Mr Howell, who will take up his new role on 12 March, is the director of finance at the London Stock Exchange Group.
He is also non-executive chairman of FTSE International Limited.
Alun Cathcart, chairman of Emap, said: "I am delighted to welcome Jonathan to the board. His breadth and depth of experience in both financial and UK plc board matters will be a great asset and we look forward to working with him."
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