The ABC will have a new boss in the new year and the big question is not what Hugh Marks will do for Aunty, but whether the former Nine Entertainment CEO can survive one of the toughest gigs in the country.

On paper, Marks looks a good pick. He has plenty of experience running hefty media organisations with Nine, the owner of this masthead, the largest commercial media company in Australia, and he understands content.

Hugh Marks is not the first ‘commercial’ outsider parachuted into ABC’s most senior executive role.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Sure, his departure from Nine was ungainly, with his romantic relationship with a member of staff forcing the exit. But his performance as CEO, particularly with the value of hindsight, will be judged favourably by history.

What makes a good CEO in a listed company can be assessed fairly easily: the metrics of success are profit, return on capital and, ultimately, share price. As for governance, shareholders of public companies such as Nine are happy to outsource full governance control to the directors they vote in and the chief executive the directors appoint.

However, the ABC is a different beast. It doesn’t have a profit motive but an engagement motive, says chairman Kim Williams, a man........

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