Monday, 22 October 2007. The National Magazine Company, the Hearst Corporation's principle business in the UK, today announced the appointment of Alex Ballantyne as Managing Director of its digital publishing business, Hearst Digital.
Alex, who is currently Managing Director of the Hearst Digital website, NetDoctor.co.uk, will succeed Nancy Cruickshank who has decided to move on after seven years with the business. Nancy was previously Managing Director of handbag.com before taking over the reins of Hearst Digital in 2006.
The National Magazine Company recently announced the results of a digital strategic review which will see the business focus on a smaller number of sites with the potential to grow significantly. These sites include handbag, Netdoctor, Cosmopolitan and allaboutyou.
Commenting on the appointment, Duncan Edwards, Chief Executive of the National Magazine Company says. "I am delighted that Alex has accepted our invitation to lead NatMag's digital publishing business. The business has been a focus for significant investment activity over the last year and we look forward to seeing these dynamic ventures continue to grow under his leadership. We always knew that Nancy would want to move on in due course having spent six years at handbag prior to our acquisition. We are very grateful for the work she has done over the last year and wish her the best in her next role."
Alex Ballantyne says, "The talented team at Hearst Digital have created an impressive business and I look forward to leading them into this exciting and progressive future. Our focus now will be on ensuring that the investment made into the business, delivers the appropriate level of return."
For more information, please contact
Louise Bury
Hearst Digital
Email: louise.bury@hearstdigital.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
About Alex Ballantyne
Alex is a founding member and managing director of Netdoctor.co.uk. He joined NetDoctor after seven years working in business development, commercial management and marketing at GlaxoSmithKline. Netdoctor was acquired by the National Magazine Company in March 2006 and has become an integral part of Hearst Digital Network.
About The National Magazine Company
The National Magazine Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation established by William Randolph Hearst in 1910. NatMag publishes 14 consumer titles in the UK: Coast, Company, Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan Bride, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, House Beautiful, Prima, Prima Baby, SHE, You & Your Wedding, and Zest. The group publishes a further two magazines, Men's Health and Runner's World, through a joint venture known as NatMag Rodale and three large scale weeklies, Best , Reveal and Real People through a joint venture known as ACP-NatMag.
About handbag.com
handbag.com was the first dedicated women's lifestyle website to launch in the UK, and is now the market leader with over 1.5 million unique readers every month.
handbag.com is a stylish, glamorous, trusted and informative editorial title providing the inside track for busy women online on everyday important issues like fashion, beauty, celebrity relationships, health and careers. With the luxury look of a glossy and the lightening reactions of a daily, handbag.com offers a breadth of coverage from expert writers, establishing a powerful reputation as the leader in a crowded field.
Launched in 1999, the title was acquired by the National Magazine Co. in October 2006 alongside its subsidiary sites getlippy.com, aimed at 18- to 30-year-old women, allaboutyou.com for women aged over 35 and gomamatoday.com, a pregnancy and birth site. handbag.com is part of the company's Hearst Digital network.
About The Hearst Digital Network
The Hearst Digital Network, a division of National Magazines, publishes the following websites: http://www.handbag.com/_ , http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/_, http://www.getlippy.com/_, http://www.allaboutyou.com/_, http://www.babyexpert.co.uk/_, http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/_, http://www.prima.co.uk/_, http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/_, http://www.youandyourwedding.co.uk/_, http://www.countryliving.co.uk/_, http://www.menshealth.co.uk/_, http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/_
