LONDON, 2 February 2022
The British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) has announced the appointment of Tim Pollard, group digital editorial director at Bauer Media, as its 2022 chair, succeeding Hattie Brett, editor of Grazia.
Tim Pollard and Hattie Brett
Tim Pollard will be supported by vice-chairs Deborah Joseph, European editorial director, Glamour, and Jaimie Kaffash, editor of Pulse. Together they lead the committee of 15 leading British magazine editors and editorial directors who run the society and plan each year’s events.
Tim Pollard said: “The magazine publishing world is changing at breakneck pace – with digital disruption, new technologies and the small matter of a global pandemic revolutionising how we work and connect with our audiences. The BSME is uniquely placed to help senior editorial staff navigate this new landscape and our events, awards and socials are designed to help members stay ahead of the curve.
"Today’s editors are expected to be brilliant journalists, designers and people managers, have a nose for an exclusive and deliver unique, compelling content perfectly aligned to audience (and commercial) need. The publishing sector is changing fast, but I firmly believe that quality storytelling will never fall out of fashion and that magazines which carve their own niche will prosper long-term.
"The BSME exists to support editors and help them succeed. We provide networking for advice and inspiration; training opportunities to learn and hear how others have innovated; awards to recognise the best talent in our sector; and regular events, comms and benefits to serve our membership. We are an inclusive society for all modern editors – print and digital, whether you’re specialising in words, design, social or production. The BSME is run by editors, for editors and I’m thrilled to be taking over the reins from Grazia editor Hattie Brett. I would like to thank her for running the society so brilliantly in what has been a challenging year for all of us.”
The BSME is the only society exclusively for print and digital magazine editors and their teams in the UK. The society’s role is to support, represent and inform editors of all disciplines and its mission statement is 'Championing Editorial Excellence’. It acts as a forum for editors to meet, exchange ideas and educate, via industry functions, awards and social gatherings. The society runs an events programme throughout the year, including two highly respected sets of awards: the BSME Talent Awards in the summer and the main BSME Awards, for editors and art directors, in the winter.
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About the BSME
The BSME is the UK’s only society for digital and print magazine editors and senior editorial staff. In its 43-year history the BSME, supported by a wealth of editorial talent, has championed editorial excellence, and been a resource provider and a place of support – all working towards the goal of supporting the vibrant British magazine industry.
Members of our society edit the top consumer, professional, customer and B2B print and digital brands across a wide range of markets, including titles as diverse as Fabulous, Cocoa, BBC Science Focus, WIRED (UK), Top Gear, olive, Time Out, GQ, Dezeen, Marie-Claire, Empire, Estates Gazette, Stylist, Kookie, Grazia, FourFourTwo and Eye.
Since the pandemic triggered lockdowns and more home-working, the society has embraced new platforms and channels to engage with its members. In 2021 we talked with Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president ofMeta, and learned lessons from Paul McNamee, who explained how The Big Issue flipped its publishing model in a post-pandemic world. We held virtual events with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Lorraine Candy, our Mark Boxer Award winner, and Dylan Jones, giving his first interview since his departure from GQ. We filmed the Talent Awards at the London Edition Hotel, with Anita Rani as our co-host and guest presenters such as Misan Harriman, UK Vogue cover photographer.
We continually strive to increase awareness of the BSME and are committed to bringing people from all backgrounds and sectors of the magazine world together in an ever-changing environment.
Tim works at Bauer Media, the UK’s biggest magazine publisher, where he leads the digital editorial teams in the automotive division. A life-long motoring journalist, he started on daily newspapers before switching to magazines, working at many of the leading car titles, including What Car?, Autocar and CAR magazine.After a brief stint at Microsoft running MSN Cars, Money and Technology, he became fully digital and now works with online and print teams at Bauer. In 2020 Tim was named Editorial Director of the Year at the BSME Awards.
Tim Pollard, group digital editorial director at Bauer Media
You can reach him at: tim.pollard@bauermedia.co.uk
@TimPollardCars
