After ten years at triple j, Ollie Wards will finish up his role as Content Director at the end of this week.
He will join Chinese social media company TikTok as Director of Music.
In an exciting move for the station, stepping up as the Acting triple j Content Director for the next six months is Laura McAullife, who has been leading the inimitable triple j Hack team as Executive Producer since 2018.
Ollie Wards has had a decorated decade at triple j, beginning with his stint as triple j Breakfast Producer to Tom & Alex in 2010.
Since 2012 Ollie has overseen all aspects of programming, from talent scouting to show development for triple j’s Breakfast and Drive programs, including Matt & Alex, Ben & Liam, Sally & Erica, Veronica & Lewis and Hobba & Hing.
He has launched programs like daily new music show Good Nights and sex and relationships program The Hook Up, while also fostering the team at triple j Unearthed and overseeing the huge growth of triple j’s social channels.
Ollie has also been responsible for some of triple j’s most fun content ideas like Requestival and Ausmusic TShirt Day, while showing incredible leadership through important milestones like moving triple j’s Hottest 100 to the fourth weekend of January.
After this huge contribution to triple j and the Australian media landscape, Ollie heads off for new opportunities, including a television drama series inspired by his #1 ABC podcast, Unravel True Crime: Snowball.
Reflecting on his time at triple j, Ollie says “It’s been an absolute honour to work with the best in the biz at triple j, as one of the caretakers of an institution that means so much to our audience and the music industry. I’ll still be listening, but from now on I’ll just have to text in feedback like everyone else!”
Incoming Acting triple j Content Director Laura McAuliffe began her career as an intern in 2007 at ABC Illawarra, before climbing the ABC ranks and earning the coveted role of ABC Sydney Senior Producer with Robbie Buck. She then went on to work on ABC podcasts such as Ladies We Need to Talk, Fierce Girls and Mindfully as an ABC Audio Studios Supervising Producer.
On taking up the role of triple j Hack EP in 2018, Laura oversaw the development of a hugely talented team, including Tom Tilley and Walkley Award nominee Avani Dias. She has also been largely responsible for the expansion of the team’s digital content, helping deliver stories like the falsely accused terror suspect Mohamed Kamer Nizadeen, and coordinating the upcoming Four Corners and triple j Hack collaboration.
Excited to get stuck in, Laura says “We’re always standing on the shoulders of giants at triple j. Ollie leaves behind an incredible legacy and big shoes to fill, but I couldn’t be more excited to step up and continue the good work.”
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