Three months after Dana Cowin announced her resignation as editor of Food & Wine magazine, the magazine’s parent company, Time Inc., named Nilou Motamed as her successor. She will start March 14, and the July issue will be the first under her imprint.
“Nilou lives and breathes the Food & Wine lifestyle,” Norman Pearlstine, Time’s chief content officer, said in announcing the appointment, citing how connected she is with chefs, restaurateurs and leaders in the culinary and travel fields.
Motamed said she intended to expand the brand.
“I will dive into everything Food & Wine from the day I start,” she said. “I want to grow the brand and evolve the brand, but I also don’t want to rush. There has never been a better time for food, what with social media, the way people travel for food and all the elements of the Food & Wine lifestyle.” She said she hoped that readers would immediately notice her impact on the magazine.
Motamed, 44, was born in Iran and grew up in Paris and New York. She had been with Travel & Leisure magazine and Epicurious and most recently was the director of inspiration for Conrad Hotels & Resorts, helping the hotels to “deliver authentic experiences at their destinations, to help people to best use their time,” as she put it.
“All brands look to engage the consumer better,” she said. “That’s the future.”
She is married to Peter Jon Lindberg, a travel writer. They live in Brooklyn. Motamed said she liked to cook, and her repertoire includes the Persian food she ate growing up.
Cowin, who was the editor of Food & Wine for 21 years, will become the chief creative officer of Chefs Club International and its restaurants, Chefs Club by Food & Wine.
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