As widely reported, Postmedia Network Canada Corp. has announced that Andrew MacLeod has been named the company’s new chief executive officer, part of a succession plan that will see longtime chief executive Paul Godfrey remain with the company as executive chairman.
In the wake of the changeover, Media in Canada did an interview with MacLeod. Some highlights of the interview included:
“We have a lot of data points, we know how to activate on them, and we’re really digitally savvy,” MacLeod says. “We’re not that legacy dinosaur, and I think that’s getting across.”
“Back in 2016 after the recapitalization, I think the investor group that came in wanted to ensure stability. Paul has a certain gravitas, and they wanted to lock him down for sometime.”
But MacLeod, who joined the company in 2014, was upped to COO in 2016 and then added the duties and role of president in 2017. That, he said, was part of a “natural progression” that ensured a smooth transition.
Although it’s been a smooth transition internally, MacLeod admitted there’s some mental baggage involved. “Paul and I worked together very closely the last few years, and we’ve always been hand-in-glove on pretty much everything. But shifting the mental posture is a big one. You’re no longer anyone’s wing. Every decision, you’re accountable for. You’re now the person signing off, and the buck stops with you.”
“Very little is going to change”, MacLeod says, in terms of the company’s strategy going forward. A well-articulated plan was established several years ago, says MacLeod, who has often spoke about the plans to extend Postmedia’s “legacy runway” while it gains momentum on its digital operations.
