The Daily Memphian announced today that Pierre Landaiche, a long-time business leader in Memphis with deep ties to the city, has been named the organization’s new CEO.

Eric Barnes, who currently serves in the role, will become editor-at-large.

“We are thrilled to get Pierre as our next CEO,” said Andy Cates, chairman of the board of directors of Memphis Fourth Estate Inc., the 501c3 nonprofit that owns and operates The Daily Memphian. “His experience managing multiple organizations and his deep commitment to Memphis, as well as his belief in all that The Daily Memphian is and can be, make him the right person at the right time to guide our growth and further expand our horizons.”

Landaiche, who will join The Daily Memphian September 1, most recently was the CEO of UMRF Ventures at the University of Memphis and for more than 20 years led the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis. In those roles and others, Landaiche established an impressive track record at generating revenue, building community engagement, managing the finances of the organizations and leading successful teams of employees.

“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to join The Daily Memphian and to work alongside such a talented, dedicated team at an organization that has earned the respect of our entire community,” Landaiche said.

As The Daily Memphian approaches its 8th anniversary in mid-September, Landaiche will be focused on increasing revenue, managing finances, and overseeing operations.

“I am fully committed to working hard to ensure The Daily Memphian remains financially sustainable while continuing its excellence in independent, nonprofit journalism that our city depends on,” Landaiche added. “I’m excited to bring my love for Memphis and a strong commitment to sustainability so that this vital nonprofit newsroom can continue delivering excellent journalism for years to come.”

In his full-time role as editor-at-large, Barnes will continue to host “Behind the Headlines” on WKNO-TV and “The Sidebar” podcast, as well as working to expand The Daily Memphian’s audio and video content, broadening the news site’s opinion section and leading other newsroom projects.

“I’m very excited to have Pierre take this role,” Barnes said. “He’s the right person to take The Daily Memphian into its next phase of growth as we continue to be the essential local news source in the city.”

“Eric has done a remarkable job leading our talented team in building this critically important civic asset,” Cates said. “I am deeply grateful for all he has done and feel fortunate that he’s not going anywhere as he steps into his new role.”

With a newsroom of nearly 40 journalists plus roughly 15 regular freelancers and contributors, The Daily Memphian is one of the largest local news organizations in the country that has been formed in the aftermath of the gutting of local newspapers by corporate chains nationwide. More than 15 other employees and contractors at The Daily Memphian work on advertising, marketing, finance, technical development and other business operations.

Although the organization is a nonprofit — with 25% of its $6 million annual budget coming from donations — fully 75% of The Daily Memphian’s budget is supported by earned revenue made up of subscriptions, advertising and sponsorships. That percentage of earned revenue is unusually high among nonprofit local news organizations.