TIME Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs sent the following note to staff on Thursday:
Dear all,
I’m pleased to share with you that Nikhil Kumar is returning to TIME as Executive Editor. I’m also thrilled to announce that Lori Fradkin, who joined TIME in 2018, is being promoted to Executive Editor.
Nikhil Kumar will be overseeing our AI, Climate, and Health teams, working with those reporters and editors to expand our coverage in these key verticals and the leaders shaping them for TIME.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Together, our AI, Climate, and Health journalists have been among TIME’s most innovative and recognized. They’ve launched our new TIME100 communities, creating journalism that speaks to the decision-makers in these verticals and the individuals who follow them. That work has taken various forms, from Justin Worland’s TIMECO2 Leadership Report to our Leadership Forums and the TIME Health and TIME Health Pro magazines, which are read in thousands of doctors’ offices each day. Their stories regularly drive large audiences and generate impact by changing how readers understand their lives and futures.
Nikhil brings experience in international and business journalism, which he’ll use to make sure that our AI, Climate, and Health coverage continues to appeal to global audiences and those leading the businesses that shape them. He will supervise Senior Editors Mandy Oaklander, Kyla Mandel, and Dayana Sarkisova, along with their reporters, and collaborate across all our departments to encourage our most ambitious journalism.
Most recently, Nikhil was the deputy global editor at The Messenger and earlier, at Grid. He was formerly CNN’s bureau chief in New Delhi, overseeing the network’s coverage of India and the wider region, as well as reporting on-air for major stories. Previously, he was TIME’s South Asia bureau chief and, before that, a senior editor working on international coverage. He has also worked as an editor and foreign correspondent for the Independent and the Evening Standard.
Nikhil will start on Jan. 6 and will be working out of our New York office.
To support our high ambitions for 2025, Lori Fradkin has been promoted to Executive Editor. A talented newsroom leader, Lori will oversee Senior Editor of Ideas AJ Hess and their team of editors, as well as Editor-at-Large Belinda Luscombe, Senior Correspondent Sean Gregory, and Correspondent Eliana Dockterman. In this expanded role, Lori will continue to edit many of our most experienced reporters as well as work with outside writers on ambitious stories and essays, producing cover stories and features that drive conversation and support our top initiatives. Lori, who in recent years oversaw the launch of Closers and Latino Leaders, will also continue to run and contribute to tentpole projects like Person of the Year. Lori will also be a key connector between the Editorial, Legal, and People Departments.
Anyone who has worked with Lori knows the passion she brings to every story. She’s a judicious editor with a sharp eye for detail and ability to bring out the best in a story. Lori has a particular talent for working with outside contributors, such as Nicole Chung and R.O. Kwon, on essays, often about our inner lives. Among the high-impact stories Lori edited in 2024 were profiles of MrBeast, Noah Lyles, and Caitlin Clark. Already a trusted adviser to many colleagues in the newsroom, as an Executive Editor she’ll become a member of our editorial leadership team.
Lori joined TIME in New York following five years at Cosmopolitan, with previous roles at The Huffington Post, AOL, and New York magazine.
Welcome back, Nikhil, and congratulations, Lori.
Sam
