Following his role as Editor-in-Chief and CEO at Aftenposten, Hansen has been leading Schibsted’s strategy work within the digital media market, identifying new, global opportunities. Now, after more than 30 years in Schibsted, Hansen has decided to seek new challenges.
“We are sad to see Espen Egil leave Schibsted, and he will always be a part of the family,” says Kristin Skogen Lund, CEO of Schibsted. Hansen has held leading roles in the company for many years, both as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Aftenposten, and Editor-in-Chief and Executive Digital Editor at VG Multimedia. In his latest role in Schibsted as Director of New Media Concepts, he has been leading the Group’s strategy work looking at internationalization of digital media concepts.
“Espen Egil has been central to the development of VG as a digital platform, and as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Aftenposten, he ensured a sustainable digital subscription model. Creativity, entrepreneurship and digitization are keywords describing his career at Schibsted,” says Skogen Lund.
The area Hansen has been responsible for most recently is impacted by the corona crisis and hence the conditions for the project as a whole have changed. “I fully understand that it is more exciting for him at this point to look for new challenges. I wish him all the best and look forward to following him, no matter where and what the next chapter in his career will be,” says Skogen Lund.
As he embarks on his new chapter, Hansen says he will build on the experiences of the digitization of VG, Aftenposten and Schibsted. “I have been leading digital innovation and transformation for 20 years and want to build on this experience. The development the media industry has been through; with the emergence of digital subscription models, platformization, and more direct dialogue with the customers, will surely reach other industries as well. I have many thoughts and ideas around this, and will spend the next few months exploring the opportunities they may bring.”
In addition to an impressive career in Schibsted starting as a photographer at VG, Hansen has been deeply involved in the development of digital journalism and sustainable business models for media houses internationally. He is the Vice President of the International News Media Association (INMA). He has also previously served on the Norwegian Editorial Association’s main board and chaired the board of digital business paper E24.
“For me, it is really exciting to start something new again. I think 54 is a perfect age for just that. This is of course also an emotional moment for me. It’s hard to imagine a better workplace than Schibsted has been over the last decades. Whether you are talking about the corporate management team, VG, Aftenposten, FINN.no or our start-up companies, there are so many ambitious and knowledgeable employees. As the socially engaged person I am, it has been very meaningful to pursue both journalism and help secure journalism’s place in the future during these years. I will miss my everyday life with my Schibsted colleagues, and am incredibly proud of what we have created together,” Hansen concludes.