Hearst Magazines UK appoints new chief digital officer amid a string of senior departures
Hearst Magazines UK has appointed a new chief digital officer, Paul Cassar from Say Media, as his predecessor Darren Goldsby becomes the latest to leave the magazine publisher in a string of senior departures this year.
Paul Cassar will become chief digital officer at Hearst in 2017
Cassar, currently VP of international operations at digital publishing company Say Media, will join Hearst in January 2017 to lead its digital operations, reporting into the outgoing UK chief executive Anna Jones until her successor is announced.
Outlining his ambitions for the publisher, Cassar said: “We will be investing more heavily in content and video, and have ambitious plans to increase our offering for commercial partners. Hearst has world-renowned brands, which gives us the ability to provide global solutions for big international brands.”
Jones announced she was stepping down from the CEO role in October after five years at the company to co-found AllBright, a funding platform for female-led businesses in the UK. Jones will leave in February 2017.
Meanwhile News UK’s Sunday Times snapped up Elle UK’s editor Lorraine Candy to become its first luxury content director and editor-in-chief for its fashion supplement Style in November, after 12 years heading up the women's glossy.
Andy Hart, Hearst Magazines International's senior vice president & chief revenue officer, also departed in November after a year in the role.
Ella Dolphin, the group commercial director at Hearst UK, left in May to become chief executive of Shortlist Media. More widely, the publisher’s international president and chief executive Duncan Edwards announced he was leaving the company in June this year after 27 years at Hearst.