WSJ hires Nessa as global head of visuals

Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker sent out the following announcement on Tuesday:

I am delighted to announce that Shazna Nessa is joining The Wall Street Journal as Global Head of Visuals.

Shazna will lead our graphics, photography and design teams across platforms as we continue to invest in dynamic, sophisticated and visually compelling journalism. She will report directly to me.

Shazna is currently director of journalism at Knight Foundation, where she develops initiatives and grants to support innovation and transformation in the field. She has 18 years of newsroom experience, having started her career in internet technology and interactive design. Previously she was a deputy managing editor at the Associated Press in New York, with oversight of editorial products and innovation, including visual and multimedia storytelling on all platforms. In that role she also helped create AP’s first mobile, social media and data teams. Prior to AP, Shazna worked at Conde Nast Portfolio.com, overseeing design, interactive stories and video for business news.

As we embark on our WSJ 2020 initiative, Shazna will play a central role in improving the visual aspects of our digital publishing and will work closely with colleagues in our product and technology teams. She’ll be a vital contributor at a senior level to the transformation of our newsroom.

Shazna was born and raised in London and has lived in Paris, New York, Palo Alto, Calif. and most recently, Miami. She graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris with a Bachelor of Arts in French and English and was a 2014 John S. Knight journalism fellow at Stanford University.

Please join me in welcoming Shazna to the Journal.