Nilou Motamed
{{Short description|Iranian-American magazine editor and TV personality}}
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{{COI|date=December 2018}}
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Nilou Motamed ({{langx|fa|نیلو معتمد}}; born April 19, 1971) is an Iranian-born American magazine editor and television personality. She is a recurring judge on the television series Iron Chef.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eater.com/2018/12/6/18129491/top-chef-kentucky-cast-season-16-bravo|title=Meet the Stars of 'Top Chef: Kentucky'|last=Morabito|first=Greg|date=2018-12-06|website=Eater|access-date=2018-12-18}} Motamed is the former Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine magazine{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/dining/nilou-motamed-food-and-wine-magazine.html|title=Nilou Motamed Is the New Editor of Food & Wine Magazine|last=Fabricant|first=Florence|date=2016-02-23|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-12-18|issn=0362-4331}} and Condé Nast's Epicurious.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/epicurious-names-nilou-motamed-editor-in-chief/|title=Epicurious Names Nilou Motamed Editor-in-Chief|last=O'Shea|first=Chris|date=October 25, 2013|website=Adweek|access-date=December 18, 2018}}
Early life
Motamed was born in Tehran and spent her childhood in Iran.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eater.com/2016/2/25/11108158/nilou-motamed-food-and-wine-eic|title=Food & Wine's New EIC Reveals Big Plans for the Magazine|last=Galarza|first=Daniela|date=February 25, 2016|website=Eater|access-date=December 18, 2018}} Her family fled to Paris after the Iranian Revolution,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ice.edu/blog/conversation-with-christina-grdovic-nilou-motamed|title=A Conversation with Christina Grdovic & Nilou Motamed|last=Cooper|first=Timothy|date=October 1, 2016|website=Institute of Culinary Education|access-date=December 18, 2018}}{{cite web|url= https://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2014/07/a-persian-feast-epicurious-eic-nilou-motamed-on-the-importance-of-tea-and-rice.html|title= A Persian Feast: Epicurious EIC Nilou Motamed On The Importance Of Tea And Rice}} then to New York when she was a teenager. She attended Binghamton University in upstate New York and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, earning dual degrees in Political Science and Philosophy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/meet-fws-new-editor-nilou-motamed|title=Meet F&W's New Editor: Nilou Motamed|date=February 23, 2016|website=Food & Wine|access-date=December 18, 2018}} Motamed is fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Persian.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bravotv.com/people/nilou-motamed|title=Nilou Motamed|date=2018-12-13|website=Bravo TV Official Site|access-date=2018-12-18}}
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.
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/new-editor-reveals-epicurious-2014-growth-strategy-158294/|title=New Editor Reveals Epicurious' 2014 Growth Strategy|last=Bazilian|first=Emma|date=June 15, 2014|website=Adweek|access-date=December 18, 2018}} Her Travel + Leisure food coverage was nominated for eight James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards.
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. She has hosted several TV series, including the restaurant review show Reservations Required and Travel Channel's undercover series Travel Spies,{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1949502/|title=Nilou Motamed|website=IMDb|access-date=2018-12-18}} appearing on outlets ranging from CNN{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223006343/en/Nilou-Motamed-Named-Editor-Time-Inc.%E2%80%99s-Food|title=Nilou Motamed Named Editor of Time Inc.'s Food & Wine|date=2016-02-23|website=www.businesswire.com|access-date=2018-12-18}} to NBC's Today{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/food/food-drink-trends-2017-t107417|title=These are the hottest food trends of 2017|website=TODAY.com|date=30 January 2017 |access-date=2018-12-18}} and CBS This Morning.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-and-wine-restaurants-of-the-year-2016-editor-nilou-motamed/|title=The 10 most exciting new restaurants in the U.S. right now|date=June 8, 2016|website=www.cbsnews.com|access-date=2018-12-18}}
In 2013, Motamed was named editor-in-chief of Epicurious, Condé Nast's digital food site. 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{{Cite web|url=http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/conrad-hotels-launches-stay-inspired-concierge-service/|title=Conrad Hotels launches Stay Inspired concierge service|date=November 27, 2015|website=Breaking Travel News|access-date=December 18, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://skift.com/2015/10/27/conrad-hotels-repositions-brand-around-smart-local-luxury/|title=Conrad Hotels Repositions Brand Around Smart Local Luxury|date=2015-10-27|website=Skift|access-date=2018-12-18}} Motamed created and curated the brand's "1/3/5" collection of local experiences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abouttimemagazine.co.uk/travel/conrad-hotels-135-experiences/|title=Conrad Hotels: 1/3/5 Experiences|last=Grimshaw|first=Alicia|website=About Time Magazine|access-date=December 18, 2018}}
In 2016, Motamed took charge of Time Inc.'s Food & Wine,{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/nilou-motamed-named-food-wine-editor/|title=Nilou Motamed Named Food & Wine Editor|last=O'Shea|first=Chris|date=February 23, 2016|website=www.adweek.com|access-date=2018-12-18}} overseeing editorial operations and content for an audience of more than 12 million. As editor-in-chief, Motamed managed all of F&W's tentpole franchises and partnerships, including the annual Best New Chefs showcase and the millennial food site FWx.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-food-wines-new-editor-bringing-her-own-flavor-brand-171740/|title=How Food & Wine's New Editor Is Bringing Her Own Flavor to the Brand|website=www.adweek.com|date=6 June 2016 |access-date=2018-12-18}}
Beginning with Season 5 in 2008,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-5/episode-5-gails-wedding-shower|title=Episode 5: Gail's Wedding Shower|date=2008-12-10|website=Bravo TV Official Site|access-date=2018-12-18}} Motamed has appeared often as a guest on Bravo's award-winning series Top Chef. For Season 16, set in Kentucky, she took on a more official role as recurring judge.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/why-gail-simmons-not-in-bravo-top-chef-season-16|title=Gail Simmons Addresses Her Absence in Season 16 of Bravo's Top Chef|date=2018-11-28|website=Bravo TV Official Site|access-date=2018-12-18}}
Recognition
Motamed has been a panelist for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards since 2007. She has been profiled in The New York Times.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/nyregion/nilou-motamed-sunday-routine.html|title=How Nilou Motamed, Editor of Food & Wine Magazine, Spends Her Sundays|last=Vora|first=Shivani|date=November 17, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 18, 2018|issn=0362-4331}} and was named one of AdWeek's "30 Most Influential People in Food".{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/meet-30-most-influential-people-food-171781/|title=Meet the 30 Most Influential People in Food|date=June 5, 2016|website=Adweek|access-date=December 18, 2018}}
Personal life
References
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Category:Binghamton University alumni
Category:Television personalities from New York City
Category:College of Sorbonne alumni
Category:American magazine editors
Category:Women magazine editors
Category:Iranian expatriates in France
Category:Iranian emigrants to the United States