Ex-Marie Claire Editor Joanna Coles Named Editor of Cosmopolitan
Joanna Coles, the longtime editor of Marie Claire, was named editor-in-chief of the U.S. edition of Cosmopolitan, Hearst Magazines announced Tuesday.
Coles replaces Kate White, who stepped down after 14 years to focus on her writing and speaking career. White will remain at the magazine as an advisor as Coles takes her new position Sept. 10.
"Cosmopolitan is an iconic brand that resonates with women worldwide," Coles said in a statement. "I relish the chance to put my stamp on Cosmo and make it the young woman's ultimate playbook for confidence, choices and navigating change."
David Carey, the president of Hearst Magazines, said Coles was an "ideal choice" but said it would be difficult to replace White, who helped grow the magazine's brand during a period of multimedia expansion.
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"Kate is a huge talent who not only maintained Cosmo's leadership position over the past 14 years but also launched many brand extensions, including Cosmo Radio, bestselling books and a popular tablet edition," he said in a statement. "She leaves big shoes -- or should I say stilettos -- to fill and we have no doubt she'll continue to reach bestseller status in her post-Cosmo career."
Coles, 50, is credited with reinventing the U.S. edition of Marie Claire, a similar women's interest magazine, during her tenure. The September 2012 issue of the magazine had the most advertising pages -- bucking oft-cited trends in the print advertising industry.
Last year, Coles was named Adweek's Editor of the Year and her magazine earned a spot on the trade publication's "Hot List." Marie Claire also won a number of awards for its writing and journalism under her editorship.
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In 2008, Coles produced "Running in Heels," a reality show about the magazine, set in the Marie Claire offices. The show aired for one season on the Style Network and was syndicated to 16 countries.
Before joining Marie Claire, Coles served as executive editor of More between September 2004 to April 2006. Prior to that, she was the articles editor at New York Magazine from September 2001 to August 2004.
The British-born Coles arrived in the U.S. in June 1997 as the Guardian's New York bureau chief. By the next year, she was name New York columnist for the Times of London.
She has been a regular contributor to the BBC, ABC, CNN and MSNBC.
She started her career as a media reporter for the BBC and wrote for the Spectator magazine and the Daily Telegraph throughout the mid-1980s.
Coles graduated from the University of East Anglia in the U.K. She is also the co-author of the book "The Three of Us," a memoir about moving to New York with her husband, screenwriter Peter Godwin. The couple lives in Manhattan with their two sons.
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