Jagoda Pike

Jagoda Pike is publisher of the Toronto Star and president of Star Media Group. She is also an alumna of Trinity College in the University of Toronto and the Osgoode School of Law [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osgoode_Hall_Law_School] . [ [http://www.torstar.com/corp_officers.php Officers & Senior Executives - TORSTAR CORPORATION - Newspapers and Book Publishing ] ] Effective October 4, 2008, Ms. Pike will step down as publisher of the Toronto Star and assume the role of heading Ontario's bid for the 2015 Pan American Games. [ [http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/508753 Babick named Star's interim publisher] ]

Jagoda Pike joined Torstar Corporation in 1986. During her tenure, Ms. Pike has held a broadly diverse portfolio of key leadership positions, affording her a unique perspective on all aspects of Torstar’s newspaper publishing operations.

Ms. Pike’s appointment as Publisher of the Toronto Star - the first woman to hold that position at Canada’s largest daily newspaper - represents a homecoming. She began her career at Torstar in the corporate legal department, but joined the Toronto Star soon after. Over the next decade, Ms. Pike was responsible for such strategic roles as industrial relations, human resources and operations. In particular, she held the positions of Executive Director of Labour and Employee Relations and Vice-President, Operations and Human Resources. In 1999, Ms Pike was named Executive Vice-President, Torstar Daily Newspaper Group. In 2000, she was promoted to the position of General Manager of the Toronto Star.

In 2001, Ms. Pike was named Publisher of The Hamilton Spectator and Senior Vice-President, Regional Daily Newspapers, Torstar Media Group. In addition to her role as Publisher of The Spectator, Ms. Pike was subsequently appointed President of the newly formed CityMedia Group which encompassed three daily newspapers – The Hamilton Spectator, The Record of Waterloo Region and the Guelph Mercury – as well as numerous community newspapers, published under the Brabant and Fairway mastheads, three magazines, and commercial printing operations.

Her tenure as Publisher of The Hamilton Spectator was marked by a culture of innovation and journalistic excellence. During this period, The Spectator received more journalistic honours than at anytime in a generation, including:

* The Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Award of Excellence (2005);
* Eight National Newspaper Award nominations, and three National Newspaper Awards, including two consecutive years when the newspaper received the industry’s top investigative reporting award (2005 & 2004).

Also during her tenure, The Spectator earned an international reputation as a leader in innovation and cultural change. In 2005, The Spectator was designated a ‘Learning Newsroom’ by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the American Press Institute – the only Canadian newspaper to receive such a designation.

Ms. Pike left CityMedia in February 2006 when she was appointed Executive Vice-President, Newspapers, Torstar a role that gave her strategic responsibility for all Torstar newspapers.

Ms. Pike’s community and volunteer activity has included:

* Chair of the Canadian Newspaper Association
* Director of Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation
* Trustee of Brock University
* Member of McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business Dean’s Advisory Committee
* Chair and President of the Hamilton 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games Bids

In 2004, Ms. Pike was honoured for her many volunteer efforts in Hamilton when she received the Safe Communities’ Spirit of the Community Award.

Ms Pike was educated at the University of Toronto, where she studied economics and, later, at Osgoode Hall Law School, from which she received a Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1984. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1986.

A native of Croatia, Ms. Pike’s family immigrated to Canada when she was a child. She still has extended family in Croatia, and regularly visits Europe. Ms. Pike has lived all of her adult life in the GTA. She is married, and has two children. [ [http://www.torstar.com/releases_detail.php?page=857 Jagoda Pike Appointed Publisher Of The Toronto Star And President Of Star Media Group] ]

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