Hardie Grant appoints new board members

Hardie Grant has appointed Janey Martino and Shirley Chowdhary to its board. 

The publisher’s announcement noted that Martino has founded and scaled multiple companies across media, martech, and fintech in the past 20 years – including Smiling Mind and Undertow Media (acquired by Bastion in 2010) – and is a longstanding investor and advisor to high-growth Australian businesses. She’s also currently the CEO of Australian wellness company KIC.

Martino said, “I am thrilled to be part of the Hardie Grant Board using my personal experience spanning business, publishing and technology alongside my passion for igniting a deeper sense of creativity and innovation into a business like Hardie Grant – that has such significant cultural influence and growth potential.”

Hardie Grant said that Chowdhary will bring a global background spanning law, finance, governance, and social impact, with deep expertise in complex commercial environments, M&A and organisational transformation. She is currently a fellow of the Senate and pro-chancellor at the University of Sydney, chair of Women for Election, and a faculty member with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

“Australian publishing and media play a critical role in shaping how our stories, ideas and creative capability are understood globally,” Chowdhary said. “Hardie Grant has demonstrated that Australian companies can build distinctive cultural and commercial propositions that travel well beyond our shores, and I am thrilled to support the next phase of that ambition.”

Founder and chair of Hardie Grant Sandy Grant said the appointments reflect a pivotal moment for the business, which acquired Pantera Press at the end of 2024 and creative communications agency Keep Left in August 2025.

“Hardie Grant has always evolved in response to the ideas, people and opportunities around it,” he said. “As we move into a new era for the company, Janey and Shirley bring contemporary leadership, global perspective and deep experience that will help guide the business forward.”

Category: Local news Moves/personnel