The appointment was announced in a statement released after markets closed on Wednesday by Southern Cross Media, which is chaired by Ryan Stokes. Alongside McGowan, former Google and Twitter executive Karen Stocks will also join the board.
Southern Cross Media Group is partly owned by billionaire Kerry Stokes, Ryan’s father, and the board addition comes amid a reshuffle that has seen four different chairs in the past nine months, with Ryan Stokes taking the helm in September after his father stepped down in February.
McGowan’s close relationship with the Stokes family has been widely reported. Text messages disclosed in a defamation trial brought by mining magnate Clive Palmer showed McGowan thanking Kerry Stokes for The West Australian’s front‑page coverage that favoured the premier during the legal dispute.
The messages also revealed McGowan’s gratitude for Kerry’s support in 2020 when his government rushed legislation intended to stave off a multibillion‑dollar damages claim from Palmer over a stalled mining project. At the time, The West Australian ran a series of stories that depicted Palmer as a “cane toad” and “cockroach,” which McGowan described as “marvellous.”
Critics have pointed to another 2020 decision in which McGowan’s government exempted Beach Energy’s Waitsia gas project – in which Seven Group Holdings, owned by the Stokes family, is the largest shareholder – from Western Australia’s domestic gas reservation policy. The project, touted as “shovel‑ready” during the COVID‑19 pandemic, only began producing gas last year after a series of setbacks.
In his statement, McGowan said Southern Cross Media “reaches deep into Australian life, across the major cities and regional Australia,” and expressed enthusiasm about contributing to the board’s work. Ryan Stokes added that McGowan’s experience in government and regulation would strengthen the company’s position in Western Australia, while Stocks brings expertise in media audience measurement.
McGowan’s post‑premiership portfolio already includes advisory roles with Oasis Fertility Clinic, APM Human Services, Joe Hockey’s consultancy Bondi Partners, BHP, the Australia‑China Foundation and Mineral Resources. The next board election is expected at the company’s annual general meeting, likely in November.