Standard CEO Exits After Eight Months to Join Immediate
•February 16, 2026
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Why It Matters
Riley’s transition highlights the accelerating talent shift from traditional newspapers to diversified digital media groups, underscoring the urgency for UK publishers to innovate revenue streams. It also reflects broader industry consolidation and the need for cross‑brand audience strategies.
Key Takeaways
- •Riley leaves Standard after eight months for Immediate.
- •Immediate creates portfolio MD role to drive digital growth.
- •Standard's website to be outsourced to Independent Media.
- •CEO turnover highlights volatility in UK newspaper leadership.
Pulse Analysis
Tamar Riley’s departure from the Evening Standard after just eight months underscores the rapid pace of change in Britain’s newspaper industry. Riley, who arrived in July to spearhead the paper’s digital transformation, previously spent nine years at Refinery29, where she built audience‑first revenue models. Her new title as portfolio managing director at Immediate places her at the helm of a diversified media group that owns Good Food, Knowledge, and entertainment brands. The move signals a shift from legacy print leadership to a broader, multi‑platform growth mandate.
Immediate, founded to aggregate premium lifestyle titles, is betting on cross‑brand synergies and subscription‑based revenue streams. By appointing a leader with a proven track record in audience development, the company aims to accelerate content diversification across podcasts, video, and e‑commerce. The role also tasks Riley with aligning editorial, commercial, and technology teams to unlock new product opportunities, a strategy that mirrors the broader industry push toward digital‑first business models. As advertisers demand measurable engagement, Immediate’s focus on data‑driven growth could set a benchmark for mid‑size publishers.
For the Standard, Riley’s exit coincides with the planned outsourcing of its website to Independent Media, a move that may streamline costs but also raises questions about editorial independence. The leadership churn highlights the volatility of CEO tenures in UK newsrooms, where financial pressures force rapid strategic pivots. Meanwhile, Immediate’s expansion could intensify competition for audience attention, prompting other legacy titles to reassess their digital roadmaps. Observers will watch whether Riley’s cross‑portfolio expertise translates into sustainable subscription growth and whether the Standard can maintain its market relevance amid these shifts.
Standard CEO exits after eight months to join Immediate
The Standard‘s CEO Tamar Riley is leaving the title eight months after joining the paper, stepping into a newly created role with Good Food publisher Immediate.
Riley has been appointed portfolio managing director at Immediate, leading food and wellness, knowledge and entertainment brands. She will join the business in March.
Riley will also develop growth strategies across editorial, commercial and audience, and develop new product and revenue opportunities. She will work with brand leadership teams, as well as product, commercial and technology teams.
[Read more: Why UK mag giants have teamed up to offer digital advertising at scale]
Her exit at the Standard, where she has led the business since July, comes as editorial and commercial staff on the newsbrand’s website were recently told they could be transferred to the owner of The Independent.
The proposed outsourcing of the website to Independent Media will take effect from 1 March, staff were told. Riley joined the Standard at a time the paper was aiming for “significant digital growth”.
The Standard’s last permanent CEO before Riley was Charles Yardley, who held the role between 2020 and 2023 and has since moved to Dubai to take the same role at the Khaleej Times.
Prior to landing the role of CEO at the Standard, Riley was global managing director at Refinery29 for three years. She was with Refinery29 for a total of nine years, with other roles including VP global audience and content strategy (also overseeing fashion title i-D Magazine during Refinery29’s Vice Media ownership), VP international audience and director of marketing and audience development.
Riley said she is joining Immediate at a “pivotal moment”, adding: “With its portfolio of powerful, trusted brands and a strong focus on innovation and digital growth, there’s a clear opportunity to evolve how we engage audiences and create value. I’m looking forward to shaping what’s next and driving sustainable growth across the portfolio.”
Sean Cornwell, Immediate CEO, said: “We’ve got ambitious plans to accelerate growth across our portfolio, driving deeper engagement for our brands through new content offers across multiple platforms, growing our subscriptions base and developing new partnerships and commercial opportunities to diversify and grow our revenues.
“Tamar has a fantastic track record of delivering successful audience, transformation and revenue strategies, alongside a commitment to quality content and we’re really looking forward to her joining the team.”
The post Standard CEO exits after eight months to join Immediate appeared first on Press Gazette.
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