Sajeeda Merali appointed PPA chief executive

The Professional Publishers Association (PPA) has announced the appointment of Sajeeda Merali as its new chief executive officer. She will take up her new role on 3 September.

Merali joins the PPA from the New Statesman Media Group, where she serves as chief revenue officer. In this role, she helped develop and drive new revenues around high-value digital opportunities for the business, in addition to launching a commercial strategy for new brands in highly competitive markets.

Prior to that she was the commercial leader of the Insider Publishing Division at Euromoney PLC, and held senior positions at Incisive Media, including group sales director and director of marketing solutions, where she was influential in driving cultural and strategic change.

“Sajeeda really impressed the recruitment panel with her energy, communication skills and passion for transformation in publishing,” Tom Bureau, PPA Chairman, and Immediate Media Co Executive Chairman, said.

“She brings highly valuable experience of being in the trenches of change, and championing a vibrant, successful sector. Importantly, Sajeeda is passionate about organisational change, driving innovation, and committed to diversity, equality and inclusion, which will be vital as we develop a new vision for the PPA around engaging deeply with specialist communities.”

Reporting to the PPA Chairman and Board, Sajeeda will be responsible for the development and implementation of a transformational agenda for the PPA and its members, championing new and emerging commercial models, promoting the publishing industry to a broad range of stakeholders, as well as accelerating and championing the PPA’s work to improve and promote diversity and inclusion across the industry.

Merali said: “I am hugely excited to be appointed CEO of the PPA and to be given the opportunity to advocate for an industry that I feel so passionate about. Especially at this point in the transformation curve, bringing together individual and collective experiences has never been more important.

“As a leader from the sector, I have a keen understanding of the challenges of today and the pace at which publishers are having to adapt. I’m honoured that the Board of the PPA is allowing me to drive this new phase in its mission of advancing the UK’s publishing industry.”