Head of Media Ringier AG and CEO of Ringier Media Switzerland, Ladina Heimgartner has been elected President of World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA) at the World News Media Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.
According to a report on WAN website, Heimgartner succeeds Fernando de Yarza López-Madrazo, President of Henneo Media, elected President of WAN-IFRA in 2019.
“WAN-IFRA is the leading global media association. It is home to 3.000 publishing companies and has an essential role in defending the freedom of the press, sharing knowledge, facilitating dialogue and ensuring that our collective voice remains strong and clear. I feel very honoured to chair this wonderful organisation”, Heimgarther said in response to her election.
“Media plays a vital role in shaping our global narrative. Facing the mostly uncharted future, it is crucial that we, as an industry, stick together, keep on fighting for the freedom and right to seek and tell the truth, that we learn from and support each other,” said added.
The new president has been a member of the Group Executive Board of Ringier AG since February 2020 and, as Head Global Media, is responsible for Ringier’s media business at Group level. She has been CEO of Ringier Media Switzerland since September 2023.
From October 2020 to October 2023, she was CEO of the Blick Group and Head Global Media Unit. From February to September 2020, Ladina Heimgartner was Head of Corporate Center at Ringier AG.
Prior to that, she worked for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR in various roles since 2007. Initially as radio editor, later as head of department and deputy editor-in-chief. In 2011, she set up the Markets and Quality division in the Directorate General of SRG SSR and headed it from then on. In August 2014, she became Director of the Rhaeto-Romanic business unit RTR and, from October 2017, Deputy Director General of SRG SSR.
Ladina Heimgartner studied German and Romansh in Freiburg i. Üe. German and Romansh (lic. phil. I) and also holds an EMBA in Leadership and Management. Ladina Heimgartner is a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Media Association of the Free Press, a member of the Executive Committee of the Swiss Media Association, a member of the Advisory Board of Lucerne Dialogue and a member of the Supervisory and Executive Boards of WAN-IFRA.
READ ALSO: NEW: Nigeria Media Capacity Development Report 2023 released
