Versha Sharma To Become Teen Vogue Editor In Chief On May 24

Versha Sharma has been named as the next editor in chief of Teen Vogue. Sharma is leaving her post as managing editor at the news website NowThis.

Global editorial director of Vogue, Anna Wintour described Versha Sharma as a “natural leader” with a “global perspective and deep understanding of local trends and issues”. Wintour also said that she was excited by Sharma’s “optimistic and expansive vision” for the publication and called her a “masterful storyteller”.

In a statement, Sharma said that “I believe that Teen Vogue can continue to be a force for good, with a focus on empathy, accountability, optimism and impact, and it is such an honour to join this team and lead the title into the future.”

I am incredibly excited and grateful for this awesome opportunity. Thank you to everyone who helped get me here! https://t.co/b91bjXi8Rr

— Versha Sharma (@versharma) May 10, 2021

The previous hire for the top editor of Teen Vogue, Alexi McCammond resigned after being accused of racism. In 2011, McCammond posted several anti-Asian and homophobic tweets, which she apologised for and deleted later.

The tweets resurfaced in 2021 more than 20 members of the Teen Vogue staff shared their concerns about McCammond being hired considering her past. McCammond resigned before her first day at Teen Vogue. She said that "I should not have tweeted what I did and I have taken full responsibility for that."

In an interview, Sharma said that she didn’t feel it was her place to comment on the incident. She added that she shared the values of the staff and audience of Teen Vogue. Sharma’s start date as editor in chief of Teen Vogue is May 24.

Versha Sharma has previously worked for TalkingPointsMemo, MSNBC.com, and Vocativ. Sharma is currently on the board of the Online News Association. As managing director at NowThis, Sharma was in charge of news and cultural coverage. She was also a recipient of a 2018 Edward R Murrow award for a documentary. It was for the NowThis documentary about Hurricane Maria and its aftermath in Puerto Rico.