Business Insider editor in chief Nicholas Carlson sent the following to the staff on Tuesday:
Team!
Something I hope you know about me is that I believe life is an adventure. That we only have so many heartbeats and we should use them to live life to the fullest.
In that spirit, I’ve decided to make a very big change in my life: Later this summer, I will be stepping down from my position as Global Editor-in-Chief. Our CEO Barbara Peng will lead the search for my successor.
One thing to make clear: My move has nothing to do with any criticism of our journalism. Every year I’ve been in this job we’ve published journalism that, though fair, has left very powerful people mad at us. That’s a fact of journalism, and that’s never going away.
After a new Editor-in-Chief is in place, I will stay on as “Editor-at-Large.” I’ll be around and available to chat, and I will write a bit for the site. I’m also excited to work with our parent company Axel Springer on some upcoming projects.
Longer term, I’m looking forward to creating something new. Maybe another company. Maybe another book. Maybe something I haven’t even dreamt of yet. I’m eager to talk to lots of smart people and start a new adventure with some of them.
And now is a good time — we’re doing some of the best work we’ve ever done. Our video and investigations teams just won our first National Magazine Award to go with our Pulitzer Prize. Our reporting led to a new law in Virginia. The biggest show on television is based on our story and stars our correspondent. We have a newsroom full of editors I would want to write for and reporters changing the global conversation.
And our future is bright. We have a clear editorial strategy. We know who we are for. We are back to Business Insider – a brand that everyone knows and that our target audience loves.
All this is just the start. You all have incredible things ahead of you. You just need to stay persistent. Take ownership. Be creative. Seek out the kind of failure that just means you’re trying hard and aiming high.
Listen to your ambition and follow through on it.
I am so grateful for the time that we shared. Yes, for your work, which I could go on and on about, but also for your wonderful human presence in my life: your curiosity, your smarts, your humor, your toughness, your kindness, your courage.
I’m grateful to Barbara for her partnership over the past couple years. I’m grateful to Mathias Döpfner and the Axel Springer team, for their investment and belief in what Business Insider can be. I am grateful to BI’s first COO, Julie Hansen, and to Henry Blodget, a wonderful, inspiring boss-turned-mentor and friend.
All right. It’s not goodbye yet. We’ve still got time together, and I plan to relish it.
So let’s get back to work!
Ever yours,
Nicholas Carlson
Global Editor-in-Chief
