Reporting jointly to chief executive officer, Andrew Miller; and editor-in-chief, Alan Rusbridger, he will take up his post on 1 April 2013.
In this role Wolfgang (pictured) will work across GNM's editorial and commercial teams, helping them to grow global audiences and revenues by developing new digital platforms that deepen reader engagement and provide new opportunities to commercial partners.
Andrew Miller, CEO, Guardian Media Group, said: “With Wolfgang’s extensive experience and knowledge of digital we are very excited to be welcoming him to Guardian News & Media. His track record for developing robust business models online make him the ideal candidate to help us make the most of the commercial opportunities generated by our huge and highly-engaged audience.”
Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief, Guardian News & Media, said: “Wolfgang is an innovative digital thinker who understands the opportunities that the Guardian’s trusted journalism and open approach to publishing on the web present. His guidance and insight will be invaluable to Guardian News & Media as we continue the journey towards a digital-first future.”
Wolfgang Blau said: “The Guardian is respected around the world and has been inspiring me for a number of years. I am very much looking forward to joining the team and to contributing to their digital-first strategy.”
During his almost five years as chief editor he has led and driven the digital success of Zeit Online, winning national and international awards with his team and developing an online business model based on quality journalism. Since 2008, unique visits to Zeit Online have more than tripled. In 2011, Wolfgang was named Germany’s ‘chief editor of the year’ by the jury of Medium Magazin.
From 1999 to 2007, he worked in Silicon Valley as a freelance reporter and columnist for German newspaper Die Welt, German broadcaster ZDF, and the radio news syndicator BLR-Radiodienst. He initiated the founding of Audible.de, now part of Amazon Inc, and started the first audio portal of a European newspaper in 1999. Wolfgang is vice president of the Global Editors Network, which is based in Paris.
(Picture copyright: Saga Pacific.)
