Conde Nast names Anna Wintour new AD

Publishing power house Conde Nast, the parent company of

magazines such as Vogue, GQ and The New Yorker, have named Anna Wintour as its new Artistic Director.

Wintour, who is also the editor of the American Vogue, will oversee the direction of Conde Nast's 17 publications and 27 websites.

"Anna has been a driving force behind the success of Conde Nast, so it is a great privilege to extend her influence beyond the Vogue brand to the rest of the organization,” said Conde Nast CEO Charles H. Townsend in an official press release.

The promotion comes at a time when many thought the most powerful woman in fashion was considering retirement. As the driving force behind Fashion's Night Out in 2009, the retail initiative was recently put on hold in the U.S.

Earlier this year rumours swirled that Wintour was in line for a diplomatic post in Paris, however, she ultimately was passed up for the job.

Anna Wintour succeeds S.I. Newhouse Jr. who, at 86, is no longer involved in daily company operations of the publishing giant.