– USA, NY / VA – New Media Investment Group Inc. (NYSE: NEWM) and Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) announced today the expected members of the Board of Directors for the combined company, effective upon completion of the proposed acquisition of Gannett by New Media.
The Board will have nine members, including Michael Reed as Chairman, five independent directors from New Media, and three directors from Gannett:
• Michael Reed, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer – Mr. Reed will serve as Chairman of the Board. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of New Media since its spin-off in 2014 and served in the same capacity for its predecessor company, GateHouse Media, Inc., dating back to January 2006. He has also served as Chairman of New Media’s Board of Directors since May 2019. Mr. Reed has a deep understanding of New Media’s operations, strategy and people, as well as its industry, as he has served in senior executive capacities in the newspaper and publishing industries for over twenty years.
• Kevin Sheehan, Lead Independent Director – Mr. Sheehan has a more than 30-year career leading large corporations, including as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of publicly-traded companies. He brings extensive financial and accounting expertise in addition to significant senior management skills. He joined the New Media Board at its inception and also served on the Board of Directors of GateHouse from October 2006 to November 2013.
• Mayur Gupta, Independent Director – Mr. Gupta is the Chief Marketing Officer at Freshly, a growing food-tech company. He brings over twenty years of digital marketing and technology experience across a range of industries, including media-services, healthcare, and consumer goods. He joined the New Media Board in October 2019.
• Theodore Janulis, Independent Director – Mr. Janulis served in executive leadership roles across financial services companies for over twenty years, including CRT Greenwich LLC, Aurora Bank FSB and Lehman Brothers. He brings significant financial background, expertise and senior management experience, including serving as Chief Executive Officer of two companies. He joined the New Media Board in January 2014.
• John Jeffry Louis, Independent Director – Mr. Louis has served as Chairman of Gannett’s Board of Directors since Gannett’s spin-off in June 2015. He was the Co-Founder and former Chairman of Parson Capital, private equity and venture capital firm. He brings financial expertise and substantial experience in founding, building and selling companies.
• Maria Miller, Independent Director – Ms. Miller has a more than 30-year career in innovative marketing and digital communications. She brings marketing and communications leadership spanning a diverse set of industries, including consumer products, financial services, e-commerce, travel, hospitality and cruising. She joined the New Media Board in October 2019.
• Debra Sandler, Independent Director – Ms. Sandler has served as the chair of the Gannett Board’s Nominating and Public Responsibility Committee since Gannett’s spin-off in June 2015. She is the President and Chief Executive Officer of La Grenade Group, LLC, a privately-held consulting firm advising on marketing innovation and business development, and previously held executive positions at Mars, Inc., Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo. She brings entrepreneurial skills in addition to more than thirty years of leadership skills across consumer products and marketing.
• Laurence Tarica, Independent Director – Mr. Tarica was President and Chief Operating Officer of Jimlar Corporation, one of the oldest footwear companies in America, until its sale in 2010. He brings experience across sourcing, design, development, sales and marketing in addition to senior leadership and board experience. He joined the New Media Board in 2014.
• Barbara Wall, Director – Ms. Wall has served as the Chief Legal Officer of Gannett since its spin-off in June 2015 and also served as its interim Chief Operating Officer in 2019. She previously held various other positions with Gannett’s former parent, where she worked for thirty years. She brings extensive First Amendment and legal expertise in addition to a deep knowledge of Gannett and its history and operations.
“The new Board will bring a strong understanding of the media industry and our legacy companies, as well as significant finance, digital, marketing, and business development expertise,” said Michael Reed, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of New Media. “I look forward to working with such a diverse and talented group of individuals, helping to lead the combined company into a stronger future.”
Subject to the receipt of the requisite approvals from Gannett and New Media stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, the proposed acquisition is expected to close shortly following the New Media and Gannett special stockholder meetings, which are currently scheduled for November 14, 2019. After the closing of the transaction, both New Media and its operating subsidiary GateHouse will be rebranded and operate under the “Gannett” brand. The combined company will be headquartered in McLean, VA, with a continued corporate presence in existing locations.
About New Media Investment Group Inc.
New Media supports small to mid-size communities by providing locally-focused print and digital content to its consumers and premier marketing and technology solutions to our small and medium business partners. The Company is one of the largest publishers of locally-based print and online media in the United States as measured by our 154 daily publications. As of June 30, 2019, New Media operates in over 600 markets across 39 states reaching over 21 million people on a weekly basis and serves over 200,000 business customers.
For more information, visit www.newmediainv.com.
About Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. is an innovative, digitally focused media and marketing solutions company committed to strengthening communities across its network. With an unmatched local-to-national reach, Gannett touches the lives of more than 125 million people monthly with its Pulitzer-Prize winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Gannett brands include USA TODAY NETWORK with the iconic USA TODAY and more than 100 local media brands, digital marketing services companies ReachLocal, WordStream and SweetIQ, and U.K. media company Newsquest.
For more, visit www.gannett.com.
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