Group marketing Director of News Limited, Ed Smith, today announced the appointment of Darren Stein as News Limited director of consumer insights and business intelligence.
 
Mr Smith said this new role would be responsible for learning about our readers and advertisers in much greater detail.  To boost our capability, Mr Stein will create a consumer insights and business intelligence team, drawing on existing experts within News Limited and recruiting new people.
 
"It is vital we know what our readers want, so we can excel at attracting new readers, retaining existing ones and servicing their needs across all of our distribution platforms, in ways that will allow them to interact with us and with advertisers in much more sophisticated and commercially attractive ways." Mr Smith said.
 
“Mr Stein is one of Australia’s leading experts in his field and I am delighted he is joining us to lead our significantly upgraded investment in developing consumer insights and business intelligence.
 
“The intelligence we gain from world class research, insights and data gives us the ability to re-juvinate our print products, offer leading free web sites, paid tablet applications and mobile sites and build new multi-platform digital subscription products.
 
“With Mr Stein’s deep understanding of consumers and broad experience in business intelligence and product development, he will enable us to acquire insights and intelligence and share it across our divisions to the benefit of all mastheads.” Smith said
 
Mr Stein said “I’m really looking forward to leading a team of experts across News and working with editors, journalists, technologists, and advertisers to give them the tools and insights to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers.”
 
Mr Stein joins News Limited from Optus, where over the past eight years he has had a number of insights, marketing and strategic research roles.  Mr Stein’s most recent role at Optus has been General Manager, Insights, Segmentation & Planning.
 
Mr Stein is trained in psychology holding Bachelor and Masters degrees in Psychology.
 
Mr Stein will start on March 23 and will report to Mr Smith.