AOP appoints Alison Reay in new co-chair arrangement

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The chair of the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) will now be shared between two co-chairs – each overlapping for a six month period, Simon Waldman, who has held the post for two years, told the AOP's Digital Publishing Summit yesterday.

Alison Reay, the Telegraph Media Group's digital media director, will overlap with the current chair - the Guardian Media Group's Simon Waldman -  for six months, before Mike Seery, chief information officer at the Economist, joins her for her final six months.

Reay told Journalism.co.uk at yesterday's seventh AOP annual summit, that the move reflects the 'absolutely inclusive' nature of the AOP and will allow future chairs to balance the role with work commitments.

Closing the conference, Alison Reay said she was delighted with her appointment and that delegates should leave the event 'with a unique perspective you can take back to your businesses'.

The AOP is also looking for a replacement for its director Ruth Brownlee, who announced her departure in September . In his opening speech, Waldman joked that her resignation was for 'genuine family reasons'.