Heidi Sayers joins LeadStory as CCO amid global expansion

Heidi Sayers has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer at news streaming platform LeadStory, coinciding with the relocation of Founder and CEO Cam Price to the United States as the company targets global growth.

LeadStory delivers personalised news content by leveraging AI personalisation technology and works with established news outlets including CBS, CNBC, Reuters, Bloomberg, Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, Channel 10 Australia, and France 24. The platform enables users to watch tailored local and global news across different devices and platforms.

Sayers joins LeadStory following her tenure as NSW Sales Director at The Australian Traffic Network. With over twenty years of experience at Nine and News Corp, she is recognised for her expertise in forging integrated content partnerships that engage audiences across news, sport, and entertainment.

"In a world of fake news, declining trust and fragmented media consumption, what drew me to LeadStory is its willingness to tackle these challenges head on and deliver something truly unique to the market.

LeadStory's news delivery for the AI age provides marketers with a highly compelling way to reach audiences in contextually relevant environments and more importantly, to be able tell their brand story at scale, in a way that's genuinely interesting for viewers. Cam and the team have built an exceptional group of tech experts, producers, journalists and presenters, and I look forward to bringing LeadStory's unique offering to market and collaborating on content-led partnerships that I know deliver for brands."

LeadStory's revenue model integrates traditional video advertising with content-led partnerships, producing branded video storytelling that often includes on-location shoots with company spokespeople. Over the past year, LeadStory has worked with brands such as Tourism Fiji, Sydney Water, Tourism NT, Engineers Australia, Goodstart Early Learning, Koh, Pilot, and Juniper, developing and distributing story-based video content.

The company completed a successful funding round earlier in the year, raising over USD $4 million, primarily from United States-based investors. This injection of capital is aimed at accelerating international expansion and new partnership opportunities.

Sayers' arrival as Chief Commercial Officer aligns with CEO Cam Price's move to the US, where he will focus on growing LeadStory's presence and pursuing new partnerships, particularly in North America. Price's remit includes collaborating with AI technology partners, hardware manufacturers, automotive companies, and content distribution platforms.

"Heidi's appointment marks a major milestone for LeadStory," said Price. "Her commercial leadership and deep relationships across the Australian marketing landscape will help us scale confidently while continuing to deliver real value for publishers, brands and audiences alike."

LeadStory, established in 2021, reports a monthly audience of more than 13 million viewers spanning web, mobile, and its FAST TV channels Breaking News and Your News, the latter promoted as the world's first personalised TV channel. These channels are accessible via Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, and VIZIO across regions including Australia, New Zealand, North America, South-East Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

LeadStory has also moved into the in-flight and in-car entertainment markets, offering a news video app pre-installed in new Mercedes-Benz vehicles worldwide. Another deal with Anuvu delivers news content to major airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines.

Presenter Tim Gilbert has also joined LeadStory's on-air team as part of the company's recent expansion.

Sayers is set to commence her new role in November.