Harley Evans

In June 2012, Harley Evans was promoted from Chief Operating Officer to CEO of News Ticketing, News Limited’s ticketing agency comprising Moshtix and Foxtix. Harley worked for various live-entertainment groups before coming to News Ticketing. “It’s always been based around entertainment,” he says, “with eight years at Ticketek in Australia and New Zealand, four years with Fulham Football Club in London, and a brief stint with the promoter Paul Dainty. It’s one of those industries that’s very infectious. Once you’re in, it’s quite hard to leave.”

Twelve months following his appointment, Harley stepped up and acquired the company from News Ticketing while winding down Foxtix. “There was a lot of encouragement to look closely at the business from a number of mentors both within and outside the industry whose opinions I valued highly, including my wife who, as a lawyer, is quite savvy in this area,” Harley expresses. “Having been in the business for several years, there weren’t too many question marks about how the company operated.”

According to Harley, there were several key factors that made the acquisition feel right. The first element was his ability to keep the Moshtix team together during the restructure. “This was crucial, as the quality of our people is a key point of difference for us in the market and is truly valued by our clients and customers. It is something we are quite well known for. It was extremely important to me that we maintain this standard.”