Conde Nast recently made news for the hire of the first black Editor-in-Chief, Keija Minor, who will oversee Brides Magazine. On the heels of that groundbreaking achievement, we’ve learned Conde Nast has hired another woman of color, Elaine Welteroth as the new Beauty and Health Director of Teen Vogue.
Welteroth, who we featured here, formerly served as the Style Editor at Ebony Magazine before landing a highly-coveted position as Senior Beauty Editor at Glamour Magazine. In her words, her new post at Teen Vogue, which starts October 15, was the result of a combination of hard work and opportunity via Fashionista:
It’s all about preparation meeting the opportunity at the right time. I couldn’t step into this role with the confidence I have if I hadn’t been the intern slugging away or the editor who had to pull a ton of late nights. My mentor always said: “work like you’re making millions, even if you’re making pennies.” It’s worth it when you love it. And I had the chance to learn from some really talented people who have taught me a lot. So, this next step is sort of the culmination of a lot of work, great mentorship, and perfect timing. It’s an incredible opportunity, so saying yes was a no-brainer.
Welteroth also recognizes how her new title represents a shift toward inclusion:
I think the goal should always be to find the right person for the job, and skin color should never be a barrier to that. We live in a multi-cultural world, so embracing diversity is important in every industry. As it related to publishing, I think magazines really benefit from having a staff with a range of different perspectives and cultural references so that any reader can feel like there is someone on the masthead they can relate to, someone they can trust to speak up for them. It’s great to see that idea being embraced more and more.
It’s endlessly inspiring to see another black editor rise up the ranks at one of the top publishing companies in the business, especially one as accomplished and hard-working as Elaine Welteroth.
Does Elaine Welteroth and Keija Minor’s new positions perhaps reflect a renewed commitment to diversity at Conde Nast? What are your thoughts?
