New publisher for The Weekender

Karen Bonsall, newly appointed publisher of the The Weekender

Bonsall, who joined the company in 1990, held sales positions on Financial Mail and management positions on Business Day before her appointment as GM: sales for the BDFM group in 2001. She took on the additional responsibility of GM of The Weekender in May 2007. The newspaper was launched in March 2006 and BDFM reports “dramatic” growth in terms of readership, brand recognition, as well as advertiser confidence.

Comments Bonsall, “My role is to manage and oversee the commercial business performance of the product and ensure the publication reaches its targets.”

Identifying and leading new projects

Her focus will include identifying and leading new projects, and she will also work closely with the executive editor of The Weekender and the editor of Business Day on matters that cross commercial and editorial issues. She stresses that the smooth inter-relationship between the various components of the newspaper – editorial, sales, marketing, research, circulation, and production and printing – is vital to the success of the product.

“Karen was at the centre of The Weekender even before it was born, and there are few people at Avusa House more passionate about the publication than she is,” says BDFM MD Mzi Malunga. “She has constantly acquitted herself well in her previous positions and I have no doubt she will do the same in her new role.”

Further appointments

As a result of the move, Bonsall's deputy Pule Molebeledi has been promoted to the position of GM: sales of BDFM. Molebeledi has held several senior positions, including political editor of Business Day and sales manager of the newspaper.

Molebeledi says, “Holding this position means being ultimately responsible for sourcing advertising revenue for the entire organisation. It is a responsibility that promises gratifying success and rewards if one crafts and executes a winning sales strategy in the saturated, competitive and highly fragmented media landscape”.

Also joining the team is Eben Gewers, who took on the role of deputy GM: sales from 1 February. Gewers has extensive sales experience both within the BDFM group and outside. As the business manager of Financial Mail, he played a pivotal role in driving sales revenue which saw dramatic increase, indicating eminent advertiser confidence. The amount of surveys and corporate profiles FM has produced have tripled over the last fiscal, indicating that clients are seeing a benefit from this type of marketing.