Immediate appoints new Food MD and People Director

Thursday 4 May, 2023

Immediate Media Co announces the appointment of Jessica Norell Neeson as Managing Director of its market-leading Food Portfolio and David Reay as People Director, as it strengthens its leadership capabilities in two key strategic business areas. Jessica will have responsibility for Immediate’s Food Group, the UK’s largest food media portfolio including BBC Good Food and olive, and Nutracheck, the UK’s leading subscription-based weight management and dietary improvement platform, as Immediate looks to accelerate its growth in the food and health sectors through continued digital expansion, new product development, partnerships and strategic M&A.

With 20 years’ experience leading consumer digital businesses, Jessica joins Immediate from Barclays UK, where she was Managing Director Customer Propositions, leading the development of new products, features and solutions across retail and digital to improve customer experience and engagement. Jessica previously held senior commercial, customer and product-centric roles at Paddy Power, running large businesses focused on improving multi-channel customer engagement, loyalty and experience, as well as strategy roles at Vodafone and Bain and Company.

“I’m really excited to join Immediate and their market-leading food portfolio. I am passionate about delivering results through great customer experience and I’m looking forward to continue to grow the food portfolio and its strong team.”

Jessica Norell Neeson, Managing Director of Immediate’s Food Portfolio

David Reay joins Immediate as People Director taking a strategic lead on people development, culture, ED&I and talent management, reporting to Jo Brandl, Chief People Officer. David will head up Immediate’s People Team, incorporating the HR, Internal Events, Learning and Development, ED&I, Facilities, Talent Acquisition and Communications functions.

With a passion for driving diversity, talent development and creating environments where people flourish, David has over 15 years of senior HR and People leadership experience. David joins from Condé Nast, where as SVP for People, Editorial and Entertainment, he led the people function for the global editorial and entertainment divisions, across journalism, creative, digital, film and TV. David has also previously held senior People leadership roles at TikTok, Sony Music, RSA and BAE Systems.

“I’m delighted to be joining Immediate; a truly people-centric business. People and innovation are my passions, which are aligned with Immediate’s, and I can’t wait to be a part of the next stage of Immediate’s journey as they continue to invest in their people to drive their future growth.”

David Reay, People Director

Sean Cornwell, Immediate’s Platforms CEO, says: “We’ve got ambitious growth plans at Immediate, to further extend our reach, engagement and content offer over a range of platforms, products and services, whilst continuing to invest in creating a supportive and exciting working environment. The appointments of Jessica and David strengthen our leadership capabilities in key areas for us, as we look to develop our food and wellness portfolio and continue to attract and retain the best talent to Immediate.”

Jessica and David will both join Immediate’s Leadership team.