Bates will lead a team of more than 120 commercial specialists focused on the delivery of print, digital, and event revenues across the organisation’s portfolio of consumer and B2B brands. She will report to Chris Duncan, CEO – UK Publishing, Bauer Media Group.

The role marks a return to Bauer for Bates, having spent three years as Managing Director for the company’s specialist and food brands between 2016 and 2019. Previously, she worked for five years within Bauer’s UK Publishing marketing teams, including a stint as Head of Marketing.

Bates has also fulfilled several senior publishing industry roles including Chief Brand Officer at Dennis, and most recently was Chief Executive Officer of Autovia.

Chris Duncan, CEO – UK Publishing, Bauer Media Group said: “I’m really pleased to welcome Nicola back to Bauer. She brings a great track record of delivering sustainable growth for publishing brands across many disciplines, which includes building meaningful partnerships with commercial partners. She’s perfectly placed to support our teams in providing industry-leading products and services across different platforms.”

Nicola Bates, Group Managing Director, Commercial – UK Publishing, Bauer Media Group added: “It’s an exciting time to be returning to Bauer. The business continues to cement its position as the UK’s largest consumer publishing business and provides commercial partners with a great reach and a real breadth of opportunities. I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the leadership team to maximise these opportunities.”