African Media Entertainment : Central Media Group’s Nick Efstathiou, appointed to the board of the Free State Goldfields Chamber of Business

OFM alumni continue to make strides in Central South Africa. Central Media Group (CMG) Chief Executive Officer, Nick Efstathiou, has been appointed to the board of the Free State Goldfields Chamber of Business. This well-known member of the Free State business fraternity has spent many years at the helm of Central South Africa's leading commercial radio station, OFM, a subsidiary of CMG. Efstathiou is also renowned as a meticulous media professional specialising in executive radio station management, brand management, and development, strategic marketing, sponsorship management, radio programming, media sales, and events. Empowered with the principles and practices of strategic management and company development, Efstathiou continues to offer visionary leadership and inimitable mentorship not only to his own wards but to the industry as well. Efstathiou has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the broadcasting industry with humble beginnings at CBFM (now Bay FM) in Port Elizabeth in 1996, to a brief stint as a trainee presenter at then 94.7 Highveld, and finally his move to the City of Roses to join the Bloemfontein based OFM as producer and marketing coordinator in 2001. In 2004 he took on the role of Marketing Manager with his decade-long legacy still resonating throughout company structures. In 2012, after a fruitless search for a new programme/station manager, the board realised the right man for the job had been under their noses all along. Under Efstathiou's leadership, the station has gone from strength to strength. His uncompromising strive for excellence has resulted in numerous SA Radio Award nominations and wins, including the coveted Bright Star Award, internal accolades, and even a rare Grand Prix Loerie. "CMG invested into the Goldfields with a radio studio for OFM at the popular Goldfields Mall. The home of OFM in Welkom is at the center of the radio station's business dealings in the heart of the Free State. OFM aims to leverage this positioning and the relationships with good businesses in the area," says Efstathiou. Appointed CEO of CMG in 2019, Efstathiou believes in continual upskilling and aside from completing various courses and obtaining qualifications, he has also attained a coveted MBA and has set his sights on a doctorate as well. "I hope to bring value to the chamber and address many economic challenges the sector has. I am humbled by the appointment and will commit to making a material change to a beautiful part of Central South Africa," concludes Efstathiou.