Vice Media has announced that Nancy Dubuc is leaving her role as A+E Networks CEO and taking over as the digital media company’s chief executive. Co-founder and outgoing CEO Shane Smith will become executive chairman.
Variety first reported yesterday that Dubuc was in talks for the job, with Disney and Hearst (A+E’s parent companies) confirming her departure.
Dubuc already serves on Vice’s board of directors. At A+E, she was involved in the partnership that launched Vice’s cable channel Viceland.
In the announcement, Smith described Dubuc as “better than me at everything,” and said that his new role will allow him to “concentrate on the only things that I am good at – content and deals.”
“We are a modern day Bonnie and Clyde and we are going to take all your money,” he added.
Dubuc, meanwhile, said, “It’s an honor to join a brand with such tremendous opportunity and I look forward to growing the platform for decades to come.”
Vice says it saw record traffic and double-digit revenue growth last year, but it’s also announced multiple layoffs in the past year. And a recent New York Times report about allegations of sexual harassment at the company led to an apology for the “boy’s club” culture and the departure of at least one executive.