Zach Leonard has been promoted to the post of Chief Executive Officer at Independent Digital News & Media, Ltd. (IDNML) As CEO for The Independent, Leonard will give more emphasis on its digital expansion especially among its North American crowd . The Independent has its largest market in the U.S and its digital growth is already amazing there.

Leonard will build a new structure and plan for the success of its  Advertising, Licensing & Syndication and Reader revenue lines that include foreign language licensing including the launch of Arabic, Turkish, Urdu and Farsi licensed sites earlier this year. Leonard will work closely with the company’s Chairman  John Paton

Leonard joined The Independent and The Evening Standard in 2010 as Managing Director of Digital. He’s driven record audience and revenue growth for the two titles’ digital channels, with both Independent .co.uk and Standard .co.uk  holding the position of fastest growing quality news websites in the UK in recent years. In 2016, he led the business transformation of IDNML, following the closure of The Independent newspaper and sale of the i newspaper to Johnston Press. IDNML is the only digital pure-play, truly independent, profitable quality news business in the UK and US.

Evgeny Lebedev, owner of IDNML, commented, “Zach has been an integral part of The Independent as it has become a leading digital news title in the UK, US and across the world. I am confident that his new position will allow him to continue innovating and take us even further.”

Zach Leonard commented, “It has been a tremendous privilege to lead The Independent’s digital transformation so far. I look forward to extending the brand’s influence and commercial success in new territories, languages and channels in years to come.”