Sinead Boucher

Sinead Boucher is a prominent figure in New Zealand's media landscape. She is the owner and executive chair of Stuff Ltd, one of the country's largest media companies.12

Career Highlights

Boucher's journey in journalism began in 1993 when she joined Fairfax (now Stuff) as a reporter for The Press newspaper.1 Her career progressed rapidly:

• She worked for the Financial Times and Reuters in London from 1999 to 2003.1
• Upon returning to New Zealand, she became an assistant editor at The Press.1
• In 2007, she was appointed as Fairfax's first group digital editor.1
• She became the group executive editor at Fairfax in 2013.1
• In August 2017, Boucher was appointed as the CEO of Stuff Ltd.1

Acquisition of Stuff Ltd

Boucher made headlines in May 2020 when she purchased Stuff Ltd from Nine Entertainment for NZ$1 in a management buyout.12 This bold move came at a time of uncertainty for the company and the media industry as a whole. Her stated goals for the acquisition included:

• Giving Stuff "a real chance to take our destiny into our own hands".1
• Pursuing opportunities for staff to purchase shares in the company.1
• Ensuring the independence of editorial functions.1

Leadership Approach

As a leader, Boucher has emphasized:

• Diversifying the company beyond traditional publishing revenues.1
• Creating an internal environment that allows employees to connect and flourish.1
• Advocating for big tech companies to pay for online content produced by Stuff journalists.1

Recent Developments

In June 2023, Boucher transitioned from CEO to executive chair and publisher of Stuff Ltd. She also restructured the company into three divisions: Stuff Digital, Stuff Masthead Publishing, and Stuff Brand Connections.1

Sinead Boucher's LinkedIn profile confirms her role as Chief Executive for Stuff Ltd, which includes Stuff.co.nz, Neighbourly, and other properties.3