New York (AFP) – The New York Times named Meredith Kopit Levien as its new president and chief executive officer on Wednesday, succeeding Mark Thompson, who served for eight years and led the newspaper’s digital transformation.
Kopit Levien, 49, has been chief operating officer since June 2017, a role in which she led digital product efforts, according to the company.
She joined the Times in 2013 as director of advertising and also worked as executive vice president and director of revenue, responsible for the subscription and advertising businesses.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to direct The New York Times,” he said in a statement.
“I see a great opportunity to expand the role of journalism in the lives of millions more people around the world, and invest in product and technology innovation that appeals to our readers and grows our business.”
He added that “at a time when the free press is still under pressure, The Times will continue to invest in and defend the high-quality independent journalism on which our democracy depends.”
Kopit Levien takes over Sept. 8 from Thompson, a former BBC CEO who has been guiding the newspaper’s transition to digital and increasing subscription revenue.
In its most recent quarterly update, the prestigious American newspaper said it added 587,000 new digital subscribers to reach five million. Including its print subscribers, the total is 5.8 million.
Thompson said, “I chose this moment to resign because we have accomplished everything I set out to do when I joined The Times Company eight years ago, and because I know that at Meredith, I have an outstanding successor who is ready to take the company to the next. chapter “.
