Visionary Angel Passes Leadership Torch to Web Pioneer Newcorn

Meanwhile, Dave Newcorn, whom Angel lured to Summit in 1995, took the reins as President of PMG on Oct. 1. As a promising, tech-savvy Packaging World editor in the late ’90s, Newcorn was warned by founding Chief Editor Arnie Orloski “not to work on that web s**t during business hours.” Deftly sidestepping that admonition, Newcorn built the company’s first website, pictured above, and since has single-handedly spearheaded Summit/PMG’s transition to modern digital publishing. He continues to guide its evolution today.

With Angel at the helm steering, and Newcorn as the engine propelling the ship forward, Summit Media Group’s web presence and offering became attractive to PMMI, which purchased the publishing company around this time eight years ago, in October 2014. The two companies have walked the same path ever since. Dave Newcorn, now President, PMMI Media Group

“Joe’s focus and style over the last 30 years brought us to where we are today. For the next 30 years, my focus is singularly on how to strategically transform and re-tool the company for the future,” Newcorn says. “One thing Joe and I have in common is the continuing drive and passion for publishing in the field of packaging and processing, with a focus on delighting readers and advertisers alike.”

The pace of change that Angel presided over was fast, as publishers contended with a once-in-several-generations technological revolution in the Internet. And it’s only getting faster. Having been the change agent himself, Newcorn is well-situated to steer this company—and me, the latest in a line of Packaging World editors—into the next phase of B2B publishing.

“The best part of this transition is that Joe isn’t going anywhere,” Newcorn says. “I have the freedom and flexibility to reach out to Joe any time I want for advice and guidance, which I already have done, and expect to continue to do.” PW