The former Sunday Express editor and Northern editor of the Daily Express has had a Fleet Street career spanning more than 50 years.
He has been chairman of the society’s parliamentary and legal committee since 2002. Francesca Unsworth, head of newsgathering for the BBC has been nominated as vice-president.
Their unanimous nominations by the society’s board to succeed Donald Martin, editor of Scotland’s Sunday Post, are subject to approval by the society’s annual meeting in Glasgow in November.
If members agree, Unsworth is destined to follow Esser next year and become the society’s second woman president and second president from broadcasting. She joined the SoE board in 2009.
Current SoE president Donald Martin said: “The society’s board reflects our members who are fiercely competitive but in the society’s key task of defending media freedom, freedom of expression and the public’s right to know there is complete unanimity. Government ministers and others will know that when the society raises its voice it will have a powerful message from across the media.”
After grammar school and Oxford, Esser started as a casual at the Daily Sketch and Sunday Express in 1957 following National Service with fellow Yorkshireman Michael Parkinson as an Army press officer during the Suez crisis.
His first staff job was at the Daily Express, he later edited the William Hickey column and headed up the Express New York bureau.
Leading a staff of 600, Unsworth is responsible for providing live coverage and news packages to all BBC News outlets across television, radio and the website.
Born in North Staffordshire she studied Drama at Manchester University. She joined BBC local radio in 1980 in Bristol before moving to network radio. She became the BBC’s Home News Editor in 1998.
Former Daily Telegraph managing editor Sue Ryan has been nominated to succeed treasurer Pat Pilton who is retiring from the board.
Ryan has had a long career in regional and national newspapers and now runs the Daily Mail trainee reporters' scheme and works as a consultant to The National in Abu Dhabi. She is a member of the council of the Journalists' Charity.
Regional representation on the society’s board is also being strengthened by the nomination of Ian Murray, editor of the Southern Daily Echo, Southampton, and Editor in Chief for Newsquest's publications in Hampshire, as a new board member. Alan Qualtrough editor of the Western Morning News and Regional Editorial Director of Northcliffe’s daily papers in the Southwest has been nominated to rejoin the board.
Chris Elliott, former managing editor and now Readers’ Editor of the Guardian has also been nominated to join the society board.
Essser said: “After 13 years of the last government when we saw legislation reducing the freedom of the press we now face a new government and new challenges to that pillar of democracy.
“The Society of Editors must be at the forefront in the fight to restore and protect media freedoms as it represents all sides of the mainstream information providers - broadcasting, local, regional and national newspapers. I am privileged to be asked to head up this struggle.”
Unsworth said: “I would be honoured to undertake the role of vice president for the society which plays such a key role in sustaining the freedom of the media in the UK.”
Donald Martin added: “Robin and Francesca will make a formidable combination and the proposed new board members will enhance representation from the regions and across the range of national newspapers.”
Former presidents Paul Horrocks and Nigel Pickover, long serving training committee chairman Peter Cole and Tony Watson will also be retiring from the board at the annual meeting.
Martin said: “They have all made huge contributions to the successes of the society’s first decade.”
