PROVIDENCE – Annemarie Brisson, publisher of Providence Business News, on Friday announced her retirement, effective Jan. 31, after nine years with the company.
Brisson, who has served as publisher since December 2023, will remain full time until Nov. 1. She’ll then shift to part time while also assisting with the recruitment of a new publisher and the transition to new leadership.
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“It’s been an honor to serve the business community for the past nine years,” Brisson said. “The team at PBN is talented, hardworking, dedicated and extremely devoted to our mission. I am honored to have worked beside them, continuing the legacy of this publication. I thank them all, as well as our loyal readers, advertisers and supporters who make this all possible.”
Brisson got her start in the publishing industry as an advertising executive at the Stamford Advocate in Connecticut. She then moved to Rhode Island and worked in sales management and operations at the Pawtuxet Valley Daily Times, The Pawtucket Times, The Independent and Sherman Publishing Co. (Newport Daily News and Newport Life Magazine) before joining PBN in 2015 as director of sales and marketing.
She was later promoted to associate publisher before being named publisher, replacing Roger Bergenheim, who co-founded PBN with his late father, Robert C. Bergenheim, in 1986. Roger Bergenheim retired in December after PBN was acquired by Iowa-based Woodward Communications Inc., an employee-owned company.
“It was with mixed emotions discussing and accepting Annemarie’s plans to retire,” said Tom Woodward, CEO and president of WCI. “While I am happy for her, she will be missed. She’s been a great leader and mentor at PBN, and her knowledge of and relationships with PBN’s readers and advertisers are vast. Over the next couple of months Annemarie, PBN team members and I will be working together to help recruit and successfully bring onboard her replacement as publisher.”
PBN publishes a strong mix of daily news and e-newsletters, a biweekly print publication and a host of special supplements and publications. It also annually produces and hosts 16 business-related events.
It has also won dozens of state, regional and national journalism awards, including being recognized on Sept. 21 for the fifth consecutive year as “Newspaper of the Year” among specialty publications by the New England Newspaper & Press Association.
“While I look forward to retirement and the next chapter of my life, I will miss the vibrant business community in this state, and the great people I have met and worked with,” Brisson said. “I am confident that PBN will continue to thrive with the support of the WCI family of employee-owners and the entire Rhode Island business community.”
PBN will conduct a widespread search for Brisson’s replacement. The ideal candidate will be someone who has a proven track record in revenue leadership, has a demonstrated understanding of the value of generating quality journalism and has a good understanding of the marketplace, businesses and key leaders. The full job posting can be found on the WCI website: https://bit.ly/PBN_Publisher.
