our commercial partners at scale. I look forward to returning to Australia and working with the dedicated team to build and expand on those strong foundations.”

Schoo says, “I am delighted Paul will be leading Bauer across Australia and New Zealand. Having worked extensively across both markets he understands the challenges and opportunities which exist for multi-platform magazine brands in this evolving environment. For the past nine years, he has built a strong and innovative media business and is ideally placed to bring that thinking to Bauer Media Australia.”

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