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Montreal, August 22, 2006 – Natalie
Larivière, President of Transcontinental Media, today
announced the appointment of Zouhaire Sekkat as vice president,
digital media. In his new role, Mr. Sekkat will be responsible
for implementing an Internet strategy that leverages Transcontinental
Media’s consumer and print brands and builds deeper
relationships with advertisers and digital users.
“As part of Transcontinental Inc.’s Evolution
2010 business plan, the Corporation’s Media Sector
is actively pursuing a strategy of disseminating its content
across multiple platforms, especially the Internet, to reflect
evolving consumer behaviour,” explained Natalie Larivière.
“Mr. Sekkat’s leadership, drive and experience
make him the ideal candidate to intensify the implementation
of this strategy through this newly created position.”
Prior to joining Transcontinental, Mr. Sekkat worked for five
years at Trader Classified Media, as vice president, Internet
and information systems after being promoted from chief information
officer. Before that, he worked from 1989 to 2001 at IBM France
and IBM Belgium Luxembourg, finishing as executive project
manager, strategic outsourcing, application management services.
Mr. Sekkat holds a Masters in Mathematics from the Université
Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg.
“Transcontinental is offering me an exciting challenge
in an environment I know and love – the Canadian media
industry,” said Mr. Sekkat. “I look forward to
collaborating with Transcontinental Media’s experienced
team of managers to develop its many online properties, and
further leverage the content of one of Canada’s most
prestigious magazine and newspaper portfolios online.”
Since March 2006, Transcontinental Media has announced a number
of developments in its digital strategy. They include a co-publishing
agreement with AskMen.com’s
Canadian version; the acquisition of digital in-store display
company Enixa TV; a new Web TV studio and expanded newscast
service for LesAffaires.com;
a partnership with Pecunia, an industry-leading provider of
webcast and video communication solutions over IP (Internet
Protocol) to corporations, governments and other organizations;
and the launch of its classified ad site in Quebec, merkado.ca.
It also has 23 online versions of its consumer magazines and
47 community newspaper websites across the country, making
it a significant online player in Canada.
About Transcontinental Media
The fourth-largest print media group in Canada, with more
than 3000 employees and annual revenues of $555 million
in 2005, Transcontinental Media is the country’s leading
publisher of consumer magazines and the largest publisher
of community newspapers in Eastern Canada. It publishes the
weekday daily Métro in Montreal, owns a number
of digital business units, and is also, through Publi-Sac,
Quebec’s leading door-to-door distributor of advertising
material.
Transcontinental Media is a subsidiary of Transcontinental
Inc. (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B), which has more than 14,000 employees
in Canada, the United States and Mexico and reported revenues
of C$2.2 billion (US$1.9 billion) in 2005.
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For Information:
Media
Jake Brennan
Media Relations Coordinator
Transcontinental Inc.
Telephone: (514) 954-4000
jake.brennan@transcontinental.ca
Financial Community
Stéphane Milot
Director, Investor Relations and
External Communications
Transcontinental Inc.
Telephone: (514) 954-2821
stephane.milot@transcontinental.ca
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