Thursday, December 8, 2016

Hornet Hires Former Frontiers EIC

Hornet, the world’s second largest gay social network, today announced that Stephan Horbelt will join the brand’s growing executive team as executive editor. He is charged with leading the brand’s content development strategy. Horbelt comes to Hornet from Frontiers Media, where he spent the last four years as editor in chief of Frontiers. Horbelt will be based out of Los Angeles and report to Hornet CEO Christof Wittig.

“We’re excited to welcome Stephan to the Hornet team. With his experience and proven track record in engaging audiences, he will shape Hornet content into a leading voice in the ever-evolving and ever-growing LGBTQ community. We value his vision in leading our growing brand's content that will enhance the already exceptional Hornet user experience,” said Hornet President Sean Howell

Adding Horbelt to the Hornet team reinforces the brand’s commitment to strengthening the gay community by providing quality social interactions with award-winning editorial content to both educate and inform. Horbelt will now lead all editorial strategy for the Hornet properties giving users access to exclusive content spanning breaking news, arts & entertainment, travel and science & technology. It also recently introduced its version 3.0 which features an activity feed and the discover platform, which will take gay apps to the next level.

As editor in chief of Frontiers, Horbelt helped lead the brand’s transition from oversized newsprint publication to a glossy lifestyle and culture magazine that became internationally recognized as the voice of Southern California’s LGBT community. He oversaw all content for the brand, including lifestyle, arts & entertainment, nightlife, events and health. He also spearheaded the relaunch of the brand’s website. Prior to becoming editor in chief, Horbelt served as the publication’s associate editor and the co-editor.

“I'm honored to be brought onto the Hornet team, a multifaceted company that I feel is at the forefront of queer media. After this year's elections challenging times await the world's LGBT community, and so the need for smart, subversive queer content is at an all-time high. The opportunity to help shape that voice is an exciting one,” said Horbelt.

Hornet’s free social network app available on iOS, Android, and the web.