belinda wallis

I am a journalist with 20 years experience in newspapers, radio, TV and magazines. My love of news gathering has taken me around the globe – starting out as a cub reporter on a Sydney afternoon newspaper, to Fleet Street in London and war zones in Yugoslavia to name a few.

But it is the world of magazines that currently fires my imagination.

I took over the editorship of the real-life title Take 5 in 2005 after holding senior positions on Woman’s Day in Australia and Woman’s Own in the UK. It was a brilliant opportunity, and I set about dramatically revamping a flagging title.

The first redesigned issue to go on sale in 2005 jumped a dramatic 8% that week, setting the stage for some serious goal scoring in a market that has proved sometimes proved a challenge.

One of my main ambitions for Take 5 has been to increase the reader interactivity of the magazine, and this has been achieved with a series of original and highly-successful campaigns.

But the standout success would be the Take 5 Young Brave Kids campaign, which honours courageous children across Australia. It has been honoured with a number of awards, including one from the Magazine Publishing Association the year it was launched and the campaign continues to attract national media, political and celebrity support.

My vision for the title and the real-life magazine market continues to grow, and now extends successfully into the social media arena with stand-out successes via Facebook and best-selling stand-alone books, including Take 5 Ingredients and Take 5 Top Tips.

At home, I am kept busy by two adorable daughters aged 11 and four and when I get a spare moment I love a good movie, a hit on the tennis court or a swim at the beach. But most of all, I will always love curling up on the couch with a good read.