A heavyweight in the Sunshine Coast radio realm is moving on to the next chapter in his life.
Great Southern Land Media CEO John Williams has announced his decision to step down from his role as 92.7 MIX FM and 91.9 SEA FM chief in mid-July.
Mr Williams has led both stations for almost 17 years and is widely acknowledged for his dedication to the business community.
He has been a champion for the region, with one of his most memorable achievements the successful Give Me Five fundraiser that has generated more than $6 million for local children’s hospital services over the past 21 years.
In the 2022 Australian Commercial Radio Awards, Mr Williams guided his team to four accolades: best program director for 92.7 MIX FM; best promotions director for 92.7 MIX FM; best station-produced commercial for the Suncoast Fitness ‘Voice in your Head’ advertisement; and best sales promotion for Eumundi Brewery.
Reflecting on his tenure, Mr Williams said that after nearly 17 years it was the perfect time to begin his next adventure.
“There is still a lot more to achieve in the media and in the community,” he said.
“I’m also looking forward to working on some specific projects for GSL Media.”
Mr Williams will continue his many community roles, including serving as Sunshine Coast Major Events Board and Wishlist board of directors chair, along with sitting on community committees such as the Sunshine Coast Business Awards.
He will also continue his involvement in several other charities.
Expressing his gratitude, Mr Williams said his time with 92.7 MIX FM and 9.19 SEA FM had been “some of the best times of my life and career”.
“I am particularly proud of my team’s role in raising over $1 million for local charities during the past 18 months. It’s also pretty good to have the number one and two stations in the market,” he said.
He recognised that his success was not his alone.
“I am blessed to have such an amazing team of talented individuals around me,” he said.
GSLM chair Rhys Holleran said Mr Williams had done a great job building both radio brands.
“He has built a great culture and we have an excellent group of executives that will continue the great work that John has fostered,” he said.
“I am also pleased to announce that John will be continuing to have a role in the radio stations he has spent so long building.
“We further announce today that Simon Rub, our current general sales manager, has been promoted to the CEO position.
“Simon has been an outstanding executive for many years and has held leadership roles in both TV and radio in a career marked by significant achievement.
“I have every faith that with the promotion of Simon, the business will have a seamless transition and continue its position as the Sunshine Coast’s premier media business.”
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