Change Is Good: Entrepreneur Middle East Has A New Editor-in-Chief Our consistent readers and our friends in the entrepreneurial ecosystem -both online and offline know us as the "real talk" medium. That transparency extends to shifts in direction and to changes in the existing team and setup.
By Fida Chaaban
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
We've always prided ourselves on transparency and frankness at Entrepreneur Middle East. Our consistent readers and our friends in the entrepreneurial ecosystem - both online and offline - know us as the "real talk" medium. That transparency extends to shifts in direction and to changes in the existing team and setup. This month, I'm happy to announce some positive and much-needed structural realignment. To begin with, Aby Sam Thomas, previously Managing Editor, will be replacing me as the Editor-in-Chief. Some of you, especially those from the ecosystem, already know Aby well as he and I pretty much co-manage every part of our business and all of the verticals we have. He will be taking over as Editor-in-Chief as of next edition, and I couldn't have made Entrepreneur what it is now without him. (Aby, this doesn't mean our #socialmediawar is over. The fray continues…) I'm also announcing that on a corporate level, Wissam Younane has been appointed as CEO of BNC Publishing, our parent entity. Wissam, for us, has been part and parcel of the advancement of the Entrepreneur brand since inception. He has pushed me harder and further than any of you can imagine- he is (and was) the catalyst behind all that we are today. Some of you already know Wissam from his online and offline ecosystem participation, and in the coming year you'll be seeing much more of him. (Wissam, I am proud to have worked with someone who sees his business as limitless, even if you ignore my calls 10-15 times per day. I'm still going to call you, so don't turn off your ringer.)
To the entrepreneurial ecosystem: I appreciate that we, as Entrepreneur, were immediately considered worth inclusion in the community. Your faith in our brand, and your faith in my direction for our brand, is what made my position as the founding Editor-in-Chief worth every second. It is with your support that I was able to take Entrepreneur Middle East from being a media outlet, to acting as an integral member of the region's ecosystem. I didn't want to be representing just another publication, I wanted to actually do something. And we did, thanks to you.
To my loyal readers: I have exponential gratitude for your loyalty and for your conviction. Pictures of the magazine, screenshots of articles, constant feedback online and offline- all of this is what any Editor-in-Chief hopes for (but rarely gets). You, readers, have shared our content, acted as brand advocates, taken part in our events, and promoted every aspect of our work. This relentless boost has kept me going as the head of this magazine, and I send you all my deep thanks.
Finally, the question: why am I leaving? It's very simple. We advocate innovation. Advocating innovation, by default, means that we should constantly innovate as well. We also advocate things like shifting corporate structures for agility, and never just "resting' during periods of success. To be more innovative, agile, and active during this period of our immense success, it's time for someone new to inject fresh perspective and personality into our medium. I've given Entrepreneur my all, and now our readers deserve more. I'll be staying on as a contributor, of course, and this will also allow me to explore different avenues of writing that I couldn't during my tenure as Editor-in-Chief. Wissam, together with Aby, will give you more of what you deserve as a loyal audience and friends of the brand- a new voice and a renewed vigor for entrepreneurship. And that's what this brand is really about: I'm happy that I can confidently say that Entrepreneur is as agile and as forward-thinking as any SME or startup out there. To keep this momentum, and to give our valuable supporters what they deserve, this venture will change when and if change is needed. Would you expect anything less from us? I hope not.
I look forward to staying in touch with you all via Twitter!
See the announcements about Aby's and Wissam's new roles over at The Media Network by clicking here and here.
