Lesley Jane Nonkin Seymour[1] (born January 4, 1957)[2][3] is an American editor, author andentrepreneur. She was previously a senior editor ofVogue and editor-in-chief of many women's magazines, includingYM,Marie Claire,Redbook andMore. AfterMore ceased publication in 2016, she returned to school, and later foundedCoveyClub, an online community for professional women. She has spoken at conferences for women entrepreneurs,[4][5] and has contributed toLinkedIn andHuffPost.[6][7]
Seymour attendedDana Hall School inWellesley, Massachusetts, graduating in 1974.[1][8] She then attendedDuke University. In an interview withDuke Magazine, she said that she started as a biology major, but did not want to be apre-med. She changed to English and interned forDurham Herald-Sun andSeventeen. She worked as a reporter forWomen's Wear Daily and graduated in 1978.[9][10] She worked atVogue from 1982 to 1992 where she originated the "Upfront" section and served as senior editor in books, fashion, and features. In 1993, she joinedGlamour magazine as a beauty director, and became editor-in-chief ofYM in 1997.[11][12]
In 1998, she joinedRedbook as editor-in-chief[11][12] She was editor-in-chief ofMarie Claire magazine from 2001 to 2006, during which the magazine was nominated for a 2006 National Magazine Award. She was replaced byJoanna Coles.[13][3][14]
Seymour was named editor-in-chief ofMore magazine in January 2008.[15][16] During her tenure, the magazine was named to Mediaweek's 2010 Hot List, and dubbed 'The Vanity Fair for Women' by marketers.[15][17] While Seymour was editor-in-chief, former First LadyMichelle Obama guest-edited their July/August issue, and was the first First Lady to do so.[18]
In February 2016,Meredith Corporation announced thatMore would cease publication. A spokesperson said that the magazine was "particularly hard hit during the recession of the late 2000s".[19][20] Seymour said that "you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know this is not a stable business."[21] Seymour returned to school where she got a master's degree in sustainability fromColumbia University. In February 2018, Seymour founded CoveyClub, which CNN described as "an online club connecting women 40 and older through content, connections and events." She says that readers of her previous writing reached out to her and "encouraged" her to "do something else to reach women over 40."[21][22][23][24]
