Executive Editor Julie Pace, Chief Revenue Officer Kristin Heitmann and Chief Technology Officer Gianluca D’Aniello provided an update Wednesday in a note to staff:
One of AP’s most promising opportunities for growth is the expansion of our direct to audience digital news platforms. We’re excited to bring AP’s nonpartisan, fact-based journalism directly to more people. There’s a gap in the market for this kind of journalism that AP is well-positioned to fill.Later this year we’ll be relaunching our AP News website, giving us a more modern canvas to display our work, engage audiences and grow revenue from advertising, which ultimately helps underpin our ability to do great journalism for everyone. Teams across the AP are engaged in this effort and we can’t wait for everyone to see what they’ve been working on in the coming months.This effort is being overseen by a trio of new leaders who have recently joined the AP:Saeed Ahmed is AP’s first Vice President of News for Digital Platforms. He’s an innovative and experienced digital news leader who joins AP after stints at the BBC, NPR and CNN. He’ll guide our digital news teams and shape AP’s editorial direction on our direct to audience platforms – our website and mobile app, social media accounts and newsletters.Paul Simoneschi is our new Vice President for Consumer Product and Technology. As a strategic technology leader, Paul has a track record of developing successful digital products at Code and Theory, serving top media clients such as NBC News Digital and CNN. He has also held leadership roles at Hearst, Vimeo, and most recently at digital healthcare startup K Health.Saeed and Paul will work closely with Drew Stoneman, who joined AP last year as Vice President of Consumer Revenue. Drew brings to the AP nearly 20 years of experience in media, with a particular focus on digital monetization and marketing. He spent the last 10 years of his career at Dow Jones, most recently leading WSJ’s commercial strategy and sales partnerships.To be sure, AP’s commitment to our members and customers remains at the core of our business, and that won’t change as we build out our digital platforms. In fact, we’re confident the lessons we learn along the way will help inform the journalism we provide our customers, and guide them as they accelerate their own digital transformations.We’re excited about the opportunity to grow the audience for our nonpartisan, independent journalism and help keep the AP on the path for growth.Julie, Kristin and Luca
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