Fortune Media has blazed a trail in corporate gender equality, announcing Anastasia Nyrkovskaya as its new Chief Executive Officer - the first woman to hold the position in the iconic 95-year-old business media brand's history. Prior to taking up the CEO mantle, Nyrkovskaya worked at Fortune for five years, serving in integral positions such as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
Nyrkovskaya steps into the shoes of outgoing CEO Alan Murray, who revealed his plans to step down in October last year. Since then, Murray has been mentoring Nyrkovskaya to seamlessly navigate the leadership transition. The organization has been an independent media company since 2019, when Fortune split from Meredith Corporation, departing from its historical connection with Time Inc.
Before joining Fortune, Anastasia held senior positions in finance and accounting at NBCUniversal, XpresSpa Group, and KPMG. Her responsibilities at NBCUniversal included managing M&A activities and performing due diligence for significant acquisitions such as MSNBC.com, The Weather Channel, and the creation of Hulu. She had important financial roles at NBCUniversal, working with its various subsidiaries including cable TV, theme parks, and film studios. Anastasia launched her career in audit and transaction services at KPMG.
An essential part of Fortune's digital metamorphosis and business model diversification, Nyrkovskaya led the expansion of the media company beyond traditional magazine publishing into more dynamic digital spheres. This transformation also incorporated a global expansion of the Fortune brand, thereby increasing the scope of its editorial coverage and the size of the newsroom. Her tenure as Chief Financial Officer witnessed Fortune posting three successive years of profits through 2023, and her role as Chief Strategy Officer piloted the growth of Fortune's offerings, promoting the expansion of lists and conferences in Europe and Asia.
Nyrkovskaya's leadership played a significant part in broadening Fortune's events and editorial franchises in Asia. The company recently hosted a fully booked Fortune Innovation Forum for senior business and policy professionals in Hong Kong. In June, Fortune will unveil the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 List spotlighting the largest 500 companies in the region. July will see the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference taking place in Singapore.
Outgoing CEO Alan Murray praised Nyrkovskaya, stating: “As Chief Strategy and Finance Officer, Anastasia has steered Fortune through three years of profitable growth—almost unheard of in the legacy magazine business." He highlighted her appreciation for Fortune's journalism, iconic lists, and high-calibre executive communities. He added, "She has helped lead Fortune's transformation into a profitable global multi-platform media company and is the right person to lead it into its second century.”
Incoming CEO Anastasia Nyrkovskaya reaffirmed her faith in Fortune's journalism and its brand. She expressed her excitement at the prospect of driving focus and growth in journalism and business as Fortune continues to expand globally. Alyson Shontell, Editor in Chief, echoed Nyrkovskaya's sentiments, emphasising the latter's supportive role in transforming Fortune's newsroom into an all-digital news operation and enhancing its enterprise reporting.