Avid Collective, a leading platform for native content in Australia, has announced a significant restructuring of its senior executive team. Founder Luke Spano will transition from his role as Managing Director to the newly created position of CEO. Commercial Director Ezechiel Ritchie has been promoted to the role of General Manager.

Spano's new role will see him focus on the overarching strategic direction of the business, exploring opportunities for international expansion and new business ventures. Ritchie, on the other hand, will lead day-to-day business operations across all functions, managing larger commercial partnership discussions with brands and agencies.

The restructuring comes amidst a period of significant growth for the business, with the company recording a 90% year-on-year growth. Avid Collective has executed hundreds of native content campaigns in 2023 alone, with similar growth levels expected for 2024. Since its launch in 2017, Avid Collective has grown to become a prominent platform for native content in Australia, with its publisher network now reaching a significant portion of the Australian population across more than 140 publishers.

"This new structure allows both Ezechiel and I to divide and conquer in achieving Avid’s short and mid-term growth goals, while also giving increased focus to the long-term growth opportunities for Avid," said Spano. He further noted that Ritchie's promotion will help the company step into the next phase of its growth through larger commercial partnerships and a more sophisticated internal structure.

Ritchie joined the team in November last year, following senior leadership stints at Jellysmack, Taboola, and Google. His impact on Avid Collective has been significant, as Spano highlighted, "The impact he’s already had in his first six months at Avid has been extremely valuable, and I’m excited to see how he continues to elevate from a more central place within our business."

"It’s a very exciting time to be at Avid, as we continue with our mission to make advertising an interesting and engaging part of our lives, enhancing our experience, rather than interrupting it," said Ritchie. He expressed his enthusiasm for supporting the team to continue its remarkable growth trajectory in the coming years.

The new roles are effective immediately, following the launch of Avid’s Platform 2.0 offering in 2023, which aims to make it easier for brands to better reach and engage Australian audiences through native content campaigns. The restructuring also follows the appointments of Niki Jones as Head of Operations & Enablement, Rob Ewing as Head of Agency Partnerships, and former Commercial Director Tom Gunter’s move into the Product & Solutions Director role to focus on leading Avid commercial product developments.