The Independent: Two promotions announced

The Independent has announced the promotion of Oliver Wheatley to commercial director in the UK.

Oliver has excelled as first ever trading director added The Independent, a role which he took in 2021. This followed 13 years working across The Independent and Evening Standard.

His new position contains two broad remits – leading both trading and sales – and he is now responsible for driving revenue across the entire UK commercial business, reporting into Andrew Morley, chief revenue officer, added the publisher.

Andrew Morley says: "Oli is The Independent through and through. He is an exceptional operator, and well loved and respected throughout the industry. This promotion could not be more deserved and I can't wait to see what he achieves."

Oliver Wheatley adds: "2024 is going to be a remarkable year for The Independent. It's a privilege to take hold of the commercial reins during an extraordinary time in our story, backed by a brilliantly talented team who are passionate about our unique brand, capabilities and audience."

Meanwhile, in the US, The Independent says Kylie Hamilton-Hill becomes VP, East Coast in recognition of the value she has added to the business since joining three years ago. Kylie will report into Blair Tapper, Senior VP, US.

The Independent says the US is one of its strategic focuses in 2024, as the news title plans to double down on its efforts in one of the world’s largest and most competitive media markets. The publisher says, already one of the top 10 news brands in the US, resources are being built out across editorial, sales, content partnerships, marketing and operations to aid its growth trajectory. One of Kylie's responsibilities will be developing the New York commercial team and opportunities during this critical period.

Blair Tapper remarks: "It gives me great pleasure to see talent such as Kylie being recognised and able to grow within our company. Her immense experience is only matched by her dynamism, and she'll play a hugely important part in achieving our US ambitions."

Kylie Hamilton-Hill comments: “I’m delighted to have been appointed VP, East Coast. Independent values – particularly trust and objectivity – have never been needed more, and it’s essential to back high quality, fully independent journalism in this election year and beyond. I’m looking forward to building even deeper relationships with brands and businesses, and showing what our incredible team can accomplish.”