Justin Cullen has stepped down as chairman of Maximum Media, the company behind the Joe and Her digital media brands, following its acquisition by venture capital group Greencastle Capital. Mr Cullen, who was appointed chairman of the business in February 2019, said his tenure "had many peaks and troughs" but that he had sought to be "the guiding force the business required".

Mr Cullen said his main goal since last November – when news emerged of Maximum Media’s use of a “click farm” to inflate podcast listenership numbers – had been “to ensure the restoration of confidence” in the business, while in recent months he worked to create a smooth transition to its new ownership.

Mr Cullen, who left the media agency Core in 2018 to set up his own consultancy, Jolt Esquire, said he was happy that the digital brands would remain part of the media landscape under new owners and that so many jobs had been retained. "I am very proud of the work done across both the buoyant and the challenging times," he said.

Greencastle Capital bought Maximum Media out of examinership earlier this year. The now completed deal will see the business managed by Iconic Labs under the names Joe Media and Her Media.