SXSW Sydney Gets New MDs As Colin Daniels Steps Down

TEG has appointed its head of commercial, Simon Cahill, and SXSW Sydney's general manager, Jono Whyman, as co-managing directors for SXSW Sydney.

They replace Colin Daniels, who has stepped down as the inaugural managing director of the Australian iteration of the festival. He will remain on the SXSW Sydney board and is a founding partner of Handsome Tours.

“First and foremost, I would like to personally thank Colin for his dedication and hard work over the years," said TEG Group CEO and SXSW chair Geoff Jones.

"Colin has done an outstanding job in building a passionate Team, successfully launching SXSW Sydney, and ensuring the vision for this world-leading event is set for the future. His leadership has been instrumental, and I am grateful for his contributions.

“I am also delighted to welcome Simon Cahill and Jono Whyman as the co-managing directors for SXSW Sydney. Both Simon and Jono have been working on the event since day one and have both played a pivotal role in helping build one of the largest events in the APAC region.

“I look forward to working alongside Simon and Jono to continue further expanding the festival to new heights.”

Simon will retain his commercial responsibilities, and has also been promoted to chief commercial officer at TEG. Jono joined SXSW Sydney almost three years ago and before that was GM at Cure Cancer.

“We are both honoured to step into the role of co-managing directors for SXSW Sydney," the duo said.

"We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Geoff for this incredible opportunity and to Colin for laying such a strong foundation for the festival.

“We are excited to build on the success of the festival and further develop SXSW Sydney as the premier destination for innovation, creativity, and collaboration in the Asia Pacific region.”

Colin said of his time as managing director, "Thanks so much to everyone ... for the tireless support getting SXSW Sydney up and running. You should all be very proud of what you have accomplished so far."

SXSW Sydney will run from 13 to 19 October this year.