Who What Wear and Marie Claire owner set to lose CEO

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Sep 20, 2022

Zillah Byng-Thorne, the chief executive of specialist media platform Future, is preparing to step down in 2023 after eight years in charge. Byng-Thome has told company chairman Richard Huntigford she plans to retire from the Marie Claire publisher and owner of the US-based fashion/beauty platform WhoWhatWear in the second half of next year.

A formal search for her replacement has begun by Huntingford and observers expect there to be some high-profile media applicants, a Sky News report said.

Her announcement coincides which her appointment as deputy chair of online reviews platform Trustpilot with City insiders expecting her to replace chairman Tim Weller in due course.

She also has extensive experience as a director of other listed companies, including online health and beauty products retailer THG, from which she resigned this week.

However, a spokesperson for Future said that the company did not "comment on speculation" about the future of its CEO.

The news of her departure coincides with Future announcing it was encouraged by its climbing audience numbers and that it expects full-year results to 30 September to hit the top end of expectations at around £271 million.

Future said it has seen a return to organic audience growth in the second half, “as Covid comparators were fully lapped”.It also cited continued digital advertising growth and an improving trend in affiliates, “underpinning the resilience of our diversified business model”. 

As a result, the group expects full-year adjusted operating profit to be at the top end of market expectations when Future releases its FY22 results on 30 November.