Frieze Hires Media-Industry Veteran Simon Fox, Its First CEO, to Expand the Company’s Publishing and Fair Empire

Big changes are underway at Frieze, the publishing company and
leading UK art fair. Media veteran Simon Fox has been hired as the
new chief executive of the business—a first for Frieze, which has
previously been led by its co-founders, Amanda Sharp and Matthew
Slotover. Fox most recently held the post of chief executive of
Reach, a British publisher that owns the Daily Mirror and
the Daily Express, among other publications.

It’s a major shift for the nearly 30-year-old art magazine and
fair platform. Sharp and Slotover, who founded the magazine with
Tom Gidley in 1991, will stay involved in the business but are
taking a step back from their current roles as executive
managers. “Their involvement will take on a different shape,”
said a spokesperson for Frieze. “While they will leave the
executive management to the CEO, they will continue to be heavily
involved in the relationships that are so important to the
business, continuing to shape the future direction of Frieze, its
brand and identity.”

The news comes at a time of structural upheaval at the company.
Last summer, Frieze magazine’s editorial director of
more than two decades, Jennifer Higgie, stepped down, moving to the
position of editor-at-large. She is succeeded by former senior
editor Andrew Durbin, who took up his new position this month.
Then, in September, Frieze’s parent company, Endeavor, made the
surprising move to postpone its highly
anticipated IPO. Back in 2016,
the media-and-events conglomerate had purchased a reported 70
percent stake in Frieze, though the company constitutes only a
silver of Endeavor’s overall holdings.

“I am delighted to be joining Frieze at such an exciting time,”
said Fox in a statement. “I look forward to working with the team
to build on the quality and expertise that has been created over
the last 28 years. It is an honor to be entrusted with this iconic
brand and to further grow its presence in the market.”

At Reach, Fox oversaw major acquisitions and grew the company
into the UK’s largest digital news publisher. He previously held
senior posts at HMV Group and Guardian Media Group. He stepped down
from Reach in July of last year after seven years at the helm of
the company.

“We feel very fortunate to have Simon join the team and have
very much enjoyed getting to know him,” Slotover and Sharp said in
a statement. “He brings intelligence, sensitivity, and wide-ranging
experience, and is as passionate as we are about quality and
innovation. We feel confident that he will provide excellent
leadership and are looking forward to working with him in this next
phase of Frieze’s development.”

The incoming CEO, who takes up the post on April 2, will helm
Frieze’s various publications, including Frieze,
Frieze Masters, and Frieze Week, as well
its art fairs in London, New York, and, most recently, Los
Angeles. He will also oversee Frieze Studios, a media production
platform, and its performance program Frieze Music.

Sam Zussman, co-president of IMG’s media and events business, a
subsidiary of Endeavor, said that Fox’s “ability to manage
businesses that require respect for editorial integrity and
artistic freedom will be a valuable complement to our global Frieze
team.”

The post Frieze Hires Media-Industry Veteran Simon Fox, Its
First CEO, to Expand the Company’s Publishing and Fair Empire
appeared first on artnet News.