Just months after announcing he was "hanging up [the] headphones" as TikTok's Director Of Music for Australia and New Zealand, Ollie Wards has now taken up the role of Director of Video and Social at ARN.
The newly-created role will see Wards reporting to ARN’s Chief Content Officer Kerri Elstub as he leads the company’s digital video and social content strategy, focusing on increasing audience reach and engagement across their numerous social platforms.
Describing Wards as “one of the most respected digital and content leaders in the country”, Elstub cited the increasingly important role that video plays in the creation and creation of content, stating that Wards will be “instrumental in scaling that capability, amplifying the content we create every day in new and innovative ways, while also unlocking original formats and revenue opportunities beyond broadcast.”
“I'm excited to be steering ARN/iHeartMedia to big goals as an entertainment company and a top online content house,” Wards wrote in a statement shared to LinkedIn.
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“There's a lot of great stuff being made here already, which I look forward to optimizing for audiences finding it across platforms, plus lots more original online content.
“Up soon - we'll be launching video into the iHeart app, a massive opportunity for podcasters to build a deeper audience experience,” he added.
Wards’ return to the broadcasting is a fitting one, given that he first entered the world of media back in the late ‘00s at London’s XFM.
In 2010, Wards took on the role of Content Director at triple j, having begun as producer for Tom Ballard and Alex Dyson's breakfast show earlier that same year. In 2020, he announced his departure from the station, leaving the broadcaster for the role of Director Of Music at TikTok.
Wards announced his exit from TikTok in December, noting he wasn’t sure what 2026 held exactly, but reiterated he was “all about creative processes and connecting content with audiences, whatever the format."
