Publishing group Future has appointed former BuzzFeed president Jon Steinberg as its new chief executive.
The Bath-based media organisation, which has a portfolio of online and magazine titles such as FourFourTwo , The Week and Total Film , said Mr Steinburg would join the company in April. He will replace Zillah Byng-Thorne, who announced her intention to stand down last September.
Future said Mr Steinberg, who played a key role in the development of digital media giant BuzzFeed’s business model, had “a strong track record of innovation, scaling media groups and creating value”.
Most recently, Mr Steinberg was the President of US cable TV provider Altice USA’s news & advertising division, which encompasses News 12, i24NEWS, Cheddar News, and Altice USA’s a4 Advertising unit.
The media executive joined Altice through the sale of Cheddar News, a digital-first innovative news company, which he founded in 2016.
Prior to Cheddar, he was the chief executive of DailyMail.com in North America, while he worked as a strategic partner development manager at Google early in his career.
Mr Steinberg said: “I am delighted to be joining Future. It is a business that I’ve followed closely and long admired for the way it has redefined the media playbook, marrying the best of editorial and technology. I look forward to working with the Board and the leadership team to build on the success achieved under Zillah’s tenure.”
Ms Byng-Thorne said it had been “a true privilege” to lead Future. She added: ”It is a job and a company that I have loved, working alongside incredibly talented teams focused on staying true to the evolving needs and desires of the audiences we serve.
“I will continue to be a firm supporter of the business and am confident that Future, under Jon’s leadership, will go from strength to strength.”
Future’s chair Richard Huntingford said: “As we look to further extend Future’s leadership, particularly in the US, Jon is a natural fit. On behalf of the board and all of Future I would like to thank Zillah for the exceptional role she has played for almost a decade.
“Through her leadership, Future has transformed beyond recognition, from a loss-making magazine publisher into a leading digital media platform of 250 brands reaching 1 in 3 adults online in the US and UK, and delivering market-leading returns for our investors in the process.”
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