MAM
Lachlan Murdoch appointed as News Corp non-executive co-chairman
MUMBAI: News Corp has got its new non-executive co-chairman in Lachlan Murdoch. The announcement was made by the News Corp board of directors on 26 March.
“This appointment is a sign of confidence in the growth potential of News Corp and a recognition of Lachlan’s entrepreneurial leadership and passion for news, digital media and sport,” said News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch in a statement.
“In this elevated role, Lachlan will help us lead News Corp forward as we expand our reach and invest in new technologies and markets around the world. We have many challenges and opportunities ahead, and Lachlan’s strategic thinking and vast knowledge of our businesses will enable me as executive chairman and the company as a whole to deliver the best outcomes on behalf of our stockholders, employees and customers,” added Murdoch.
Lachlan Murdoch is currently a director of News Corp and 21st Century Fox, executive chairman of NOVA Entertainment Group, executive chairman of Illyria Pty and director of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Until recently, he also served as non-executive chairman of Ten Network Holdings. Under his leadership, NOVA Entertainment Group became Australia’s number one national FM network.
Prior to founding Illyria in 2005, Lachlan was the deputy chief operating officer of News Corporation (now 21st Century Fox), a role in which he was directly responsible for two thirds of the company’s global revenue, with specific emphasis on its US television stations group and publishing assets.
While at the former News Corporation, Lachlan had oversight of HarperCollins and the company’s lines of business in Australia, including REA. He also served on the Board of Foxtel and as chairman of Fox Television Stations and publisher of the New York Post. At Fox Television Stations, Lachlan oversaw the company’s 35 owned-and-operated television stations, where he raised the bar on local news coverage nationwide, increasing the total number of local news hours across the group to more than 850 per week. At the New York Post, Lachlan overhauled the tabloid and grew its circulation by more than 40 per cent. During his tenure, the Post became the nation’s fastest growing newspaper and the seventh largest in the United States
“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Lachlan for a number of years, and I’m delighted he’ll be serving in this elevated capacity,” said News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson.
“Lachlan’s experience, acumen and enthusiasm will serve us well as we guide News Corp and its businesses through this era of digital transformation and global expansion. His early appreciation of the value of REA, the digital property site that is a jewel in our crown, is an indicator of his prescience and strategic savvy,” informed Thomson.
“I am grateful to the Board of News Corp for this exciting opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working more closely than ever with my father as well as Robert Thomson and his team, who have launched the new News so successfully,” said Lachlan Murdoch.
“News Corp today has the energy and sensibility of a start-up and is at the cutting edge of change in the media, publishing and education industries, and much more,” he concluded.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
