One of the ABC’s most senior HR executives has resigned after this masthead put questions to the broadcaster about a staff exodus and his decision to take his team out on a private yacht belonging to a scion of the billionaire Snow family last month.
Josh Keech, who has led the broadcaster’s contentious pay negotiations with staff, resigned on Thursday afternoon shortly after receiving questions regarding both the boat trip and a number of resignations from his team.
Three sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Keech took four of his staff out on a private boat owned by Tom Snow, whose family own Canberra airport, on March 31. The trip followed a strategy session in the morning and team lunch.
The team building session came shortly after four of his six-person team resigned or left the team in the first three months of this year, and during the broadcaster’s crucial bargaining negotiations with the unions that led to the first strike in two decades. That left Keech, who was the ABC’s head of employment relations and safety, with just one employment relations counsel in his team.
Snow, sources said, provided the boat to Keech and his team free of charge.
It has been a turbulent few months for the ABC. Management had to contend with a major staff walkout as a result of negotiations breaking down in March. Both sides reached an in-principle agreement last month, which is yet to be formally approved.
Keech referred a request for comment to the ABC. Snow was contacted for comment.
An internal note sent by chief people officer Deena Amorelli just after 4pm on Thursday confirmed Keech will leave the ABC on April 24.
“After nearly two years with the ABC, Josh Keech has decided to leave the organisation and his role as Head of Employee Relations & WHS,” the email said. Amorelli said Keech had made a significant contribution to the ABC “through his commitment during the recent Enterprise Agreement negotiations”.
“I would like to thank Josh for his commitment to the ABC over the past two years. Josh’s last day will be Friday 24 April.”
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect via X or email.