Mediahuis Ireland names its next chief executive 

Sheena Peirse is currently chief customer officer with the company which owns the 'Irish Independent' and 'Sunday Independent' newspapers

Peter Vandermeersch (left), chief executive of Mediahuis Ireland, with incoming chief executive Sheena Peirse (right). Ms Peirse previously held senior roles in UK broadcast media, including ITV and Channel 4.

Mediahuis Ireland, the owner of the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent newspapers, has appointed Sheena Peirse as its new chief executive to replace outgoing Peter Vandermeersch.

Ms Peirse is currently chief customer officer with the company. Prior to joining Mediahuis Ireland in 2019, she held senior roles in UK broadcast media, including ITV and Channel 4.

“I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time for our organisation and for journalism,” Ms Peirse said. She will take up the position on October 1.

Chief executive of the Mediahuis group Gert Ysebaert said Ms Peirse has “demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision in her role as chief customer officer” and her “deep understanding of both editorial and commercial strategy makes her uniquely positioned to lead Mediahuis Ireland into its next chapter”.

Prior to taking on the role of chief executive of Mediahuis Ireland, Mr Vandermeersch worked as editor-in-chief of De Standaard and NRC.

Mr Vandermeersch will transition to the new role of Mediahuis Fellow ‘Journalism and Society’ which the company said will see him focus on “keeping the group’s journalistic mission relevant, acting as a unifying force in an increasingly polarised society and making the value of journalism more visible”.

In addition to Ireland, Mediahuis has operations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia. It employs nearly 4,500 people and has an annual turnover of €1.39bn.