Mediacorp appoints editor-in-chief Walter Fernandez as chief sustainability officer
Mediacorp Editor-in-Chief Walter Fernandez has been concurrently appointed as chief sustainability officer. (Photo: Mediacorp)
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/leadership-summit-2021SINGAPORE: Mediacorp has named editor-in-chief Walter Fernandez as chief sustainability officer in a concurrent appointment, a move that "signals a long-term commitment to sustainability", said the company on Wednesday (Apr 21).
The appointment will come into effect on May 1.
"The chief sustainability officer will drive Mediacorp’s sustainability initiatives and action plans across its business and among its staff," Mediacorp said in a media release.
As part of Mediacorp’s senior management team since 2013, Mr Fernandez oversees the news and current affairs operations of Mediacorp, shaping editorial strategy, policies and content, it added.
Under his leadership, CNA was named Channel of the Year by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) in 2020, said Mediacorp.
In his 20-year career with Mediacorp, Mr Fernandez has served the company in several leadership positions, including heading TODAY and CNA, as well as driving the digital transformation of the newsrooms.
He also currently oversees AI strategy and solutions for the newsrooms and broadcast engineering for the network.
On Mr Fernandez's appointment, Mediacorp chief executive officer Tham Loke Kheng said: "Walter has been a valuable member of our senior management team, with his strong leadership capabilities and deep editorial experience.
"Given his passion and deep understanding of the issues, he is well placed to lead the whole of Mediacorp on our sustainability journey.”
She added that the company is committed to making sustainability an integral part of its DNA.
Mr Fernandez said the newsroom has done well with its "significant and sustained" coverage of climate change and sustainability issues across all of CNA’s platforms.
"As a company, we must also walk the talk. The next step will be to adapt our business practices to be more sustainable and to persuade our staff to make sustainability part of our corporate DNA and hopefully their daily lives."
MEDIACORP'S FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
"As a company, Mediacorp already proactively adopts sustainable practices across its premises and sustainability is a key pillar in its corporate social responsibility efforts.
"As the national media network, Mediacorp has increased its focus on sustainability, aligned with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, and stepped up efforts in promoting awareness and action through its content across multiple platforms," said the company.
Since August last year, CNA has produced more than 30 hours of documentaries and news features, to raise awareness and drive conversations on climate change and sustainability.
It also released 30 episodes of The Climate Conversations podcasts, which have been streamed and downloaded 55,000 times.
More than 10 million page views have been recorded for digital content on its dedicated climate change page.
CNA LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2021 - GREEN RECOVERY
The news outlet will also be hosting the CNA Leadership Summit 2021 – Green Recovery on Thursday, bringing together political, corporate and community leaders to discuss how sustainable practices can both boost and transform the economy.
The event, which will be held at Shangri-la Hotel, will be streamed live on CNA’s YouTube Channel from 1.30pm to 5pm.
