About Us

General Manager

Alex Smith joined Are Direct Pty Limited in March 2011. Alex brings 25 years of experience in the magazine & newspaper industry (UK and Australia). Alex joined Are Direct Pty Limited as Client Services Manager, was promoted to Head of Client and Retailer Services in April 2013 and became General Manager in January 2023. Alex has a BA (Hons) degree in Business Administration.

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Commercial Manager

Avril Holden is Commercial Manager for Are Direct Pty Limited Australia and New Zealand and is responsible for the financial operations across both markets.

Avril joined the business in January 2011 as Financial Controller for the Scribo Group before moving to the role of Financial Controller for Are Direct Pty Limited in August 2011. She was appointed as Commercial Manager in June 2013.

Prior to joining Are Direct Pty Limited, she held various positions with the fashion group M. Webster Holdings Pty Ltd. Avril holds a bachelor's degree in Economics (Accounting) and is a Member of the Certified Practicing Accountants of Australia.

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Operations Manager

Leigh Verity was appointed Operations Manager of Are Direct Pty Limited in October 2017.

Leigh started his career in the Magazine Industry at Southdown Press in Melbourne in 1990. He has since worked across various roles within Publishing, Distribution and Retail. Leigh returned to Are Direct in March 2016 to manage the retail department and our key relationships with the newsagents and key accounts.

Over the 31 years in the industry, Leigh has taken two breaks to further his skills in project Management at OneSteel, and Telstra where he managed two Retail Stores in NSW.

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Retail Sales Manager

Matt joined Are Direct as Retail Sales Manager in April 2024. Matt's role is to take a combined total category approach to strengthening trading relationships & developing category initiatives with all our major trading partners spanning supermarkets, travel retail and specialty, as well as working closely with Client Services to maximise sales for publishers and retailers.

Matt has extensive experience in publishing, promotional development and implementation, in-store operations, retail relationships and negotiation.

Prior to joining Are Direct, Matt held various Account Management and Operational roles in the Retail Sales team at Are Media Publishing, working accross all retail partners as well as managing both internal and outsourced merchandising teams. 

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Head of Client Services AU

Allie Collins joined Are Direct in September 2025 as Head of Client Services AU. She leads the publisher account management team, ensuring that publisher clients are supported with tailored strategies, clear communication, and opportunities to grow in a changing market.

With a background spanning sports rights management, client services, and telecommunications, Allie brings a unique perspective to building strong, collaborative relationships. She is known for developing a deep understanding of partner businesses and industries, helping to create innovative solutions and making it easy for clients to do business with Are Direct. 

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