New Leader at The Independent: A Fresh Push for Growth

The Independent has tapped Chris Anthony to head its North American division, starting on June 8. He will manage the region’s entire profit and loss, covering both content creation and commercial activities, and report directly to global CEO Christian Broughton. Anthony comes from Gallery Media Group, where he balanced roles as chief revenue officer and chief client officer for the Tamara Group under VaynerX. His past experience includes stints at Group Nine, PopSugar, and The Walt Disney Company. He takes over from Zach Schwartz, who is shifting focus to the company’s philanthropic initiatives. Anthony sees The Independent as a brand with strong trust and editorial credibility but still underutilized commercially. “There’s a huge commercial opportunity that I think is untapped, ” he said, noting the startup energy needed to unlock it.His strategy will lean on his background in lifestyle media, aiming to build new revenue streams around finance, travel, and technology—areas already showing audience growth. Experiential events like SXSW, Art Basel, and Davos are on his radar. Creator‑led journalism will be a key priority: investing in internal talent to grow personal brands and attracting external creators with followings in finance and travel. Anthony believes the brand’s long‑standing infrastructure can support these collaborations. He plans to strengthen social media tactics, using his VaynerX experience to align editorial formats with platform algorithms on YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. While The Independent has a history of bold moves—such as ending its print edition in 2016—it may have less room for experimentation. Under Anthony’s leadership, the company aims to continue pushing boundaries and capitalizing on new opportunities.