The announcement was made during a press event in New York where Albanese launched Australia’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. McKenna, 54, will move to the city with her husband James Flintoft, a Melbourne board director and former ANZ executive, and their three children.
McKenna’s career spans senior roles in both the private and public sectors. She spent two decades at News Corp, rising to head of broadcasting in 2017 and overseeing Foxtel, Sky News Australia and the development of streaming services Kayo Sports and Binge. Court documents filed in the United States this year identified her as the “driving force” behind a plan to reshape Rupert Murdoch’s family trust and secure Lachlan Murdoch’s control of the News Corp and Fox Corporation empire.
She left News Corp in October 2023 after the company sold its controlling stake in Foxtel to DAZN for about $3.4 billion. Her departure was described by News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson as a “major turning point” for the company. McKenna has also served on the boards of Network Ten and Woolworths, chaired the National Broadband Network under the former Rudd‑Gillard government, and sat on the Productivity Commission.
Albanese defended the appointment as merit‑based, noting McKenna’s blend of corporate and governmental experience. “Siobhan McKenna is a professional, and she will do an outstanding job representing Australia and the Australian government here in New York,” the prime minister said when pressed by journalists about her close ties to the Murdoch family.
McKenna previously entered the public sector when Albanese named her chair of Australia Post in December 2022, a role she was re‑appointed to for a second term. Within News Corp she was reportedly known as the “Albo whisperer” for her perceived inside knowledge of the prime minister’s views.
The consul‑general position carries a salary of roughly $350,000, an entertainment budget and an official residence at One Beekman near the United Nations headquarters. The role is a senior diplomatic posting that leads Australia’s engagement with business and government leaders in New York and other key international cities.