By: Joe Strupp Hearst Newspapers President George Irish announced today he will leave his post, according to an e-mail he sent this morning to employees that was obtained by E&P.
Hearst Corporation confirmed the change in a release this afternoon, stating Steven Swartz had been named to replace him. Swartz will also become a senior vice president of Hearst Corporation.
Irish will become vice president and eastern director of the two Hearst Foundations, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation of California and The Hearst Foundation Inc. of New York, which are independent entities and separate from the Corporation, the release stated.
The announcements were made by Frank A. Bennack Jr., vice chairman and CEO of Hearst Corporation, and will be effective Jan. 1, 2009.
Swartz, 46, has been executive vice president since 2001.
Commenting on the announcement, Bennack said: ?The world of newspapering is undoubtedly changing and Hearst is at the forefront of building new models that will transform the way we do business. Steve, alongside George, has been instrumental in forecasting and implementing the changes we have to make to be successful in the future. I congratulate Steve and thank George for his many contributions to the Corporation during his nearly three decades with Hearst Newspapers. We wish him well in his new role at The Hearst Foundations.?
"Irish, who will turn 65 in February, has successfully led Hearst Newspapers since 1998," the release said. "Under his direction, the Group invested in operations and expanded its journalistic enterprise both in print and online."
Irish's memo follows:
***
December 10, 2008
Dear Colleagues,
I wish that I could be visiting with you in person at this time, but an email communication will have to carry my message. A formal announcement from Corporate Communications will be released later this morning.
Today, during the Hearst Board meeting, we will announce my retirement from the Hearst Corporation.
I will be turning over the responsibilities of Hearst Newspapers to the very capable Steve Swartz. Steve and I have now toiled together in newspapers and yellow pages directories for eight years. I am very pleased that Steve will lead this division and he is more than ready to do so. Most of you know Steve well, in fact, he has hired many of you and fostered most of your careers.
My relationship with many of you goes back to 1979, when the Midland Daily News became a Hearst Newspaper. In fact, for a few of you, it goes back even further. Very soon after that acquisition I was quoted as saying that I hoped to spend my career with Hearst.
Well, that is what I have done and I leave very proud of all of you and the great work that you do day-in and day-out. Whatever success we achieved over the last 29 years, we achieved as a team.
While I will continue my relationship with Hearst, it will be in a different capacity. My wife, Jeannie, and I are looking forward to this next chapter.
Thank you for your leadership and friendship.
***
The resignation comes months after former Hearst CEO Victor Ganzi resigned "over policy differences with the board of the privately held media company," a Hearst announcement said at the time.??
Hearst's properties include the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Albany Times-Union, Cosmopolitan magazine and 29 television stations.
Hearst's formal biography on Irish states:
Irish was appointed to his current position in January 1998. Hearst Newspapers, with 6,800 employees across the nation, publishes 16 dailies and 49 weeklies.
Irish's previous position was as vice president and group executive for Hearst Newspapers, a post he held since 1993. Irish joined Hearst in 1979 with the acquisition of the Midland (Mich.) Daily News, and since has held several executive positions with Hearst Newspapers.
He has served as publisher of the Midland Daily News (1980-1982); the Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram (1982-1984); the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise (1984-1988); and the San Antonio (Texas) Light (1988-1993).
Irish is a graduate of Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.
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