By FRONTIER
Frontier’s board of directors has today appointed Sonny Swe as CEO, marking his return to the media organisation he founded over a decade ago.
Sonny Swe, who started Frontier in 2015, announced his departure in late 2024. Last year, Frontier appointed Aung Htin Aung as his successor following a lengthy selection process that included several rounds of interviews.
Director and editor-at-large Thomas Kean thanked Aung Htin Aung for leading Frontier over the past eight months. “Aung Htin Aung has done a really admirable job in very difficult circumstances. We all know that times are tough in the Myanmar media industry given the decline in donor funding, and on top of that Frontier has also faced incessant, unfounded attacks from other media outlets,” he said.
“It has become clear to the board that Sonny and Frontier are indelibly intertwined. While we understood his reasons for stepping down, ultimately we feel that it is in the best interests of the company and the staff for him to return as the CEO and lead Frontier forward.”
Following the board’s decision, Frontier’s Editor-in-Chief Thu Thu Aung said, “I want to thank Aung Htin Aung for all his efforts in a very challenging environment. Sonny has a record of exceptional contribution to Myanmar media, and I believe we will benefit from his leadership at this critical moment.”
Frontier’s ownership structure
Frontier was established in 2015 as part of Black Knight Media Co. Ltd., a company registered in Myanmar. Sonny Swe’s stake in Black Knight Media is held through another Myanmar-registered entity, M Media International Co. Ltd, while co-founder Sylvia Saw McKaige’s stake is held via a Singapore-based company, Salween International Pte Ltd.
After the 2021 military coup, Frontier began operating under a Singapore-based company, Boomerang Media Pte. Ltd. Black Knight Media remains a registered company but is no longer carrying out any business activities.
In April 2025 Sonny Swe resigned as a director of Boomerang Media Pte. Ltd. and also transferred his shareholding to Frontier’s editorial adviser, Pichai Chuensuksawadi.
Sonny Swe remains a director and shareholder of Boomerang Network (Thailand) Co. Ltd., a Thailand-registered company that operates the Greenhouse co-working space in Chiang Mai.
