Joanna Coles is moving up in the Hearst Corporation—four floors up, that is. After serving as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine for the past six years, Coles will be taking over as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan.
Hearst, the corporation that owns both magazines, announced today that Coles will be replacing current editor, Kate White, beginning September 10. After 14 years at Cosmo, White has decided to leave her post to focus on her writing and speaking career. However, she will be staying on as an advisor until the end of the year.
For David Carey, the president of Hearst Magazines, Coles was an obvious choice as White’s successor—there is just no denying her successful track record.
Since she became editor-in-chief of Marie Claire in 2006, Coles has helped reinvent the magazine and improve its visibility. In 2011, she was named Adweek’s Editor of the Year, and in 2012, she served as the on-air mentor for Project Runway All Stars.
Coles has also aided in the redesign of Marie Claire’s website, which has been revamped three times in the past three years. It’s no surprise then, that Coles has already said that her first goal as editor will be to increase Cosmo’s online presence.
Although Coles is 50-years-old, she is excited to take on the challenge of working with Cosmo’s “fun and fearless” audience.
“Cosmopolitan is an iconic brand that resonates with women worldwide,” Coles said at a press conference earlier today. “To be able to take over the flagship edition is both a huge challenge and an incredible opportunity. 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.”
Although Cosmo’s stories are typically more sex-related than Marie Claire’s fashion based content, Coles has no fear—she’s going into the job ready to laugh and learn.
“It’s very important to have a sense of humor when you edit a magazine — at Cosmo, it is much raunchier. I have a lot of learning to do,” Coles told the New York Times. “There are 365 sex positions of the day here and one of them is called the linguine.”
Anne Fulenwider will replace Coles at Marie Claire. Fulenwider currently serves as editor-in-chief of Brides, another Hearst magazine.