Roxy Jacenko Exits Business to Enjoy Life

After more than two decades at the centre of Australia's publicity machine, is officially

The PR powerhouse has exclusively told the Daily Mail that she is handing over the directorship of her influencer management company, the Ministry of Talent (MOT) to longtime protégé Emily Hayman.

Jacenko established MOT two decades ago, and has built it into one of Australia's most recognised talent management and publicity consultancies.

'I'll be staying on in an advisory/founder role, supporting Emily as she takes the reins,' Jacenko told the Daily Mail on Wednesday.

'Gifting the business to her is something she's absolutely earned, and it's important to me that I'm there to support her through the transition over the next 12 months.'

The Aussie entrepreneur is staying put in her adopted home of Singapore and has no plans to return Down Under.

'No, we won't be moving back - we're staying in Singapore for now,' she said. 

'It's an amazing base, so close to everywhere, and since I'm travelling almost every week at the moment, it's the perfect location to be based.'

Meanwhile, Jacenko appears to be embracing her relaxed new life in style, currently spending the European summer aboard a luxury yacht in Saint-Tropez as she continues this new chapter of her life overseas.

After three decades of hard work, the PR maven doesn't have her mind set on firing up fresh projects any time soon. 

'I won't be starting anything new - it's time to enjoy life a little more,' she said. 

'I've been working since I was 14, starting out at McDonald's! 

'I'll continue on with my e-commerce business alongside a fellow expat here in Singapore - a DIY brand called Findlay - and that's it for me.' 

Hayman's appointment marks the end of an era for Jacenko, whose departure from The Ministry of Talent severs her final commercial ties to Australia as she continues life in .

The self-described 'PR Queen' launched her career in 2004, founding publicity agency Sweaty Betty PR at just 24 years old.

Over the following two decades, the agency became one of the country's most recognisable publicity firms, representing major brands, celebrities and household names while cementing Jacenko's status as one of Australia's most famous businesswomen.

But in late 2022, Jacenko shocked the industry by announcing she was closing the doors of Sweaty Betty after 18 years, declaring it was time to '.

By that stage, Jacenko had already diversified far beyond publicity.

Her stable of businesses included The Ministry of Talent, children's e-commerce venture Pixie's Pix, fidget toy business Pixie's Fidgets, homewares label XRJ and a string of licensing and product collaborations that capitalised on her personal brand and enormous social media reach.

Many of those ventures have since quietly wound down, been sold or moved offshore as Jacenko relocated her family to Singapore and shifted her focus away from Australia.

Emily has worked for the company since 2019, rising through the ranks from an intern to a leadership role. 

'Emily didn't just learn this business - she became it. Watching her grow from an intern who arrived before anyone else to the person I trust with everything we've built has been one of the great privileges of my career,' Jacenko said. 

'MOT is in exactly the right hands.' 

After 20 years building one of Australia's most recognised talent management and publicity consultancies, Roxy is handing the directorship of MOT over to Emily - a woman who, not so long ago, was emailing Roxy from university hoping for a 12-week internship.

Emily joined MOT in 2019 after discovering the world of PR through Roxy's Instagram account.

She sent a cold email, landed an interview, and arrived for her first day as an intern - consistently an hour early, because she wanted the role that badly.  

That placement was meant to last three months. Nearly seven years later, Emily still never left.

Over those years, Emily immersed herself in every facet of the business - from Sweaty Betty PR to the MOT of today. 

Working side-by-side with Roxy, she developed deep expertise across brand building, client service, talent management, and industry relationships. 

Her progression into leadership was not appointed; it was earned, through hard work, trust, and an understanding of the business that only comes from growing up within it.

'This business has been my world for the past six years,' Hayman, the new Director of The Ministry of Talent, said in a statement. 

Jacenko won't be smarting for funds despite leaving behind her lucrative ventures; in fact, her opulent lifestyle is set to continue unabated thanks to her husband's business moves. Oliver Curtis (left) is on track to become Australia's next billionaire