Today’s announcement that impreMedia CEO and founder John Patton has left the company to become the CEO of the Journal Register Company is causing some in the industry to question what is really going on at impreMedia, publisher of some of the most prestigious dailies and weeklies in the country, including La Opinion. For the past several years Patton had spearheaded efforts to transform Impremedia to an increasingly Web first news platfrom. Former Univision COO Mike Wortsman has been named as interim CEO of Impremedia until a replacement for Mr. Paton is identified.
Manny, change always causes some confusion and questions to be raised but let me state the facts.
I am going to the Journal Register Company but I will remain as CEO of impreMedia until the end of January. I will continue to be a member of the Board of Directors of impreMedia and I will continue to be an investor.
We on the board have started a search for a new CEO and have brought in a brilliant media executive in Mike Wortsman to act as interim CEO. Mike, as you know, was a senior exec at Univision.
No secrets here. I was presented a new opportunity and after nearly 7 years I thought it was time to move on. ImpreMedia is a solid and growing company. As an investor, I am putting my money where my mouth is. Best regards, John.