Tye will serve as Chairman for two years, replacing Haymarket Media Group CEO Kevin Costello, who now becomes PPA Deputy Chairman for the next 12 months.
The formal handover took place on February 29 at the 2016 PPA Chairman’s Reception, held in association with PPA Strategic Partner Air Business at Century, a private members club in Central London. The event was attended by CEOs, Editors, and senior executives from across the PPA membership, encompassing magazine and business media companies, content marketing specialists, and digital content providers.
Tye is the 30th industry executive to lead the PPA as either Chairman or President since the association was founded in 1913. In this honorary position, he will shape the strategy and direction of the association alongside PPA CEO Barry McIlheney and his team.
The role of PPA Chairman does not impact on Tye's duties as CEO of Dennis Publishing, one of the leading independently-owned media companies in the UK, and the current PPA Digital Publishing Company of the Year.
Barry McIlheney, CEO of the PPA, said: “I am very excited that James is joining us as Chairman as we move ahead into 2016. We are absolutely focussed on meeting the evolving needs of our members – all of whom continue to deal with new opportunities and challenges to their business – and we have made real progress on their behalf in recent times. I would like to thank Kevin Costello for his outstanding leadership and support in making those changes happen, and I now look forward to building on our momentum over the next two years with James at the helm.”
James Tye added: “It is an incredibly exciting time to be taking on the role of PPA Chairman and I am looking forward immensely to working with Barry and his team. The PPA’s sphere of influence is no longer restricted to just magazines, as we are an expanding, multi-platform sector that forms a crucial part of the burgeoning UK Creative Industries. We have a great story to tell, and I am proud to play my part in driving the sector forward on behalf of all the nearly 250 companies who now sit under the umbrella banner of the PPA.”
