Time Editor Picked To Lead Harvard Business Review

Amid layoffs throughout the print media industry, at least one publication is hiring.

The Harvard Business Review has chosen Adi Ignatius, a deputy managing editor at Time Magazine, to be its next editor-in-chief, its publisher announced Tuesday. The post had been vacant since June.

Ignatius, who will begin in his new position on Jan. 19, said he welcomes the opportunity to educate a growing audience.

“I look forward to working with Harvard Business Review’s staff and authors to build on the magazine’s great editorial legacy and to create content that’s newly relevant and accessible to today’s global business audience,” Ignatius said in a statement.

The Business Review focuses on management issues and is well known in the business community for introducing new ideas in the field.

At Time, Ignatius oversaw the magazine’s business and international coverage. He previously worked as the editor of Time Asia and as a bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal.

In recent months, Time has significantly shrunk its newsroom in order to cut costs.

With new leadership, the Business Review, founded in 1922, is planning changes to adapt to the increasing importance of online resources. According to a statement, the magazine’s Web site will be redesigned in the coming weeks and it will begin offering an online-only subscription.

According to colleagues, Ignatius is well liked and respected at Time.

Elaine Shannon, a former Time correspondent, said that the Business Review is lucky to have him.

“He is a smart editor, very creative, and he can meet a deadline,” Shannon said.

In an e-mail to Time staff announcing Ignatius’ departure, Managing Editor Rick Stengel praised his “encyclopedic knowledge that spanned everything from international affairs to popular culture.” Shannon said that one of Ignatius’ greatest strengths is his ability to use his knowledge to improve stories.

“He is so facile in the way he makes them all relevant,” Shannon said. “He is an asset for a distinguished publication.”

—Staff writer WIlliam N. White can be reached at wwhite@fas.harvard.edu.