Wayne Parrish, an award-winning reporter, editor, and digital media leader, is Torstar’s new senior vice-president editorial.

“Wayne Parrish brings a wealth of experience, a history of digital innovation and a burning desire for our papers to flourish,” said Torstar chair John Honderich.

“What’s more, he is an accomplished journalist, who knows who we are and what we stand for,” Honderich said.

Parrish, 64, who won two National Newspaper Awards as a sports reporter at the Star in the early 1980s, has held executive leadership positions at Postmedia Network, Quebecor and Sun Media.

He was CEO of Canada Basketball for eight years. And most recently, he worked on digital transformation and merger-acquision media projects in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Australia with FTI Consulting Inc.

Parrish’s digital experience includes launching CANOE, which became Canada’s premiere internet network-portal and top news and information site for more than a decade.

He launched Postmedia’s digital subscription program, consulted on a sports-only digital subscription business in the U.S., and developed the new media unit of Quebecor.

“He’s definitely a seasoned executive and he’s one of those rare people who has a lot of digital experience, a lot of news experience and a lot of transformation experience,” said Torstar President John Boynton. “So he’s going to be able to hit the ground running really early and help Torstar with the overall transformation.”

Parrish will focus on the Star’s editorial transformation, including content science and data analytics.

Parrish, who has served on many news industry boards, including the Canadian Press, the Canadian Journalism Foundation and the National Newspaper Awards, said he sees his return to the Star as a home-coming.

“When I look at the early years of my career in Vancouver and Montreal … to be able to make the roster as a journalist at the Star in those years, was the ultimate within the Canadian context,” he said in an interview.

“For me, the Star, within the Canadian media firmament, is the apex. So it feels like coming home and I just hope that I can contribute in a positive way.

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“There are so many sources of information and content. There are so many other places to turn, so many other platforms,” he said. “To be able to carve out a real passionate following and convert it into a business case that allows you to continue in business is a truly fascinating challenge.”

The appointment is effective January 27, 2020.