Guardian Australia has made two new appointments to its commercial senior leadership team, with Schwartz Media's Zoe Featherstone joining the independent publisher as head of products, strategic projects and product partnerships, and Nicola Harvey moving into a permanent role as head of strategic initiatives.

Featherstone brings over a decade of experience in digital product development and brand strategy to the table. She spent the last three years at Schwartz Media, most recently as chief product officer, where she played a pivotal role in transforming digital platforms for the mastheads The Monthly and The Saturday Paper with a focus on growing audience engagement.

Harvey has more than fifteen years of experience leading strategic projects in commercial and editorial teams at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BuzzFeed. She is a Walkley-nominated audio producer and recently worked as an independent executive producer creating podcasts for Audible, including 'First Eat with Nakkiah Lui' which was named Best Factual Podcast 2023 at the Australian Podcast Awards.

"My first 12 months with Guardian Australia has been a year of change and as we look towards 2025 the commercial senior leadership team are in a great position to capture the opportunities in front of us. Nicola’s experience leading ambitious projects will help drive collaboration in this space, and I look forward to working with Zoe to refine and enhance our client partnership offerings," said Managing Director of Guardian Australia, Rebecca Costello.

"The Guardian’s commitment to fearless reporting and its connection with audiences is unmatched. I look forward to working with the team to deliver strategic partnerships and drive projects that amplify the Guardian’s vital role in shaping informed public discourse across Australia," said Featherstone.

"Guardian Australia’s position in the Australian media landscape is unique, and I am excited about the opportunity to work alongside a talented and ambitious team that is dedicated to independent, quality journalism and commercial content that is trusted by a committed readership," said Harvey.

Harvey will commence her new role in January 2025, and Featherstone will begin in February 2025. Both will report to Costello.