The Art of Adaptation: Simon Irrgang on Navigating Change and Seizing Opportunity at Foxtel

Group Financial Controller Simon Irrgang has been with Foxtel Group for seven years and has seen a number of transformations during his time. We speak to Simon about how his career has developed during his time at Foxtel Group, and how he embraced change to find opportunity. 

Q: Could you tell us about yourself, and your role as Group Financial Controller?

As Group Financial Controller, I’m responsible for ensuring the financial health of the business. That means overseeing our accounting, controls, and processes so money coming in and going out is accurate, approved, aligned with policies, and our expectations.

A big part of my role is making sure our financial results are complete and reliable, and that our external reporting clearly and truthfully tells the story of our business to stakeholders.

I’ve been with Foxtel for seven years, during a period of constant change, which is pretty normal for businesses today. There’s always been a strong focus on continuous improvement, which has made the role challenging, but also incredibly rewarding.

When I joined, I was fortunate to be able to build the team from the ground up and together we centralised finance processes and introduced stronger discipline through SOX compliance. Since then, we’ve navigated major change together, from system and process transformation, to COVID, offshoring, and now integrating our systems with those of DAZN. While the team has evolved over time, a strong core has remained. I’m grateful to have work with talented, committed people who’ve embraced change, solved tough problems together, and still found time to enjoy the journey. That’s what’s making it such a rewarding experience.

Q: You’ve been at Foxtel Group for over seven years – how have you seen your career evolve over this time?

Over the past seven years, my role at Foxtel Group has continued to evolve alongside the business and I’ve had the opportunity to continue to develop and expand my responsibilities with many learnings along the way. I began in cost management as Head of Financial Accounting, before moving to revenue, and oversaw the combination of both teams. From there, I added responsibility for external reporting, working closely with our previous shareholder, News Corp. More recently, I was promoted to Group Financial Controller, with Financial Operations also coming under my remit. Each step has required us to rethink how we work and continuously adapt.

One of the most significant milestones was the transition to an offshore model during COVID in 2020. We had just six months to migrate all our work, which involved extensive training and upskilling of the TCS team. While it came with challenges, it was ultimately a successful transformation and a real testament to the team’s resilience and commitment.

What I’ve learned is that just as you reach the end of one major project, the next evolution begins. Most recently, that’s been the DAZN transition, moving operations from TCS to Poland. That’s been another chapter of change, learning, and growth

Q: When you started out, do you think you’d be in this role now?

Joining Foxtel and assuming I did my job well, I would have envisioned eventually ending up in the role I’m in today. Along the way, I’ve always tried to remain curious, not just to my own role, but also how my role and other parts of the business interact. Whilst I considered opportunities in other parts of Finance at different points, the timing of where I thought I might take my career didn’t always necessarily align to the opportunities that were available.

However, that curiosity instead proved invaluable – it put me in a position to be able to take different opportunities I didn’t think I would necessarily have experienced at Foxtel, and so whilst I’ve travelled a more traditional path, I’ve had a variety of career-building opportunities along the way, including playing a key role in supporting the News Corp due diligence process in the sale of Foxtel to DAZN. Being involved in something of that scale was a career highlight and reinforced that sometimes the right path isn’t the most obvious one.

Q: Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in your role?

Looking ahead, what excites me most is the opportunity to continue evolving with Foxtel. I don’t expect to be doing the same role in a few years’ time – instead, I see my future shaped by DAZN’s vision for Foxtel, and that’s incredibly energising.

If I’m still here in three or four years, I know the role will be different, challenging, and new. My focus is on putting myself in the best possible position to step into whatever that next chapter looks like and to be part of what’s ahead.

Q: Finally, what career advice would you offer for someone starting out in their career journey at Foxtel Group?

My biggest piece of advice is to stay open to opportunities – even when they don’t fit neatly into the plan you originally had. I thought I knew the path I’d take, but by making certain choices, I found myself involved in the DAZN due diligence work. Along the way, I gained experiences that were truly once-in-a-career.

It might sound cliché, but curiosity really matters. It’s easy to focus only on the tasks you’ve been assigned, but if you do that, your world stays small. Being curious, asking questions, helping others, and learning about areas outside your immediate role opens doors you may not even realise exist.

By taking the time to understand how different parts of the business worked, I have been able to add value in ways others couldn’t. So do your job well, but also be a sponge. Ask why things happen, not just what happens. When opportunities come up – and they always do – you’ll be far better placed to step into them.