Jon Steinberg will be the next chief executive (CEO) of magazine publisher Future, taking over from Zillah Byng-Thorne.
Future’s board said Steinberg will join the business from Monday 3 April. Byng-Thorne departs after almost nine years in the role on Friday 31 March but will remain available for two months “to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities”.
Steinberg has previously served as chief executive of Mail Online in North America, and before that as president and chief operating officer at Buzzfeed. He was most recently president of the news and advertising division at cable provider Altice USA, which he joined when the company bought his start-up, digital-first financial news streamer Cheddar News.
Steinberg said Future “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.”
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Future board chair Richard Huntingford said: “Jon has highly valuable expertise and has developed a fantastic track record, combining entrepreneurialism with leadership at some of the very best digital and media organisations operating at scale.
“He is a charismatic leader with a deep understanding and passion for media, particularly how technology, creativity and innovation can be harnessed to accelerate growth and build significant value for stakeholders. As we look to further extend Future’s leadership, particularly in the US, Jon is a natural fit.”
Future is one of a growing group of UK-based publishers chasing growth in the US, and is currently in the midst of a drive to reach one in every two Americans online each month.
[Read more: The British are coming – Fleet Street’s ‘digital landgrab’ on US news sector]
Huntingford said that under Byng-Thorne’s leadership “Future has transformed beyond recognition, from a loss-making magazine publisher into a leading digital media platform of 250 brands reaching one in three adults online in the US and UK, and delivering market-leading returns for our investors in the process”.
Byng-Thorne, who last year indicated her intention to leave before 2024, said leading the company “has been a true privilege. 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.”
[Read more: Future CEO Zillah Byng-Thorne says share price hit by ‘wider market sentiment in unusual times’]
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