El País Editor Dismissed Amid Shareholder Battle at Prisa
Pepa Bueno's removal marks a significant change in the leadership of Spain's prominent newspaper amidst internal turmoil.
Pepa Bueno, the director of the Spanish daily El País, has been dismissed as tensions escalate within the Prisa media group's board of directors.
Bueno, who had been in her position since 2021, was removed on June 4 without a detailed explanation, although the board indicated that a new phase was being initiated for the influential Spanish-language newspaper.
Under her leadership, El País reportedly attracted over 400,000 subscribers and expanded to six editions in the Americas.
Joseph Oughourlian, a French financier and the principal shareholder through his investment fund Amber Capital, which holds a 29.9% stake in Prisa, announced the leadership change.
Bueno was noted as the only woman to lead a major newspaper in Spain.
She has been succeeded by Jan Martinez Ahrens, the former head of the American editions of El País, who is 59 years old.
Oughourlian emphasized Ahrens' experience in the American market as crucial for regaining the newspaper's prominence in a time characterized by significant global geopolitical developments.
This leadership shift occurs in a climate where Oughourlian has been accused of maneuvering to remove journalists perceived as too supportive of the Spanish Socialist government, reflecting a period of transformation and potential conflict at one of Spain’s most important media institutions.
Bueno, who had been in her position since 2021, was removed on June 4 without a detailed explanation, although the board indicated that a new phase was being initiated for the influential Spanish-language newspaper.
Under her leadership, El País reportedly attracted over 400,000 subscribers and expanded to six editions in the Americas.
Joseph Oughourlian, a French financier and the principal shareholder through his investment fund Amber Capital, which holds a 29.9% stake in Prisa, announced the leadership change.
Bueno was noted as the only woman to lead a major newspaper in Spain.
She has been succeeded by Jan Martinez Ahrens, the former head of the American editions of El País, who is 59 years old.
Oughourlian emphasized Ahrens' experience in the American market as crucial for regaining the newspaper's prominence in a time characterized by significant global geopolitical developments.
This leadership shift occurs in a climate where Oughourlian has been accused of maneuvering to remove journalists perceived as too supportive of the Spanish Socialist government, reflecting a period of transformation and potential conflict at one of Spain’s most important media institutions.