Mail Newspapers managing director Roland Agambar has been named the next chief executive of Harmsworth Media.
Harmsworth Media is the publisher of the i newspaper and New Scientist magazine.
Daily Mail and General Trust proprietor Lord Rothermere split the brands off into a separate division away from the Mail and Metro in 2021.
Nina Wright has been CEO of Harmsworth Media since then, having first become chief executive of the New Scientist from 2018.
DMGT said Wright had decided to step down from the day-to-day CEO role but will become chair of Harmsworth Media from October and continue to work closely with Lord Rothermere and Agambar to support the strategic growth of the business both in the UK and internationally.
Agambar’s transition into the CEO role will begin on 4 September and Wright will formally become chair in October.
Lord Rothermere said: “I am immensely grateful to Nina for all her hard work and dedication in leading both New Scientist and taking i under her wing with the formation of Harmsworth Media. She has done an excellent job of building the business to where it is today.
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“Roland is a brilliant, innovative, and creative mind. With over 20 years working in the newspaper industry, combined with his instinctive understanding of our readers, he is ideally suited to champion Harmsworth Media and their print and digital products.”
Wright, who has also been chair of the Professional Publishers Association, said: “I have enjoyed my CEO role establishing Harmsworth Media enormously. It’s an absolute privilege to work on both New Scientist and i, two incredible brands that are very highly regarded, with an abundance of talent and outstanding potential.
“The time is now right for me to step back from the day to day running of the business and hand over the CEO reins to Roland. I can see how passionate, driven and thoughtful he is, added to his considerable experience and deep-rooted knowledge of our industry, I have no doubt that he will do an exceptional job.”
Agambar first joined Mail and Metro publisher DMG Media in 2010 as chief marketing officer, taking on additional responsibility for circulation, commerce and customer service in 2015. His last role before joining DMG was sales and marketing director of The Sun and News of the World.
Agambar said his appointment was a “tremendous honour”, adding: “I would also like to wish my colleagues on Mail Newspapers all the best for the future and will be watching with interest their continued success in the ever-evolving publishing business.”
Lord Rothermere’s DMGT has owned the i since 2019 and the New Scientist since 2021.
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