Politico Media Group announced Monday that Goli Sheikholeslami, formerly the CEO of New York Public Radio, will become its new CEO. She will succeed Patrick Steel, who stepped down last year.
Sheikholeslami oversaw NYPR for two years. Prior to that, she worked for a variety of outlets, including the Washington Post, Chicago Public Media, Conde Nast and Time Warner.
In addition to becoming CEO of the news group, she will become chair of the shareholder advisory board of Politico Europe. She served on the board at NPR from 2016 to 2019 and is currently on the board at Patreon, a subscription platform for artists.
“What I admire most about Politico is the tenacity that underpins the organization’s fearless, fact-based journalism and its successful business model,” Sheikholeslami said in a statement. “With this strong foundation, no other media organization is better positioned for growth, and I look forward to working with such a talented group of journalists and professionals to write Politico and Protocol’s next chapter.”
Jan Bayer, president of news media for Politico owner Axel Springer, said in a statement, “Goli’s track record is defined by growth, innovation, and a commitment to high-quality journalism. With her vast experience and aspiration, Goli was by far our top choice for the role and will further our vision to build the global news and information leader on politics, policy, and regulation in power centers across the world.”
Axel Springer acquired the Politico media group — which also includes Protocol — last August for more than $1 billion, expanding the German publishing giant’s stateside portfolio after a 2015 acquisition of Business Insider and the 2020 acquisition of a controlling stake in Morning Brew.