But on the numbers side rather than the people one

Napier, MSCNewsWire, 4 May 2016 - Even Mark Weldon’s most avid admirer would not describe him as a people person. He is a performance and results person. It was always rather a mystery why he accepted the top operational job at Mediaworks a song-and-dance entertainment outfit covered by a thin news legitimacy.

Mr Weldon is an over achiever and was simply over-qualified for the job. His numbers-related actions from the start raised the hackles of what he might describe as the “customer-facing” staff, the station personalities.

One of the first tasks for the old McKinseys and Skadden Arps hand was to stem all the doubling-up at the entertainment company. This meant telescoping the separate television and radio presentations.

He also sought to stem the opinion masquerading as news on its stations. A problem for Mr Weldon was that there was no A&R person between he and the personality staff, most of who seriously consider themselves big stars.

In the absence of the artists and repertoire staff handling intermediary such as he would have enjoyed in his old law days in New York, Mr Weldon was forced to deal direct.

Mr Weldon is entitled to refer to himself, in the New Zealand manner, as “Doctor..” He has a doctorate from Columbia University. But the former Olympic swimmer does not do so.

His focus on performance rather than the niceties of peoples’ egos was also a characteristic of his years running the New Zealand Stock Exchange which was badly faltering at the time of his arrival, and which he decisively de-mutualised and put on the sound, if unspectacular footing, that the exchange enjoys today.

Mr Weldon, now in his very late 40s, is not one to look back, at least not with any whimsical remorse. For the time being he will tend his vines, and then will look at offers to shake up another enterprise somewhere. This time though, it will probably be outside the confining boundaries of New Zealand.

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