Shortlist Media has announced the appointment of a new CEO to drive the continued growth and diversification of the company’s print and digital brands. Ella Dolphin will join from Hearst UK where she  was Group Commercial Director.

Dolphin combines a strong sales and publishing background and first came to prominence as Group Head of the Mail on Sunday before being promoted to Head of Magazines at the Daily Mail Group. In 2010 she moved to Bauer to publish Grazia during a period of significant growth before being headhunted to join Hearst UK, where she published brands including Cosmopolitan, Red and Esquire across print, digital and events platforms. In 2014, under Hearst’s new CEO Anna Jones, Ella became Group Commercial Director, developing commercial revenues across print and digital and developing new revenue streams across experiential events, commercial content generation, contract publishing and licensing.

Ella’s appointment means that the co-founder and Chief Executive of Shortlist Media, Mike Soutar, will become Chairman later in 2016. Mike has led the business alongside co-founder Tim Ewington and other founding directors since its launch in 2007. Shortlist Media has grown from a small, independent start-up into a multi-brand, print, digital and events business reaching millions of affluent urban men and women both in the UK and internationally.

Mike Soutar, who has been leading the search process, says: “Becoming Shortlist Media CEO is an extraordinary opportunity and the company’s senior directors and I have been lucky enough to interview some of the smartest and most dynamic operators in the sector over the last few months. I am delighted Ella is joining us to lead the brilliant, hardworking team here to further glory. She is a gifted senior executive with energy, vision and a great track record of achievement. I can’t wait to start working with her.”

Ella Dolphin says: “Shortlist Media is a brilliant company that confounded the industry when it launched nine years ago and the growth is impressive. I’m really looking forward to working with the wealth of talent in the business and further developing the dynamic brands ShortList, Stylist, Emerald Street and Mr Hyde – as well as launching new products and services for this highly-demanded affluent, urban audience.”

Ellis Watson, Chairman, says: “Shortlist Media has innovated, launched and grafted its way to becoming one of the most respected and admired media start-ups of the last decade. The chance of taking this ridiculously talented team and fuelling more growth has allowed us to choose from some of the best leaders in media, and to have Mike continue his stewardship as Chairman once the new CEO is up to speed is a very powerful combination. Our remarkable team has got us so far in nine years and these changes make me just as excited to see where it will go in the next.”