Wan-Ifra, the World Association of News Publishers, has announced the election of new members to serve on its supervisory board of directors and the board of the World Editors Forum. Mariam Mammen Mathew from India’s Manorama Online has been elected Wan-Ifra vice-president. David Walmsley from Canada has been confirmed as president of the World Editors Forum (WEF). Pia Rehnquist (Sweden) will join Wan-Ifra’s executive board following meetings held during the 76th World News Media Congress in Kraków on 4 May.
The election of the new Wan-Ifra Board members took place on 4 May 2025, at the annual World News Media Congress, the premier gathering of global media leaders, where over 950 news media executives, editors and innovators from over sixty countries meet for high-level engagement on the future of the industry.
Three new members were elected to serve on Wan-Ifra’s executive board. Mariam Mammen Mathew, CEO of Manorama Online, India, was elected vice-president of Wan-Ifra. David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, Canada, and Pia Rehnquist, business area manager at Bonnier News (Sweden), will join the association’s executive board.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for this recognition from Wan-Ifra. The news media industry is being constantly disrupted by new technologies and it is our responsibility to uphold credibility at all times,” said Mariam Mammen Mathew. “I look forward to working with peers to strengthen our industry, nurture innovation, and ensure that the legacy of principled storytelling continues to reach readers across the world.” she added.
At the same meeting, nine media executives from Belgium, Germany, Kenya, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland and Slovakia were appointed to the Wan-Ifra’s supervisory board.
They include Monicah Ndung’u, chief operating officer – strategy, partnerships & external affairs at the Nation Media Group (Kenya), Jan Svoboda, chief executive officer at News Television TA3, representing the Slovak Print and Digital Media Association, and Chan Yeng Kit, CEO SPH Media (Singapore).
Luciano Stulin, head of International at Ips Group (Germany), president of the DistriPress Advisory Board, and its vice-president, Raphaëlle Casta, sales & marketing director at 7Days Media Services (Switzerland), will represent DistriPress within Wan-Ifra.
Randi S. Øgrey, executive director at MBL (Norway), incoming chairperson of the Wan-Ifra Media Freedom Board, will represent the board within Wan-Ifra. Andreas Gierth, head of production and strategic procurement at Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung (Germany), will represent the Wan-Ifra Printers Forum Board as its newly elected president. François le Hodey, CEO of IPM Group (Belgium) and president of the European Newspapers Association will represent ENPA at the Wan-Ifra supervisory board.
The Wan-Ifra Board and management team extend their deepest gratitude to the five directors retiring from the board for their distinguished service over the past few years: Maximo Garrido, managing director at Corporación Bermont (Spain), Agnes Kalekye, CEO of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (Kenya), Jean-Pierre de Kerraoul, president of Groupe Sogemedia (France), Alexej Fulmek, CEO of Petit Press (Slovakia), and Martha Ramos, chief editorial officer at Organización Editorial Mexicana – OEM (Mexico).
David Walmsley takes over from Martha Ramos, chief editorial officer of Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM), who has led the Forum over the past three years. In line with WEF’s governance guidelines, Ramos will remain a key part of the executive team as deputy president, supporting Walmsley during a transformative era for journalism worldwide.
“It is an honor to take on the presidency of the World Editors Forum at this turning point in history,” said Walmsley. “Journalism has arguably never been more essential—or more under threat. Working alongside editors from every continent, we can thicken our collective line of defense and reinforce a global network that highlights what is truly lost when journalism is attacked.”
Beyond his role at The Globe and Mail, Walmsley is a pioneering figure in global journalism. He is the creator of World News Day, a worldwide initiative that brings together over 800 news organizations across five continents to showcase the value of journalism and how it changes lives and strengthens communities.
Outgoing president Martha Ramos reflected on her term, highlighting the mounting pressures facing the industry, “These past two years have revealed the increasing complexity of our profession. Through the work of our colleagues at the World Editors Forum we’ve witnessed the global impact of the pandemic’s aftermath, the rise of social media, the disruptive force of artificial intelligence, and the spread of sophisticated disinformation campaigns—often driven by powerful interests. The challenges to journalism have grown, but so too have the risks. Efforts to discredit our work and dismantle independent media from the highest platforms are intensifying. Only within the World Editors Forum does one truly grasp the full scale of these threats across every corner of the globe. It has been an absolute privilege to serve.”
It’s encouraging to see representation from Indian media at such a global level. Mariam Mammen Mathew’s inclusion signals the growing influence of regional voices in shaping the future of news publishing.