News4Media has today announced the appointment of experienced media industry executive Andrew O'Kelly as its Managing Director.

O'Kelly has led several UK and international business media brands during a 20-year career. Heavily networked in the property, financial services and automotive industries, O'Kelly will lead News4Media's UK operations, reporting into News4Media's CEO Henry Hemming.

The internet company's market-leading portfolio of 15 industry-focused websites connecting journalists with PR professionals have attracted over 50,000 user registrations community-wide.

O'Kelly's appointment comes as News4Media reveals a transformed platform for its sites – which include Property4Media, Business4Media, Homes4Media and Beauty4Media –based on powerful social networking technology.

Prior to joining News4Media, O'Kelly was Managing Director of The Profile Group, part of UK business information group Centaur Media plc, heading a group of seven websites offering forward information and contact details on celebrities, current affairs, international fashion, automotive and financial services. These included the successful journalist websites headlinemoney, headlineproperty and headlineauto.

Before joining Centaur, O'Kelly was Sales and Marketing Director for Automotive News Europe, the leading industry newspaper and website for the European automotive manufacturing and retail industries. His management career began at Haymarket where he was Commercial Director at PR Week and Publishing Director of Conference & Incentive Travel.

News4Media's new platform enables journalists and PR pros to connect and communicate. Users can build networks and send private or public messages, and so eliminate the white noise of consumer social networks.

News4Media's CEO & Founder Henry Hemming said: “We are thrilled to have Andrew on board at a milestone moment for the company. His experience speaks for itself and I am convinced our portfolio of UK sites will strengthen considerably under his management.”

Added O' Kelly: “I've watched News4Media keenly since its creation and I'm delighted to be involved. Our goal is that each of our sites will become the social network for journalists and PRs in their industry, and I am confident we will achieve this.”

The upgraded sites also unveil powerful search functionality that instantly delivers search results covering people, companies, press releases and photos, so journalists can quickly and easily source content.

News4Media's sites continue to distribute breaking press releases directly to journalists via high-impact News Alert emails, supported by press centres and calendars on the site. Journalists can request information via Journalist Alerts, creating instant opportunities for coverage, or can directly message PR professionals on the site, individually or collectively.

Also new is advanced image-uploading functionality, integration with Facebook and Twitter, and richer member profiles.

Added Hemming: “The consumer social networks were not created to support business communications. News4Media is introducing an entirely new way for journalists and PR professionals to build relationships, communicate and streamline their everyday work.”

Ends

For further media information, please contact: 

Henry Hemming, CEO and Founder News4Media Ltd

T: +44 (0)203 440 8900

E: henry.hemming@news4media.com

EDITORS NOTES: 

News4Media is dedicated to creating thriving online communities of journalists and PRs across different sectors of industry.

In the UK, the company operates websites which enable journalists and PR professionals in 15 industry sectors to connect and communicate in their day-to-day work.

News4Media's websites have attracted over 50,000 registrations from journalists and PR professionals in the UK, and since launching in 2005 the company has covered the news of over 30,000 brands, becoming the leading channel to the media for PR professionals.

The sites within News4Media's UK operations are Beauty4Media.com, Books4Media.com, Business4Media.com, Entertainment4Media.com, Fashion4Media.com, Health4Media.com, Homes4Media.com, Kids4Media.com, Money4Media.com, Motoring4Media.com, Property4Media.com, Sport4Media.com, Technology4Media.com and Wedddings4Media.com. The company operates News4Media.ie for the Irish market.

News4Media has launched in Australia and Ireland, and is targeting further international expansion. Its sister company in the UK is TravMedia (UK) Ltd, which operates the sites TravMedia.com and Food4Media.com in the UK, on behalf of the company TravMedia.com PTY.

In 2014 News4Media revealed a transformed platform for its sites, based on powerful social networking technology, advanced search and image-uploading functionality, integration with Facebook and Twitter, and richer member profiles. This built on its websites' core functionality which includes press release distribution, press centres, industry calendars and Journalist Alerts (media requests for information).