Women’s Health publisher Paragon Media has appointed a new editor-in-chief, Lizza Gebilagin (above), who will lead the brand across print, digital, audio and events. Gebilagin was most recently the brand’s executive editor, alongside Jacqui Mooney, who will step down from the role to explore new opportunities.
During her two decades of media experience, Gebilagin has held senior roles across editorial, podcasts and video at iconic titles including Cleo, Dolly, Body + Soul and Women’s Fitness. Over the past three years she has worked closely with Mooney across all Women’s Health initiatives, including the Women in Sport Awards – a passion point for Gebilagin who is a woman in sport herself having competed as a boxer representing NSW at the Australian National Titles, Women’s World Qualifiers and the multi-national Arafura Games tournament.
Gebilagin said: “I’m thrilled to have the honour of leading Women’s Health in Australia, while working closely with the international team at Hearst, and building on Jacqui’s legacy. It’s a great privilege to be entrusted with this much-loved brand. Women’s Health is the trusted source of healthy lifestyle content for women in Australia, and I look forward to creating more inspiring and inclusive content for our amazing community across all touchpoints, while also continuing to advocate for our incredible women in sport.”
Outgoing editor Jacqui Mooney
After relaunching Women’s Heath into the Australian market with Paragon Media earlier this year, Mooney, who has led the brand for almost five years, said:
“It’s been an honour and genuine career highlight to lead the editorial direction of this powerhouse brand since late 2016. Having the opportunity to create ground-breaking covers, launch countless tentpole events and grow Women’s Health from an already strong print product into a multi-platform leader in the health, wellness and sports space with an audience footprint of one million women, has been beyond gratifying.
“With the brand now firmly re-established in the Aussie media landscape, it’s the right time to pass the baton, literally! And there’s no-one I’d rather see lead Women’s Health into this exciting new chapter than Lizza. I look forward to continuing to work with the brand in a new external capacity and know that Women’s Health couldn’t be in safer hands.”
Ian Brooks, CEO of Paragon Media, added: “The collaborative editorship team in Jacqui and Lizza has ensured that Women’s Health has regained its former status as a driving force in the Australian healthy lifestyle media landscape.
“Jacqui has led Women’s Health for a quarter of its existence, seeing its growth into a powerful digital brand, including the history-making television broadcast of the highly regarded Women in Sport Awards in 2018. It’s been a pleasure working with her to re-establish this powerful and highly relevant brand into the Australian market. On behalf of myself and the Health brands, I thank and congratulate Jacqui on her contribution, extraordinary energy and focus and look forward to new and exciting things to come with Lizza at the helm.”
See also: 2021 Reset: Jacqui Mooney on the comeback issue of Women’s Health Magazine