PPA appoints new CEO
The Professional Publishers Association (PPA) announces Sajeeda Merali as its new Chief Executive Officer.
The PPA represents, champions and supports around 250 UK publishing companies, from multi-media businesses, consumer magazine publishers, to business-to-business data and information providers, customer magazine publishers and smaller independents.
The PPA’s membership network creates brands and content which has a deep engagement with their audiences, speaking to consumers passions, hobbies and interests, as well as supporting individuals and businesses to do their jobs better. Part of the thriving UK creative industries, the membership reaches over 44 million people in the UK every month (83% of the adult population), generating £4 billion to the UK economy a year and directly supporting more than 56,000 jobs.
A strategic leader with 20 years’ experience in the publishing industry, Merali has held senior positions with both B2B and consumer-facing organisations, with extensive experience in change management and strategy development. She joins the PPA from the New Statesman Media Group, where as Chief Revenue Officer she helped develop and drive new revenues around high-value digital opportunities, in addition to launching a commercial strategy for new brands in highly competitive markets. Prior to that Merali was the commercial leader of the Insider Publishing Division at Euromoney PLC and has held senior positions at Incisive Media, where she was influential in driving cultural and strategic change.
Reporting to the PPA Chairman and Board, Merali will be responsible for the development and implementation of a transformational agenda for the PPA and its members, championing new and emerging commercial models, promoting the publishing industry to a broad range of stakeholders, as well as accelerating and championing the PPA’s work to improve and promote Diversity and Inclusion across the industry.
PPA Chairman, and Immediate Media Co Executive Chairman, Tom Bureau, says: “I’m delighted to appoint Sajeeda as CEO of the PPA. Sajeeda really impressed the recruitment panel with her energy, communication skills and passion for transformation in publishing. She brings highly valuable experience of being in the trenches of change, and championing a vibrant, successful sector. Importantly, 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.”
Commenting on her appointment, Sajeeda Merali, says: “I am hugely excited to be appointed CEO of the PPA and to be given the opportunity to advocate for an industry that I feel so passionate about, especially at this point in the transformation curve, bringing together individual and collective experiences has never been more important. As a leader from the sector, 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.”
Merali will take up her new role on 3rd September 2021.
