How Alyson Shontell became editor in chief of Business Insider

Jürgen Schönstein profiled Business Insider editor in chief Alyson Shontell for Inside Axel Springer magazine.

Schönstein writes, “For three months, Alyson worked almost everywhere simultaneously. “I was writing stories even at night.” The editorial staff grew and so did the editor’s responsibility. She wrote as a reporter about start-ups, led the tech department, then joined the science, lifestyle and entertainment departments. Her stories about Facebook, the driving service Uber or the spectacular crash of the e-commerce platform Fab.com were clicked several hundred thousand times. Appearances at CNN, MSNBC and other television stations followed.

“At the beginning of 2016, when it became apparent that Blodget – in his role as global BUSINESS INSIDER Editor-in-Chief and CEO – wanted to fill the post of head of the US editorial team, Alyson Shontell was ready. ‘But initially, he didn’t want to give me the job,’ she recalls. He first wanted to see what she could do. Alyson Shontell became managing editor of TECH INSIDER – today a BUSINESS INSIDER channel for technology topics, which is clicked about half a billion times a month. Four months later, Blodget was certain that this young woman, then barely 30 years old, was the right person for the job. ‘It wasn’t easy, of course, being so young. And you can tell I’m young. Unlike men, I can’t just grow a beard,’ she says laughing. But there are no problems concerning respect from her colleagues: ‘I have been there practically from the very beginning. When it comes to experience with BUSINESS INSIDER, I’m ahead of the field.'”

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