Harry Jenkins has retired as ABAC independent chair after a five year tenure and is succeeded by Tony Smith as ABAC marks 25 years of promoting responsibility in alcohol marketing.
ABAC CEO, Jayne Taylor said Jenkins provided strong independent leadership during a period of significant change in the alcohol and marketing industries and calmly guided ABAC through the pandemic.
“ABAC is grateful for Harry’s leadership and thoughtful advice in helping the organisation to evolve over the last five years to keep pace with community expectations and a rapidly changing media and industry landscape. We wish him all the best for his well-earned retirement from the position,” said Taylor.
Jenkins said throughout his time at ABAC and into the future he was pleased to see continuing reductions in risky alcohol consumption by adults and reductions in alcohol consumption by minors.
“I am pleased to have been part of ABAC for the past five years. I have been impressed by the serious intent of everyone involved in the ABAC system, and the efficacy and responsiveness of the Scheme. As ABAC reaches 25 years of operation, I am impressed by what it has achieved in that time.
“The Scheme has ably responded to a variety of challenges. Minimising exposure of minors to alcohol advertising and ensuring the content of this advertising does not appeal to them is and will continue to be the most important objective of the Code,” said Jenkins.
ABAC has proven to be a powerful industry watchdog having:
- Considered 31,557 requests from industry to have their marketing pre-vetted for ABAC compliance;
- rejected 4,742 of those requests before reaching the market;
- delivered industry compliance training to > 2,800 industry participants since 2010;
- upped training initiatives with a free online training course completed by 942 marketers in just over 2 years;
- expert panel adjudication of 922 public complaints with average turnaround 14-20 business days in recent years;
- on 344 occasions ordered ads or packaging out of market, at significant cost to marketers; and
- achieved voluntary compliance of 98-100 per cent each year, with 100 per cent compliance in 2022 and most years.
Jenkin’s successor Smith brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served in federal parliament more than 20 years, including as speaker for more than six years, and serving on numerous Parliamentary Committees, many as chair.
The ABAC Scheme has a history of appointing former parliamentary presiding officers due to the impartiality and integrity they bring to the role.
Smith said ABAC had shown it is proactive and dynamic in the way it has kept pace with the ever-emerging issues, demonstrating its willingness to be ahead of the curve.
“I’m looking forward to joining an organisation that is effective, responsive and has proven itself to align with community standards. It is important that the Code remain global best practice, responding to changes in the environment in which it operates,” said Smith.
