Condé Nast names Will Welch as new editor-in-chief of GQ

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Sep 17, 2018

Will Welch, editor-in-chief of GQ Style and creative director of GQ, will take on a new role as the magazine's editor-in-chief, Condé Nast announced on Thursday. Welch will replace current editor-in-chief Jim Nelson in December of this year, after the magazine's Men of the Year Awards. 

Welch joined the publication in 2007 as the editor-in-chief of GQ Style. In a statement, Condé Nast chief executive Bob Sauerberg said Welch has drawn "a new generation of consumers...to the brand," an opinion that falls in line with Welch's previous accolades.

In 2017, he was featured in the publication's "Next Gen" marketing campaign of noteworthy industry leaders. 

“Will is the definition of a modern editor,” Sauerberg continued. “He has a real command of how to create distinct and powerful content for every platform and understands the importance of inclusivity and authenticity in a brand’s voice today.”

As incumbent editor-in-chief Jim Nelson exits, Condé Nast loses another of its longest serving editors, joining departures from Glamour and Vanity Fair editors-in-chief, Graydon Carter and Cindi Leive. Nelson served 15 years at the helm of GQ, earning the magazine 64 National Magazine Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for long-form journalism during his term. 

Welch's appointment comes as part of the publication's plan to cut its net losses from last year, a reported $120 million, in half.

Sauerberg told the Wall Street Journal that GQ plans to generate an equal amount of revenue from advertising and non-advertising sources such as GQ Recommends, a men’s shopping site that generates revenue through affiliate links, in the future.