Nilou Motamed (Persian: نیلو معتمد) is an Iranian-born American magazine editor and television personality. She was born on April 19, 1971, in Iran. She is a recurring judge on the television series Iron Chef.[1] Motamed is the former Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine magazine[2] and Condé Nast's Epicurious.[3]

Early life

Motamed was born in Tehran and spent her childhood in Iran.[4] Her family fled to Paris after the Iranian Revolution,[5][6] then to New York when she was a teenager.[2] She attended Binghamton University in upstate New York and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, earning dual degrees in Political Science and Philosophy.[7] Motamed is fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Persian.[8]

Career

In 2000, Motamed joined the staff at Travel + Leisure as Associate Editor; she was soon promoted to Food Editor and ultimately to Features Director & Senior Correspondent.[7]

For 14 years Motamed also directed Travel + Leisure's culinary and restaurants coverage. She was the instigator of the magazine's annual "Food & Travel" issue, along with the "Eat Like a Local" special.[9] Her Travel + Leisure food coverage was nominated for eight James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards.[7]

In collaboration with CNN, she created Travel + Leisure's "Eat Like a Local" special, combining print, digital, social, and broadcast in a global food platform.[10] She has hosted several TV series, including the restaurant review show Reservations Required[8] and Travel Channel's undercover series Travel Spies,[11] appearing on outlets ranging from CNN[10] to NBC's Today[12] and CBS This Morning.[13]

In 2013, Motamed was named editor-in-chief of Epicurious, Condé Nast's digital food site.[9] In 2015, she became the first-ever Director of Inspiration for Conrad Hotels & Resorts, where she reimagined the guest experience and concierge programs for 24 luxury hotel properties around the globe[14][15] Motamed created and curated the brand's "1/3/5" collection of local experiences.[16]

In 2016, Motamed took charge of Time Inc.'s Food & Wine,[17] overseeing editorial operations and content for an audience of more than 12 million.[7] As editor-in-chief, Motamed managed all of F&W's tentpole franchises and partnerships,[5] including the annual Best New Chefs showcase and the millennial food site FWx.[18]

Beginning with Season 5 in 2008,[19] Motamed has appeared often as a guest on Bravo's award-winning series Top Chef.[11] For Season 16, set in Kentucky, she took on a more official role as recurring judge.[20]

Recognition

Motamed has been a panelist for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards since 2007.[3] She has been profiled in The New York Times.[21] and was named one of AdWeek's "30 Most Influential People in Food".[22]

Personal life

Motamed met her husband magazine journalist Peter Jon Lindberg in 2000 while both were working at Travel + Leisure magazine.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Morabito, Greg (2018-12-06). "Meet the Stars of 'Top Chef: Kentucky'". Eater. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  2. 1 2 Fabricant, Florence (2016-02-23). "Nilou Motamed Is the New Editor of Food & Wine Magazine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  3. 1 2 O'Shea, Chris (October 25, 2013). "Epicurious Names Nilou Motamed Editor-in-Chief". Adweek. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ Galarza, Daniela (February 25, 2016). "Food & Wine's New EIC Reveals Big Plans for the Magazine". Eater. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Cooper, Timothy (October 1, 2016). "A Conversation with Christina Grdovic & Nilou Motamed". Institute of Culinary Education. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ "A Persian Feast: Epicurious EIC Nilou Motamed On The Importance Of Tea And Rice".
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Meet F&W's New Editor: Nilou Motamed". Food & Wine. February 23, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Nilou Motamed". Bravo TV Official Site. 2018-12-13. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  9. 1 2 Bazilian, Emma (June 15, 2014). "New Editor Reveals Epicurious' 2014 Growth Strategy". Adweek. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Nilou Motamed Named Editor of Time Inc.'s Food & Wine". www.businesswire.com. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  11. 1 2 "Nilou Motamed". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  12. ↑ "These are the hottest food trends of 2017". TODAY.com. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  13. ↑ "The 10 most exciting new restaurants in the U.S. right now". www.cbsnews.com. June 8, 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  14. ↑ "Conrad Hotels launches Stay Inspired concierge service". Breaking Travel News. November 27, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Conrad Hotels Repositions Brand Around Smart Local Luxury". Skift. 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  16. ↑ Grimshaw, Alicia. "Conrad Hotels: 1/3/5 Experiences". About Time Magazine. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  17. ↑ O'Shea, Chris (February 23, 2016). "Nilou Motamed Named Food & Wine Editor". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  18. ↑ "How Food & Wine's New Editor Is Bringing Her Own Flavor to the Brand". www.adweek.com. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  19. ↑ "Episode 5: Gail's Wedding Shower". Bravo TV Official Site. 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  20. ↑ "Gail Simmons Addresses Her Absence in Season 16 of Bravo's Top Chef". Bravo TV Official Site. 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  21. 1 2 Vora, Shivani (November 17, 2016). "How Nilou Motamed, Editor of Food & Wine Magazine, Spends Her Sundays". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Meet the 30 Most Influential People in Food". Adweek. June 5, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
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