Johannesburg - Media24 has announced that Andreij Horn is the new head of South Africa’s largest digital media company 24.com Digital Media.
Horn, who is currently the chief information officer at Media24, takes charge of 24.com after Geoff Cohen stepped down as 24.com general manager in August 2015.
Media24, in a statement, said that Horn has had a long career with Naspers [JSE:NPN] and Media24.
Horn started his career as a journalist at Volksblad in 1982. He subsequently pioneered the TopAd Shop, the country’s first online advertising booking platform, and CommerceZone, the central procurement platform used in Naspers’ South African companies.
Horn also has a MA degree from the University of the Free State and obtained his MBA from the University of Cape Town in 1999, where he was honoured with the Bain Prize for ecommerce.
“Media24 is focusing all its attention on further expanding its digital media operations and Andreij’s appointment signals the fact that we’re bringing in the big guns,” said Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman in a statement.
“Andreij has that rare combination of editorial expertise, business acumen, technological know-how and entrepreneurial drive. He is exactly what we need to lead 24.com at a very exciting time in Media24’s digital expansion,” said Weideman.
Meanwhile, Horn said he was looking forward to his role as 24.com head.
“This is the most challenging time in the history of digital media with the convergence of high technology, like machine learning and artificial intelligence, and a relentless demand from users for simplicity,” said Horn.
“We are focused on attracting and retaining the best talent, particularly engineers, and working with our advertising and commercial partners to find innovative ways to be really useful to our mutual markets," Horn added.
24.com has 1.6 million unique users per day and 7.7 million daily page views across all its news and lifestyle channels.