New group editorial directors, Sarah Bailey and Susy Smith
Hearst UK has announced two new senior appointments across six of its brands as it merges its Lifestyle & Homes titles into a new division.
Good Housekeeping, Prima and Red will come together as a Lifestyle Group while Country Living, ELLE Decoration and House Beautiful will align as a Homes Group, with each group led by a group editorial director.
Sarah Bailey, who joined Hearst UK in 2008 and has been editor-in-chief of Red since 2013, takes on the newly-created role of group editorial director of the Lifestyle Group, while Susy Smith, who has been editor-in-chief of Country Living since 1995, has been appointed group editorial director of the Homes Group.
Both Bailey and Smith will be responsible for the content strategy and quality of delivery across all three brands within their respective groups, reporting to Sharon Douglas, chief brand officer, Lifestyle & Homes.
Each individual magazine brand will be overseen by an executive editor, with appointments set to be announced in the next few days.
James Wildman, CEO, Hearst UK, said: “Susy and Sarah are both exceptionally talented, experienced Editors, who have the strategic nous, the creativity and the vision to ensure that our Lifestyle and Homes brands continue to strongly deliver against their huge potential and the expectations of their audiences.
“We are currently having conversations with the senior Editorial talent affected by these changes to discuss where we might utilise their exceptional skills and expertise within the business and we will be making further announcements in due course.”
A number of jobs are expected to be lost as a result of the current editorial and commercial restructure.
In a statement last month, Hearst UK said: “We are proposing a number of changes to both our editorial and commercial teams to ensure that our brands are in the best shape possible for the future and to allow us to develop more content in key areas where we see an opportunity for growth.
“As a result we do expect a number of people to leave the business, but we won’t know until the end of the consultation process what that number will be. Hearst UK prides itself on transparent communication coupled with a sensitive approach and we will ensure that everyone is supported with great care.”
