Tomas Brunegård, Chairman of the Stampen Media Group in Sweden, has been elected President of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
Mr Brunegård, who was elected to a two-year term during the organisation's annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, succeeds Jacob Mathew, Executive Editor and Publisher of the Malayala Manorama Group of Publications in Kerala, India.
"It is an honour to take the helm of WAN-IFRA and to succeed Jacob Mathew, who should be commended for steering us through two years of industry transition and transformation," said Mr Brunegård. "I look forward to contributing to the development of our industry's multimedia and multifaceted future, and, most importantly, to enhance the WAN-IFRA core mission of defending and promoting press freedom, and the economic independence of news media as an essential condition of that freedom.
"WAN-IFRA takes a unique position in its media development and press freedom work, helping news media develop as sustainable businesses to ensure they can continue to carry out their societal role," said Mr Brunegård, who has been a WAN-IFRA Board Member since 2003 and chairman of its Press Freedom and Media Development Board.
The new president's goals for the organization also include developing a global innovation hub for the industry, increasing cooperation with media industry stakeholders including advertisers, broadcasters, and digital players, developing the organisation's services in growing markets, and strengthening its role in Europe and North America.
The Stampen Group is a fast growing media group and one of Sweden's biggest newspaper owners. It,also includes digital media, printing operations, distribution companies and outdoor advertising companies.
Tomas Brunegård has been a driving force is reshaping the Swedish media market. Before being appointed Chairman of Stampen Group in May, he had served as Group CEO since 2004. Under his leadership, the company has grown to be one of the largest media groups in Sweden.
Mr Brunegård, 50, joined the company as CEO of the flagship Göteborgs-Posten newspaper in 1996. He had previously been Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Burger King in Sweden.
Mr Brunegård is a Board member of the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, the International School of Economics in Tbilisi, Georgia, the University of Gothenburg, Stena Line Holding AB, and Mentor Medier A/S in Norway.
Five new members were also elected to the Board of WAN-IFRA: Alessandro Bompieri,
Managing Director of RCS Quotidiani, Italy, representing the Federazione Italiana Editori Giornali (FIEG); Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director of The Irish Times, representing National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI); Luis Enríquez Nístal, CEO of Vocento, representing the Asociacion De Editores De Diarios Espanoles (AEDE), Spain; César Pérez, President of the Asociación Ecuatoriana de Periódicos (AEDEP), Ecuador; and Dipankar Das Purkayastha, Managing Director & CEO of ABP Pvt Ltd in India, representing the WAN-IFRA Advisory Council.
