Heather was the founding editor of Shape SA. The magazine, then the 8th international edition of the original US Shape, was launched in South Africa in October 2000 as a joint venture between Touchline Media and Weider Publications in the US. In the intervening four years, Shape has established itself as a major player in the heavily contested women's magazine market, bursting out of its niche status to settle down at a healthy circulation of 52 000 - 55 000 copies a month
It has been a pioneer in a number of ways; and will be launching its first stand-alone brand extension, FitPregnancy on 4 October this year.
"I absolutely believe in Shape," says Parker. "We have put together one of the strongest teams in women's titles: deputy editor Toni Younghusband and features editor (and now FitPregnancy editor), Robyn von Geusau are two of South Africa's best health and wellness journalists, heading up an editorial team that's constantly growing and amazing me; and publisher Lani Carstens, one of the sharpest and most progressive marketing brains in the industry, has an awesome team on her side.
"More than that, though: interactions with readers over the course of the last four years have sent a humbling message to any of us associated with the title: it's an important magazine, a reassuring magazine, a sensible magazine in an era in which all of us desperately seek these things.
"I leave with sadness, but confident that the magazine will hold its own and grow its niche in future. And I'm happy that I will continue to have plenty to do with the team in my new role. It's an exciting phase for the industry, and I'm honoured to have been chosen to be such an integral part of the team that will take women's magazines into a new era for Media24."
Says publisher Lani Carstens: "I have had the pleasure of working with Heather for the past four years. She is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant editors in the industry and she has been instrumental in Shape's success. Whilst we are sad to see her go, we appreciate the new challenges she has set herself and are delighted that she will remain in the Media24 family."
In the next few days, the editorship of Shape will be advertised nationally. Until an editor has been appointed, Toni Younghusband, Shape's deputy editor, will assume editorial responsibility for the title.
