AAP Team

Lisa Davies – CEO

Lisa returns to AAP as CEO having started her media career at the national newswire in 2000 – first as an editorial assistant in the Brisbane bureau, then in 2001 as cadet journalist in Sydney. She became a police reporter and undertook a three-month exchange program with the UK’s Press Association.

She then joined The Daily Telegraph in 2004, working there for seven years, primarily as Chief Court Reporter. In 2012, she was appointed to lead The Sydney Morning Herald’s crime and courts coverage as Crime Editor. She covered the Oscar Pistorius murder trial in South Africa for the masthead among other major news events, also serving as Deputy News Director, Investigations editor and Deputy Editor.

Lisa was appointed editor of The Sydney Morning Herald in February 2017. She resigned in November 2021.

Emma Cowdroy – General Counsel and Company Secretary

Emma joined AAP in 2002 after working with legal firms in media, telecommunications and commercial law. Appointed General Counsel late that year, Emma has become an integral part of the agency’s leadership team. She represents AAP on the board of the News Media Coalition, which lobbies sporting, entertainment and other bodies for press freedom to cover events. Emma became CEO of the new AAP Newswire in August 2020, before taking a step back to take up an executive role in February 2022.

Emma has represented AAP in various forums, including Australia’s Right to Know, the Senate Inquiry into Sports News Reporting (leading to the establishment of the Code of Practice for Sports News Reporting), the Senate Inquiry into Evidence Amendment (Journalists’ Privilege) Bill (resulting in the Journalists’ Shield Laws) and the Independent Inquiry into Media and Media Regulation.

Andrew Drummond – Editor

Andy started with AAP as a general news reporter in Sydney in 2007 and after filling many roles in many bureaus, he’s made it full circle back to the harbour city as the newswire’s editor. Stints in London – as European correspondent – Canberra, Hobart and most recently Melbourne as bureau chief, have included coverage of court, sport, diplomacy, finance and entertainment, plus subediting.

Prior to joining AAP Andy worked for the Illawarra Mercury and previously, Rural Press publications in regional NSW.

Wayne Blanch – Head of Finance

Wayne has been a finance executive for over 25 years and has a background in both not-for-profit and commercial businesses. He has experience in all facets of financial management, governance and business partnering. Wayne has a comprehensive knowledge in finance transformation, including strategic analysis and planning, and business insight systems. He joined AAP in late 2020.

Holly Nott – Director of Editorial Partnerships

Holly brings more than 25 years of journalistic experience to her role as Director of Editorial Partnerships of AAP. In this key role Holly oversees the overall development and operation of AAP FactCheck, which she helped to establish in early 2019 while also growing existing relationships with social media platforms and other non-traditional clients.

Holly is a founding member of the AAP Standards Committee, overseeing editorial standards and advising on matters of ethics and internal policy.

Dean Lewins – Photo Editor

Dean Lewins has been a photojournalist for 32 years. He joined Australian Associated Press in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Over the past 20 years Dean has covered six Olympic Games, 4 Commonwealth Games, The Ashes, Football World Cup and the Rugby World Cup. His passion for sport is only equalled by his passion for news. Dean has covered unrest in East Timor, Solomon Islands and a brief stint with Australian troops in Iraq along with domestic floods, bushfire and drought. In 2018 Dean was awarded the Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year with a portfolio of news and sports images.

John Salvado – Sports Editor

John joined AAP in late 1994, having cut his teeth in sports journalism with a five-year stint in London with United Press International. He has covered six Summer Olympics, four Winter Olympics, five Commonwealth Games, eight world athletics championships, 18 AFL grand finals, tennis and golf majors and a host of other major events. But for all that, his abiding sporting love is AFL club Richmond.