Editor of The Observer, John Mulholland, will become editor, Guardian US. John has been editor of The Observer since 2008, having joined the paper as deputy editor in 1998. A new Observer editor will be appointed in early 2018.
Guardian US editor Lee Glendinning is to become the Guardian’s executive editor for membership, based in London. Lee was appointed editor of Guardian US in June 2015, having been deputy editor since 2014. She has held senior roles at the Guardian in the UK, US and her native Australia, where she helped launch Guardian Australia in 2013.
Executive editor for membership Natalie Hanman is to become assistant editor, leading work on new initiatives relating to the mission of the Guardian, as outlined by editor-in-chief Katharine Viner in her recent essay. Natalie has led membership for the Guardian since January 2016, having previously edited the Guardian’s opinion site, Comment is Free, for five years.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, Guardian News & Media said: “John Mulholland has forged a powerful identity for The Observer as the paper of ideas and intellectual discourse, at the forefront of the debate over Brexit and with strong opinion writing, coverage of foreign affairs, culture and technology. He will bring similar insights, originality and verve to our Guardian US edition.
“Under Lee Glendinning’s editorship of Guardian US we have published award-winning investigative projects and produced a compelling digital edition during one of the most extraordinary news periods in recent memory, encompassing a Trump election campaign and the first year of his presidency. Having led Guardian teams and got to know Guardian readers across three different continents, Lee is the ideal editor to take Guardian membership to an exciting new phase.
“In just two years Natalie Hanman has taken Guardian membership from a small-scale concept based on events with 12,000 members to a major part of the Guardian’s future with over 800,000 supporters. Natalie's innovative work has helped us to build meaningful relationships with readers and to begin the reinvention of the Guardian’s business model. Her strong understanding of the Guardian’s role in society will be vital in helping to develop the Guardian’s mission in 2018.
“These senior appointments will help to shape the future of Guardian journalism and will be critical to the success of our strategy. I'm delighted that John, Lee and Natalie will be taking on these crucial roles.”
John Mulholland said: “Editing The Observer has been a dream job for the last ten years, and it’s of course hard to leave the fiercely talented, loyal and good humoured Observer team, who I will watch with great fondness from afar. I am incredibly excited by the opportunity to lead Guardian US’s distinctive and original reporting."
Lee Glendinning said: “Leading Guardian US has been an immense privilege in a period of huge political and social turmoil. We have established a distinctive voice and brand for the Guardian in the US, with millions of loyal readers. Reader relationships are crucial to the Guardian’s future, and I’m thrilled to take on the responsibility of working with colleagues across the Guardian globally to develop our membership plans.”
Natalie Hanman said: "It has been a privilege to get to know the Guardian's readers better and work with them, as well as colleagues across the organisation, to enrich our journalism and build a sustainable future. I am now looking forward to working with Katharine Viner to bring the ideas set out in her recent essay to life."
All three appointments will take effect in spring 2018.
