Eleven new Board Members were elected on the occasion of WAN-IFRA’s annual meeting on 17 June. Incoming Board members include:
Lina Attalah, Co-founder and Director Mada Masr Media, Egypt
Marijana Bojanic, CEO Vijesti, Montenegro
Juan Pablo Bojanini, President El Heraldo de Barranquilla, Colombia
Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder and CEO Daraj Media, Lebanon
Mohit Jain, Executive Director Bennett, Coleman & Co, India
Barbara Kaija, Editor in Chief New Vision, Uganda
Caroline Jerotich Kimutai, Digital Editor Standard Group, Kenya
Patty Michalski, Sr VP Content Strategy and Innovation Hearst, USA
Agnes Kalekye Nguna, COO Radio Africa Group Limited, Kenya
Caroline Southey, Founding Editor The Conversation Africa, South Africa
Lay Lim Teo, CEO SPH Media Ltd, Singapore
The changes in its Board of Directors signal WAN-IFRA’s ongoing commitment to deliver on its strategic plan for Diversity and Inclusion initiated in 2017 and ensure that WAN-IFRA has the additional skillsets and experience to support WAN-IFRA’s future developments in different parts of the world.
In 2017, the strategy included measures, among other objectives, to address the gender imbalance within WAN-IFRA’s governance structures. At the June meeting, Vincent Peyregne, CEO WAN-IFRA, announced he will present an update on WAN-IFRA’s Diversity Equality and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy to its Supervisory Board in September 2022. The revised strategic plan will include a synopsis of progress toward the organisation’s original goals set in 2017 and revised targets as the DEI working group advised.
“Today’s announcement advances our ongoing efforts to expand the expertise and Diversity of our Board and confirms that a growing number of women are taking up senior positions in the media. However, we are far from the parity we aspire to as an industry. I hope this and future elections will lead the way“, commented Vincent Peyregne, WAN-IFRA CEO.
In the same meetings, 14 Directors we reelected to a renewed term:
Alexander Mitteräcker, CEO Der Standard, Austria
Daniel Van Wylick, Administrateur Lapresse.be, Belgium
Stoyana Georgieva, Publisher/editor In Chief Mediapool.Ltd., InfoSpace Foundation, Bulgaria
Juan Jaime Diaz, President Asociación Nacional de la Prensa, Chile
Jean-Pierre de Kerraoul, President ENPA, France
Thomas Lindner, CEO Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany
Paul Peckels, CEO Mediahuis Luxembourg – Président ALMI Luxembourg
Sinead Boucher, CEO Stuff, New Zealand
Rolf Dyrnes Chair Person Global Alliance for Media Innovation, Norway
Pia Rehnquist Head of Content at Bonnier News Local, Sweden
Guy Black, Group Deputy Chairman Telegraph Media Group, United Kingdom
Lisa MacLeod, Principal Publishing Lead FT Strategies (Financial Times), United Kingdom
Toyosi Ogunseye, Senior News Editor for News and Commissioning BBC, United Kingdom
Jennifer Bertetto, President and CEO Trib Total Media, United States
The WAN-IFRA Board and management team extend their deepest gratitude to 7 Directors retiring from the Board for their distinguished service over the past few years.
Juan Amaya, Gerente General El Tiempo, Colombia
Fatemah Farag, Founder/CEO Welad ElBalad Media, Egypt
Shailesh Gupta, Director Jagran Prakashan Ltd, India
José Manuel Lozano, former Managing Director 20 minutos, Spain
Donna Hall, former Publisher Atlanta Journal-Constitution, United States
Majella Gallagher, former Managing Director The Irish Examiner and The Echo, Ireland
Petru Macovei, Executive Director API (Association of Independent Press), Moldova
The Ukrainian conflict catalysed international solidarity.
During the same meeting, WAN-IFRA reported on its activities over the first six months of 2022, including its media freedom and media development initiatives. WAN-IFRA Media Freedom department promotes Equality, Safety and Stability across a portfolio of work that is engaged with media in over 25 countries. In the past six months, the support received from WAN-IFRA members and partners showed the unprecedented capacity of this industry to work together to sustain independent media. In 2022, WAN-IFRA raised 750 K€ In direct financial support for local media and media professionals working in some of the world’s most challenging markets.
A significant part of this support was channelled to Ukrainian publishers and media professionals. Through its fundraising campaign, WAN-IFRA’s financial support reached 150+ Ukrainian publications and news organisations and has contributed to maintaining salaries, providing funds for essential services, and keeping the media running and operational throughout the country. Other vital direct financial support to media in fragile states included editorial grants for African media organisations and emergency aid to Afghan colleagues.
A growing membership and positive results for the fifth year in a row.
The financial report 2021 was presented to the Board and General Assembly of Members. For the five consecutive years, WAN-IFRA reported a positive financial result in 2021 thanks to an increased portfolio of externally funded projects, a high volume of consulting projects, the sustained participation in its programme professional conferences with more than 6000 registered participants over the first six months of 2022, and a growing membership base from both corporate and individual members.
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