Russel Howcroft
{{Short description|Australian businessman and television personality}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
Russel Howcroft (born {{circa}} 1965) is an Australian businessman and media personality best known as a panellist on the ABC television program Gruen.
Howcroft is currently host of Breakfast with Ross & Russel on 3AW.
Howcroft grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern and attended Scotch College in Hawthorn.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/life-on-planet-howcroft-20121104-28rxd.html|title=Life on Planet Howcroft|date=4 November 2012|work=Sydney Morning Herald}} He is a passionate Melbourne Demons supporter and has served as a club board member.{{Cite web |title=Two of us: Russel and Kate Howcroft |url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/two-of-us-russel-and-kate-howcroft-20150826-gj8jpz.html |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=amp.smh.com.au|date=17 September 2015 }}
Career
Howcroft is the former national CEO of advertising agency George Patterson Y&R (now known as Y&R ANZ).
In February 2013, Howcroft was appointed as Executive General Manager of Network Ten{{Cite web|last=Knox|first=David|date=19 September 2012|title=TEN appoints Russel Howcroft to management role {{!}} TV Tonight|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2012/09/ten-appoints-russel-howcroft-to-management-role.html/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-06-30|website=TVtonight|language=en-AU}} and remained in the position until February 2017 before moving to PwC{{Cite web|last=Miranda Ward|date=2016-12-11|title=Russel Howcroft resigns from Network Ten to join PwC|url=https://mumbrella.com.au/network-tens-russell-howcroft-resigns-415110|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Mumbrella|language=en-US}} just months before the network was placed into voluntary administration.{{Cite news|title='No choice but to appoint administrators'|language=en|work=NewsComAu|url=http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/network-ten-placed-into-voluntary-administration/news-story/b5d76500e4d051dc6dd05a25e9c0c269|access-date=2017-07-23}} Howcroft holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Monash University.
In May 2017, Howcroft was appointed Chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.[http://www.minister.communications.gov.au/mitch_fifield/news/aftrs_council_chair_appointment "AFTRS Council Chair appointment"], Ministers for the Department of Communications and the Arts (Mitch Fifield), 16 May 2017
= Radio =
In September 2011, it was announced Howcroft would host Saturdays on the Weekend Break afternoon program on 3AW, whilst Tom Elliott filled in for Derryn Hinch on the drive program.{{cite web|date=16 September 2011|title=Howcroft transfers to radio role|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/one-of-the-fevolas-gives-up-the-booze-20110915-1kboz.html|access-date=16 September 2011|work=The Age|publisher=}}
In June 2020, 3AW announced that Howcroft will join 3AW Breakfast from Monday 3 August, following John Burns' retirement{{Cite web|last=Radioinfo|title=Russel Howcroft to replace John Burns on 3AW|url=https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/russel-howcroft-replace-john-burns-3aw|website=Radioinfo.com.au|date=12 June 2020}} from radio.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-13|title=Russel Howcroft to join 3AW Breakfast|url=https://www.3aw.com.au/russel-howcroft-to-join-3aw-breakfast/|access-date=2020-06-13|website=3AW|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Carmody|first=Broede|date=2020-06-13|title='It's daunting': Russel Howcroft to replace 3AW's John Burns|url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/it-s-daunting-russel-howcroft-to-replace-3aw-s-john-burns-20200612-p551za.html|access-date=2020-06-13|website=The Age|language=en}} In December 2021, 3AW Breakfast won an ACRA for Best On-Air Team AM.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-30|title=ACRAs winners 2021|url=https://radiotoday.com.au/acras-winners-2021/|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Radio Today|language=en-AU}}
= Television =
Howcroft has been a regular panellist on Gruen since the program's inception in 2008 and has also been guest panellist on news-chat show The Project. He also fronted the documentary series How Australia Got Its Mojo,{{Cite web|title=How Australia Got Its Mojo|url=https://iview.abc.net.au/show/how-australia-got-its-mojo|access-date=2022-01-17|website=ABC iview|language=en}} which aired on the ABC in 2019.
= Business =
Chair of the Australian Film Television and Radio School and the co-founder of The Grid Melbourne, a festival designed to bring entrepreneurs and innovators together expected to launch in 2022. He is the Chief Creative Officer and a founding partner of Sayers Group.{{Cite web|title=Sayers Group - Home|url=https://sayers.group/|access-date=2022-01-17|website=sayers.group|language=en}}
= Publishing =
He has written/co-written three books: When It's Right to be Wrong, The Right-brain Workout, and The Right-brain Workout 2.{{cite web |url=https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/russel-howcroft |title=Russel Howcroft |website=Penguin Books |access-date=15 June 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century Australian businesspeople
Category:21st-century Australian businesspeople
Category:Australian television personalities
Category:People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne
Category:People from Malvern, Victoria
Category:Businesspeople from Melbourne
Category:Melbourne Football Club administrators