Publishers’ body names Merali as its new CEO

PUBLISHING industry strategist Sajeeda Merali will assume her new role as the chief executive officer of the UK’s Professional Publishers Association (PPA) from next month.

Merali, currently working as the chief revenue officer at the New Statesman Media Group, will succeed Owen Meredith who resigned from the magazine industry body in April to join the News Media Association. She will assume office at the PPA on September 3.

It is understood that Merali will be involved in promoting diversity and inclusion across the industry.

In a career spanning 20 years, she has held senior positions with both business-to-business and consumerfacing organisations.

She was the commercial leader of the insider publishing division at Euromoney and held senior positions at Incisive Media, including group sales director and director of marketing solutions, InPublishing said.

PPA chairman Tom Bureau said Merali impressed the recruitment panel with her “energy, communication skills and passion for transformation in publishing”.

“Sajeeda is passionate about organisational change, driving innovation, and committed to diversity, equality and inclusion, which will be vital as we develop a new vision for the PPA around engaging deeply with specialist communities.”

Merali, who shared the news of her appointment on Twitter said she was looking forward to “exciting times ahead”.

“I am excited to be appointed CEO of the PPA and to be given the opportunity to advocate for an industry I feel so passionate about. Especially at this point in the transformation curve, bringing together individual and collective experiences has never been more important” InPublishing quoted her as saying.

“I have a keen understanding of the challenges of today and the pace at which publishers are having to adapt. I’m honoured that the board of the PPA is allowing me to drive this new phase in its mission of advancing the UK’s publishing industry.”