- Bon Appétit has named Dawn Davis as its new editor-in-chief.
- Davis, who will start November 2, is a vice president at Simon & Schuster. She is the founder and publisher of 37 Ink, an imprint that prioritizes a diverse range of authors and voices.
- Davis will take over at Bon Appétit amid a period of turmoil at the food publication.
- Former editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport was ousted after photos of him in brownface surfaced, as well as allegations from current and former coworkers that he presided over a toxic workplace.
Bon Appétit has named Dawn Davis as its new editor-in-chief.
Davis, who will start at the magazine on November 2, is a powerful figure in the publishing world. She is a vice president at Simon & Schuster, where she presides over 37 Ink, an imprint that prioritizes a diverse range of authors and voices.
"A proven trailblazer in publishing and known for her innovative approach, Dawn's ability to find emerging voices and give them the platforms to transform our society is unparalleled," Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast, said in a statement.
"I will lead by example and treat people the way I've always been treated, which is with respect, and give everyone an opportunity to shine," Davis told the New York Times.
Davis enters Bon Appétit amid a period of turmoil at the Condé Nast-owned food publication. Over three days in June, the magazine saw its editor in chief, Adam Rapoport, and its head of video, Matt Duckor, step down following allegations of racism from former and current employees.
On June 8, the food and wine writer Tammie Teclemariam tweeted an old Instagram post showing Rapoport dressed in an offensive Halloween costume that featured stereotypical Puerto Rican garb. A day later, another Twitter user unearthed Duckor's offensive tweets about gay people and people of color.
The two executives presided over a toxic and exclusionary environment, employees previously told Business Insider. It allegedly led to some non-white employees at Bon Appétit to not to receive income through Condé Nast Entertainment for their video work.
Condé Nast has previously repeatedly denied this. In an internal email shared with Business Insider by a spokesperson, the company completed a pay review study that found, according to the company's findings, compensation was fair and not based on race."While we found that everyone was compensated fairly for video through their full-time salaries or other means as part of project or freelance agreements, it's on us that our lack of open communication about video compensation created confusion," the email said.
This environment allegedly led some non-white employees at Bon Appétit to not to receive income through Condé Nast Entertainment for their video work. (In a previous statement, a Condé Nast representative denied this, saying, "It's simply not true to say that any employee is not paid for their work.")
Over the past decade, Bon Appétit has evolved from a stodgy print outlet to a dynamic, beloved brand. That's largely thanks to its wildly popular YouTube channel, in which editors and guest contributors visit the brand's test kitchen to make recipes from the magazine or website.
The channel has been inactive since June 10. In solidarity with their coworkers of color, Bon Appétit's on-camera talent has not participated in videos on the channel since the second week of June, a move that has likely affected the publisher's bottom line. Seven of Bon Appétit's 13 video stars previously said they will no longer appear in videos.
Condé Nast previously said that videos will resume in September.
Amanda Shapiro, who is the interim editor-in-chief, succeeded Rapoport. Shapiro was previously the editor of the magazine's vertical Healthyish.