Fairfax Media has appointed Jack Cowin to its board as an independent director.
“We are very pleased that Mr. Cowin, an experienced media investor and director, has accepted our invitation to join the board,†Chairman Roger Corbett said in a statement.
Mr. Cowin, who is the founder and chairman of Competitive Foods Australia, which runs fast food outlets in Australia such Burger King franchise Hungry Jacks, is reportedly an ally of Fairfax’s largest shareholder Gina Rinehart.
Mrs. Rinehart, Australia’s richest person, owns 15% of Fairfax through her company Hancock Prospecting and has been seeking seats on the Fairfax board. Her attempts have been rejected by the board because she has refused to be bound by the company’s charter of editorial independence.