Lena K Samuelsson entered as publisher in 2018 after a long career at Schibsted and has, during these years, successfully managed Aftonbladet through several global challenges– a pandemic, but also a demanding advertising market, recession and rampant inflation.
As Editor-in-Chief and CEO, she has ensured that Aftonbladet has a solid digital business and has been able to continue to strengthen its position as the Swedish people’s primary news destination, by developing award-winning journalism and taking big steps forward in live, video and podcasts – and last year also in AI.
“It has almost been 35 years since I first stepped into Aftonbladet. Since then, I have been night manager and news manager, editor-in-chief at SvD, group director at Schibsted and had a lot of other exciting assignments. Then, being able to come home to Aftonbladet again has been incredibly nice. I’m grateful for all the opportunities I have been given at Schibsted and look forward to continuing to contribute, both within the group and outside. But now I want to give myself a new and slightly freer professional life, says Lena K Samuelsson.
Siv Juvik Tveitnes, EVP Schibsted News Media, states that a newspaper legend is now leaving Aftonbladet.
“Lena has been an important part of Schibsted as long as I have worked here. It is almost impossible to imagine a Schibsted without her. She is a strong leader and a role model for many of us who have worked with her. During our years together in News Media, Lena has done a fantastic job with Aftonbladet during a very demanding time. She has taken the media house through a transformation in an impressive way and ensured that it is in a very strong position to face the future,” says Siv Juvik Tveitnes.
Lena K Samuelsson will remain as Editor-in-Chief, CEO and responsible publisher until a new publisher has taken over and started the job, which is expected to happen sometime in the spring. The process of finding a successor has already begun.
“Aftonbladet is, and must continue to be, Sweden’s primary news destination. That requires a publisher who can balance the journalistic and the commercial, but who is also an experienced and good leader,” says Siv Juvik Tveitnes.
A broad journalistic grounding combined with commercial experience and drive are therefore important prerequisites, together with an understanding of technology, digital strategy and product development.
Aftonbladet’s future publisher will also be a key person in the management of the new media group, Schibsted Media, which is now under construction, partly because Aftonbladet is the largest news site in the Nordics, but also because Sweden is a strategically important home market for Schibsted Media.
