Deputy Chair of the ABC Board, Peter Tonagh, has resigned, about 18 months earlier than his scheduled term, which ends in May 2026.
The resignation was made public late on Christmas Eve.
Tonagh has tendered his resignation from the ABC Board and his position of Deputy Chair to the Governor General.
He was appointed in 2021 by the Morrison Liberal government.
Tonagh previously worked for News Corporation entities for nearly fourteen years in senior executive roles, including as Chief Executive Officer of Foxtel, REA Group and News Corp Australia. Before that he spent fifteen years with The Boston Consulting Group.
As well as his ABC board position Tonagh is the non-executive Chairman of Bill Identity Limited, the GTN traffic network and ACT Capital Pty Limited. He is a non-executive director of Quantium Group Holdings and Chairman of Bus Stop Films.
ABC Chair Kim Williams has informed Communications Minister Michelle Rowland of the resignation, noting that Peter Tonagh has “made a valuable contribution to the effective running of the ABC since his initial appointment to the ABC Board in May 2021, and has provided invaluable leadership after accepting the role of Deputy Chair in November 2021.”
Kim Williams expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to Peter Tonagh for his service on the Board and before that in the Efficiency Review he led for Minister Fifield on the ABC and SBS. He observed that Peter Tonagh’s service “saw a period of dedicated commitment to the ABC and its good governance.” Williams thanked Tonagh for “his spirit of exemplary public commitment.”
Tonagh said he is grateful for the opportunity to have served on the ABC board and thanked the directors and the executive for the camaraderie and enjoyment that being part of the ABC Board had brought him during his tenure. He wished the ABC every success for the future.
Tonagh indicated he thought that the ABC had been well served by departing Managing Director David Anderson, and is confident the new MD Hugh Marks will build on Anderson’s “impressive legacy.” Hugh Marks will take over on 10th March 2025.