External specialist to examine events at OneRoof and ZM
Media company NZME has launched an independent workplace review following the abrupt departures of three senior managers in recent weeks from its OneRoof property site and youth radio station ZM.
Board chair Steven Joyce said Thursday the review would examine the circumstances surrounding the management exits at both NZME-owned units. The publisher of the New Zealand Herald decided in late December and January that an external review would be appropriate.
“In light of three recent management departures from two of NZME’s business units, the board has decided it would be beneficial to conduct an independent review into the events leading up to those departures,” Joyce said in a statement.
Wellington-based workplace specialist Andrew Scott Howman has been appointed to lead the review, which will focus specifically on the OneRoof and ZM teams.
“The wellbeing of people is an absolute priority and we are committed to providing a safe, supportive work environment,” Joyce said.
The review will examine how concerns are reported within the organisation and how they are addressed, ensuring team members feel safe and supported if they witness or experience inappropriate behaviour, according to Joyce. The review will also identify whether lessons could be applied more broadly across the company.
NZME CEO Michael Boggs informed employees of the review in a company-wide message earlier this week.
Senior leaders leave the organisation
OneRoof head of national sales Nicholas Hammond left NZME on Dec. 19, 2025. Former ZM boss Ross Flahive also departed in mid-December following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct, Stuff reported.
“I left NZME after acknowledging that my conduct fell short of the standards expected of me. I take full responsibility for my actions and apologise for the distress I caused,” Flahive said at the time.
Former OneRoof head Greg Hornblow left the company in November 2025. When announcing Hornblow’s departure to staff, Boggs said his exit was effective immediately.
Joyce rejected suggestions NZME had a broader cultural issue, noting the company conducts regular staff engagement and wellbeing surveys.
Job losses in media
The review comes amid wider pressures across New Zealand’s media sector, which has faced job losses, newsroom restructuring and financial strain. NZME itself advanced proposals in late 2024 and early 2025 to cut close to 40 roles across the New Zealand Herald, BusinessDesk, and Newstalk ZB as part of organisational changes.
The industry has also been reshaped by the confirmed 2024 closure of television news provider Newshub, which resulted in nearly 300 job losses and reduced competition in the broadcast news market.
