ABC executive resigns amid yacht trip and team exodus during pay negotiations
Consensus Summary
ABC’s Head of Employee Relations Josh Keech resigned on April 24, 2026, following questions about a luxury yacht trip with his team on March 31, hosted by billionaire Tom Snow. The trip occurred amid a staff exodus—four of Keech’s six-person team had left in early 2026—and during tense pay negotiations that led to the broadcaster’s first strike in two decades. Keech’s departure comes after an in-principle agreement was reached between management and unions in April, though it remains pending formal approval. Both sources confirm the yacht was provided free of charge by Snow, whose family owns Canberra Airport, and that Keech’s resignation was announced internally by Chief People Officer Deena Amorelli. No contradictions or source-specific details were identified between the two articles.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Josh Keech resigned as ABC’s Head of Employee Relations & WHS on April 24, 2026, after nearly two years with the broadcaster
- Keech took four of his staff on a private yacht owned by Tom Snow (scion of the billionaire Snow family, owners of Canberra Airport) on March 31, 2026, free of charge
- Four of Keech’s six-person team resigned or left in the first three months of 2026, leaving him with just one employment relations counsel
- The ABC experienced its first strike in two decades in March 2026 due to contentious pay negotiations with unions
- An in-principle agreement between ABC management and unions was reached in April 2026, pending formal approval
- Chief People Officer Deena Amorelli confirmed Keech’s resignation via an internal email on April 16, 2026, at approximately 4 PM
Source Articles
Top ABC executive resigns after questions about luxury yacht team meeting
Josh Keech led the ABC’s contentious pay negotiations with staff, which included the first strike in decades, before resigning on Thursday.
Top ABC executive resigns after questions about luxury yacht team meeting
Josh Keech led the ABC’s contentious pay negotiations with staff, which included the first strike in decades, before resigning on Thursday.