Updated: Peter C. Horan, who retained his position as president and CEO of About.com when the company was acquired by the New York Times Company earlier this year, is leaving to rejoin his immediate family in California. He will be succeeded by Scott B. Meyer, vp-strategic planning for NYTCO’s New England Media Group and the Boston Globe.
Like Horan, Meyer, who starts his new job this summer, will report to Martin Nisenholts, corporate SVP-digital operations. Meyer was vp-NYT Digital and the general manager of NYTimes.com from 2000 until 2003.
Horan had been president and CEO of About since 2003, and shepherded the company through its $410 million sale to the Times by Primedia. During an interview with OJR’s Mark Glaser after the sale, Horan described himself as an advocate for the Times as a purchaser. “They’re up the block from us, we’ve known them a long time, and thought they’d prospectively be a good fit. So I was actually very pleasantly surprised when it turned out that they were the acquirer, because I believe the two organizations are very compatible and the two sites are very complementary.”
Asked by paidContent whether the choice of a Times insider over someone from About was a comment on the transition, an NYTCO spokesman replied: “We looked at candidates internally and externally and picked the best one for the job.” Should note the Times recently hired former About exec Ron McCoy as chief digital architect, also reporting directly to Nisenholtz.
Maybe this seems so surprising because Horan just spoke yesterday at Syndicate with nary a hint nor did anything come up when I talked to Martin Nisenholtz Monday regarding About’s role at The New York Times. I thought Horan was in this for a longer haul.

Related: NYT Buys About.com: Our Coverage
-- On About.com’s Integration Into NYT