SCMP Appoints Gary Liu as New CEO

HONG KONG, Nov. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- South China Morning Post Publishers Limited, Asia's leading media company, today announced the appointment of Mr Gary Liu as the incoming Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Mr Robin Hu, effective 3 January 2017. As previously announced, Mr Hu will step down from SCMP's helm and continue to lend credence as a member of the SCMP Board of Directors.  

Mr Liu's appointment marks an important cornerstone for SCMP as his digital expertise and vision will lead SCMP to reach new heights in the global media marketplace. Under his direction, SCMP will leverage its acclaimed editorial strength to further expand the company's news division, as well as its advertising, magazines, education & recruitment, events & conferences and contract printing businesses.

Mr Liu, 33, has helped shape the narrative of how media touches people's lives in his previous capacities at notable digital pioneers in the US, including Digg, Spotify, Google, and AOL. He joins SCMP from his recent CEO position at Digg, a New York-based online content aggregator. He guided Digg's product innovation in data-driven content curation, steering business operations and strategic development, among other elements of the company. He was Chief Operating Officer at Digg before becoming CEO in October 2015. Prior to joining Digg, he was Head of Labs at Spotify, the music technology platform, from November 2013 to February 2015, spearheading business strategy, incubation, industry intelligence and research. He also led Spotify's advertising operations as Global Director of Ad Product Strategy for two years starting in November 2011. Before Spotify, Mr Liu oversaw sales and revenue strategies and operations in various roles at AOL, Clickable and Google from 2007 to 2011. He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Harvard University and speaks English and Mandarin.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Gary as the next Chief Executive Officer of the SCMP. Our readers expect SCMP to maintain its editorial excellence while staying relevant in the face of technology disruption," said Mr Joe Tsai, Chairman of the SCMP Board of Directors. "As an influencer and innovator in digital media and someone with roots in Greater China, Gary is the perfect fit to take SCMP's vision -- coverage of Greater China from an Asian perspective for a global audience -- to the next level and show our readers the future of news in the age of mobile and social media."

Mr Tsai continued, "Under Robin's leadership, SCMP has transformed itself from a legacy newspaper to a respected digital media company, always staying true to its core values of quality, integrity and trust. I want to thank Robin for his five years of stewardship and look forward to his continued counsel as a board member of SCMP."

Mr Hu, the incumbent SCMP CEO, said, "I'm delighted to hand over the baton to Gary, who brings world-class digital expertise, youthful energy and a grasp of the North American market, all of which are indispensable at this stage in SCMP's journey. As the company navigates the complexities of digital transformation, I am confident that under Gary's leadership, SCMP will become a global platform for serious debate on China, the biggest story of our lifetime."

Mr Liu said, "I am delighted and honored to be the SCMP's next CEO, joining a world-class senior team that will transform SCMP into a leading digital media and news company, while maintaining the paper's legacy of journalistic excellence and independence. We are in a contentious media world where shifting consumer behaviors and platforms are redefining how news is reported, distributed, and discovered. It is both a grand challenge and an exceptional opportunity for the SCMP. I believe that the SCMP is the platform that will bring a balanced and nuanced understanding of Greater China to the world. I am excited to be part of defining how global citizens will learn about China in the future. I am thankful for Mr Hu, under whose leadership the company has continued to grow in influence and aspiration. And I am grateful to Mr Tsai and Mr Jack Ma [Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group] for the opportunity to steward this historic company."

About South China Morning Post Publishers Limited

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, the South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong's internationally recognised English language newspaper and has the city's most affluent and influential readership.

First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Available in print, mobile, tablets and online through scmp.com and e-reader editions, the South China Morning Post reaches a global audience with daily breaking news, analysis and opinion, multimedia articles and interactive forums. The South China Morning Post received over 200 awards in 2015-16 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capabilities. Other titles in the company include the Sunday Morning Post, STYLE, Destination Macau and The PEAK.

Through the joint venture partnership with Hearst, SCMP Hearst publishes the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, CosmoBride, Harper's BAZAAR, Harper's BAZAAR Art, Harper's BAZAAR Bride, Esquire, ELLE, ELLE Men, ELLE Wedding, ELLE Decoration, and ELLE Accessories; and operates Cosmopolitan.com.hk, Cosmogirl.com.hk, Harpersbazaar.com.hk, ELLE.com.hk and EsquireHK.com in Hong Kong.

For further information please contact: +852-2680-8888, communications@scmp.com