Amber Easby takes over from Duncan Grieve as CEO of The Spinoff after Grieve announced his resignation yesterday. Easby has been with The Spinoff since 2017 and was the founding leader of its video production company, Hex Work Productions.
Sophie Dowson, an experienced and highly regarded producer who works alongside Easby at Hex Work Productions, will step up to lead video across the companies, while Madeleine Chapman remains at the helm as editor.
Grieve, who founded The Spinoff in 2014, explained that the decision to step down was due to a desire to return to his roots in journalism. In an essay explaining his move, Grieve said he was "looking forward to just being one of the troops – a tool at the disposal of The Spinoff editorial team, and watching what these two incredible wāhine toa do atop a little independent media organisation which still has big dreams and a vital public role to fulfil."
In his essay Grieve paid tribute to his longtime friend Easby, and outlined her career so far:
"She was merch manager for (US band) The White Stripes, touring the world with them at the height of their fame. She managed Special Problems when that video production house was one of the hottest in the world, making Lorde’s first video and shooting mega budget global TV commercials. She sold a book about band t-shirts to a New York publisher, and started DOC, Auckland’s best bar, while it lasted."
The Spinoff is a New Zealand-based media company that produces a wide range of content, including articles, podcasts, and videos.