The Walrus Foundation is pleased to announce the promotion of Jessica Johnson to the new combined role of Executive Editor and Creative Director of The Walrus.
Jessica, formerly Senior Editor and Creative Director of The Walrus, has extensive magazine, book, and newspaper editing cred as well as expertise in strategic communication and design.
In her previous lives, Jessica distinguished herself at roles as varied as Senior Editor at Azure, Copy Director at Hudson’s Bay, Books Editor at Saturday Night magazine and the National Post, Deputy Editor at Fashion Quarterly, and Chase Producer at CBC TV. Jessica has won a Gold National Magazine Award and her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Lucky, Elle, Reader’s Digest, the Journey Prize Anthology, and, yes, The Walrus.
In this new role, Jessica will oversee art and editorial content on all platforms, and will join the senior management team. Jessica will continue to work collaboratively with the outstanding existing senior editorial and art team, headed up by Deputy Editor Carmine Starnino, Managing Editor Samia Madwar, and Design Director Paul Kim, and ably supported by Senior Editor Hamutal Dotan, Editors Harley Rustad, Daniel Viola, Viviane Fairbank, Lauren McKeon, Senior Designer Meredith Holigroski, and all Walrus staff and Fellows.
“We’ve retired the role of editor-in-chief and have created a new role—Executive Editor and Creative Director—to reflect what the organization needs now,” said Shelley Ambrose, Executive Director of the Walrus Foundation and Publisher of The Walrus. “As we approach the 15th anniversary of The Walrus in 2018, we are so lucky to have Jessica—a seasoned editor with eighteen years of broad experience in managing resources and people—already in our midst. Jessica has been and will continue to be a passionate steward for The Walrus brand as a whole while continuing to push this unusual animal in Canadian publishing to try new things, do more, do it better, to spark conversation, to provoke thought, to embrace what is complicated, and to ensure The Walrus remains best in class on all platforms.”
“At an important time in Canada’s history, when our conversations have never been more rich and varied, I am honoured to lead the country’s strongest presence in independent journalism,” said Jessica Johnson. “I look forward to strengthening our relationships with readers and writers, and to increasing the range of diversity among our contributors—all with a highly committed, professional team.”
