Hearst UK has announced the appointment of John Athanasiou as Director of People & Culture. Athanasiou will be responsible for designing and implementing the People strategy across its business.
With over 30 years of HR leadership experience having worked across both large corporations, including HarperCollins and Time Warner, as well as start-up scale-ups, Athanasiou specializes in developing inclusive people strategies and fostering positive cultures that drive growth.
As Director of People at HarperCollins, Athanasiou was part of the leadership team that achieved 11 consecutive years of year-on-year EBITDA growth during a period of transformation. He brings a wealth of expertise spanning organizational design, leadership development, DE&l, employee experience and talent acquisition. Athanasiou has also been recognized with a number of industry awards in areas of Company Culture, DE&l and Learning & Development.
Katie Vanneck-Smith, CEO of Hearst UK, said: “John has a proven track record of fostering positive cultures conducive to innovation and high performance. He is an accomplished, commercially savvy leader and I’m excited to have him join our business.”
John Athanasiou commented: “Hearst UK is a media powerhouse with a portfolio of world-famous brands and incredible people, and I’m looking forward to working with such a strong foundation. By continuing to invest in our culture and further optimizing our talent, we can make Hearst UK a standout business, admired for its heart and focused on delivering long-term growth.”
