Former A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc has been officially announced as the new CEO of Vice Media. Founder and former CEO Shane Smith will move into a role as executive chairman.
Smith said that the hiring of Dubuc will put Vice Media in position for the next phase of growth.
“Why Nancy Dubuc? Simply put, because rarely in business do you get to work in a perfect partnership. First off, she is better than me at everything,” Smith said in a statement. “Second, it allows me to move to executive chairman, where I can concentrate on the only things that I am good at—content and deals. Thirdly, as we go forward Vice need a best-in-class management team to harness all of this growth and control our own destiny, whether it be staying independent, strategically partnering with someone or going public. Lastly, I get to work with one of my best friends and media heroes. We are a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde and we are going to take all your money.”
“Shane and the team at Vice have done what all of us aspire to do—build a brand and make content that people really care about. Vice speaks to a generation that defines today’s cultural conversation, and the opportunity to partner with all of the incredibly creative people across the entire company was one of those rare moments in a career. As the next chapter of media is written by founders such as Shane and Suroosh, it’s an honor to join a brand with such tremendous opportunity and I look forward to growing the platform for decades to come,” Dubuc said in a statement.
RELATED: A+E Networks CEO Dubuc leaving company in April
Dubuc officially announced her departure from A+E on Monday after about 20 years with the programmer, where she helped shape brands including A&E, History and Lifetime.
In 2015, Dubuc oversaw A+E’s investment in Vice and the launch of Viceland, Vice Media’s linear TV channel. Dubuc is also a board member at Vice Media.
Last year, Vice Media publicly apologized after reports surfaced detailing allegations of sexual harassment at the company. As a result, earlier this year Vice suspended president Andrew Creighton and chief digital officer Mike Germano.