Digital publishing, Industry News

Barry McIlheney 1960-2025
Barry McIlheney was a tireless advocate for the publishing industry, for the magazine brands it encompasses and the talented journalists who bring them to life.
Digital publishing, Industry News
Digital publishing, Industry News
Neil Dickson will head up Immediate’s SEO and Audience Development team, part of the wider Customer Marketing & Subscriptions department, with a central focus on acquisitions, conversion rate optimisation and upper funnel customer journeys.
Dickson has extensive experience in digital marketing and analytics and was most recently Director of SEO at Hearst UK, where he built a successful SEO and affiliate team across 20 lifestyle brands, including Good Housekeeping.
Dickson says: “Joining Immediate at this pivotal moment in search, AI, and digital publishing is a privilege. As search engines rapidly transform and generative AI reshapes content consumption, we need agile and innovative strategies. I’m excited to help lead that shift for Immediate’s market-leading brands as we focus on discoverability, relevance and long-term audience growth.”
Immediate’s Chief Commercial Officer, Christina Hawley, adds: “Neil brings a proven record of delivering successful SEO strategies for major consumer brands. His expertise will be invaluable in shaping our approach as search transforms in the AI era, accelerating our customer marketing capabilities to become a truly customer centric business.”
Barry McIlheney was a tireless advocate for the publishing industry, for the magazine brands it encompasses and the talented journalists who bring them to life.
This year’s conference takes place on Thursday, 3 July, at 1 Wimpole Street, London, and PPA CEO Sajeeda Merali and Seedelta CEO Chris Duncan will be joining the speaker line-up.
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