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New CEO begins duties at WAN-IFRA

Jacob Mathew, President of WAN-IFRA, announced yesterday the appointment of Vincent Peyrègne as the organization’s incoming Chief Executive Officer.

“Vincent (pictured) is a recognized, committed and passionate professional who is familiar with a wide variety of business environments, with a particular strength in international affairs,” Mr Mathew said. “On top of his wide experience serving both publishers and public authorities, he is an acknowledged WAN-IFRA insider. His longstanding commitment to the publishing industry, his particular expertise in innovation, media trends and consumer insights, and his dedication to advocacy on behalf of the news industry, make him the perfect match to bring WAN-IFRA forward into a new era.”

“WAN-IFRA plays a vital role in the international scene, both as a press freedom advocate and as a valuable network for business innovation and editorial strategies for media companies around the globe. It’s a sound organization with unrivalled resources, strategic assets, and a deep, meaningful link to local market players. Like the industry we serve, our organization requires adjustment to respond strongly to new challenges. We have the opportunity to make long overdue improvements to increase our efficiency and deliver the best solutions to the industry, and to promote its values and missions worldwide. I am proud to join an unrivalled organization that understands perfectly what innovation and business development means for the promotion of a wealthy, free and independent press.”

Vincent Peyrègne (44) is very familiar with WAN-IFRA, which was created by the 2009 merger of the World Association of Newspapers and the research and technology organization IFRA. He will be dedicated to developing new strategies and approaches for WAN-IFRA, the global organization of the world’s newspapers and news publishers.

Mr Peyrègne brings 25 years of professional experience in news media to the organization. He has worked in France, Germany, and Switzerland for several national and regional publishers, national and international trade organizations, and the French government. He has held various business positions in advertising, sales and technology, marketing research, consumer insight and innovation divisions.

He is also a former staff member of IFRA, having joined in 1997 to found IFRA South West Europe in Paris, and IFRA Ibérica SL in Madrid, the IFRA subsidiaries in charge of French and Spanish speaking countries. His first office was located at the World Association of Newspapers facilities in Paris. As a result, Mr Peyrègne gained insights into both associations. Later Mr Peyrègne worked for Edipresse Publications in Lausanne as head of Development and Marketing Research, before joining the office of the French minister of Culture and Communication, responsible for the “états généraux de la presse”, the French government’s response to the economic difficulties facing the newspaper industry.