Ex-Business Insider president Hansen joins Babbel

Julie Hansen, who left Business Insider as president at the end of last year, has joined language app company Babbel as its CEO.

She writes, “Business Insider was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Back in 2008 I was employee #5, joining three talented writers and a visionary CEO in a tiny shared startup space in New York’s ‘Silicon Alley.’ Over the course of the next eight years, we grew BI into the largest and most exciting business news site on the planet with 380 employees, six offices, 13 international editions, and more than 100 million monthly readers.

“It was an incredibly valuable experience, most of all the privilege of working with CEO & Editor-in-Chief Henry Blodget, a hero of journalism and my friend for life. As COO, I had the chance to assemble and collaborate with a terrific team of colleagues across every facet of the company. I loved marching into battle with them every day.

“In 2015 Axel Springer SE, Europe’s largest publisher, acquired the remaining shares from BI’s investors. Axel Springer values high-quality journalism and embraces innovative digital business models, making it an ideal home for BI. And working with my new German colleagues reminded me of something important: I love learning new skills and experiencing new cultures. With BI in a good place, it was time for me to return to my entrepreneurial roots.”

Read more here.