Irish Independent owner Mediahuis Ireland appoints new chief executive

Irish Independent owner Mediahuis Ireland has announced the appointment of Sheena Peirse as chief executive.

Ms Peirse, who is currently the company’s chief customer officer, will succeed Peter Vandermeersch at the helm from October 1st next.

The Irish subsidiary of the Belgian media group said Ms Peirse “brings a wealth of experience in transformation, digital media, audience strategy, and commercial innovation”.

Prior to joining Mediahuis in 2019, she held senior roles in UK broadcast media, including ITV and Channel 4, where she is said to have played a leading role shaping the digital strategy and content initiatives.

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“As chief customer officer, she spearheaded strategic change across the subscription and marketing business, helping the company surpass 100,000 subscribers,” the company said.

Mediahuis said Ms Peirse would work closely with chief operations officer Ian Keogh and chief financial officer Ross Murray.

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“I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time for our organisation and for journalism,” she said. “Peter and Ian have laid a strong foundation for our digital growth, and I look forward to building on that legacy with our talented teams across Ireland and Northern Ireland,” she said.

As part of the changes, Mr Vandermeersch will move to take on the role of Mediahuis fellow “Journalism and Society”.

Gert Ysebaert, Mediahuis group chief executive, said: “This leadership transition takes place against the backdrop of profound change in our industry.”

“Independent journalism is under increasing pressure—not because it has lost its value, but because the economics of journalism and the world around it are fundamentally changing," he said.

Mediahuis, which also publishes the Belfast Telegraph and The Sunday World and several regional titles, recently reported revenues €1.2 billion for last year, unchanged from the previous year, despite a decline in advertising sales and increased labour costs.

The group said its results were “stable” year-on-year despite significant challenges facing the print media industry.