New Haven BIZ and the Hartford Business Journal founding Publisher Joe Zwiebel has sold his interest in the company to Chief Revenue Officer Tom Curtin.
Zwiebel, who co-founded HBJ’s parent company, New England Business Media (NEBM) in 2007 with business partner Peter Stanton, has stepped down from his position as Curtin assumes his new role as president and co-owner leading the company’s Connecticut operations and playing a key role across the organization.
Stanton will remain as CEO of New England Business Media, which owns New Haven Biz, the Hartford Business Journal, Worcester Business Journal and MaineBiz.
Business partners since the mid-1980s, Zwiebel and Stanton founded NEBM when they acquired HBJ, Worcester Business Journal and MaineBiz more than a decade ago. Together, Stanton said they were able to sustain and grow the business during the 2008-2010 Great Recession and later expanded into Greater New Haven with New Haven BIZ in 2018.
“While I’m really looking forward to moving my life and career in new directions, I’m so proud of the work that Peter and I have done together to build New England Business Media,” Zwiebel said. “I’ll always be grateful for the people at NEBM and at HBJ who gave their best every day. I look forward to seeing NEBM continue to innovate, grow, and succeed with Peter’s steady hand, and Tom’s new energy.”
Curtin is leading NHB and HBJ after joining the publications as chief revenue officer in Oct. 2019.
He has spent most of his career in the publishing industry, including a dozen years as publisher of statewide publication NJBIZ in Somerset, N.J. During his tenure at NJBIZ, Curtin led the company to record sales and operating margins, expanding events, digital, print and subscription revenues.
In the years prior to NJBIZ, Curtin was the publisher of the daily publications American Banker and The Bond Buyer, which were subsidiaries of Canadian media conglomerate Thomson Reuters. Curtin and his wife Barbara have been married for nearly three decades and have three adult children; Katie, Kylie and Chris.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity as owner to work with all the talented people at NEBM,” Curtin said. “I strongly believe in the B2B market and our opportunity to grow and expand upon our already strong brands.”
