Search in slo-mo

Gannett struggling to find digital chief: source

GANNETT,

parent of USA Today, has hired a headhunting firm to search for a new chief digital officer — but the search so far has been a slog, Media Ink has learned.

“They are having a tough time filling it,” one person with knowledge of the matter whispered. “The executive suite is already pretty crowded, andit’s hardtoseeexactly whereyou fit in the mix.”

As an enticement, the headhunter is said to be telling prospective candidates that the job could be the No. 2 spot in the executive suite and potentially lead to the chief executive post.

But a second person downplayed that promise.

“I think they tell everyone that they talk to that they could be the next CEO,” that person noted.

Robert Dickey, 59, currently holds the president and CEOtitle. Noserious transition is in the works, sources said. After a restructuring in 2015, Maribel Perez Wadsworth, the chief transformation officer andasenior VP, appears to haveelbowedher wayinto the No. 2 slot. USA Today Editor-in-Chief Joanne Lipman is also the chief content officer, overseeing the company’s 110 local papers. Lipman is nowviewed as the No. 3 executive — on the same level as John Zidich, the head of domestic publishing.

“Companies hire executive search firms all the time, and it’s no secret that we’re always looking for good digital talent ,” said a Gannet ts pokesperson.

Timeouts

Two more top editor sat Time Inc. are history. Clare McHugh, who had most recently been doing a corporate job as senior director of editorial operations, will exit at the end of the month, and Steele Marcoux, the editor-in-chief of Coastal Living, has already left.

Marcoux joined Time Inc. two years agoafter being lured backfrom Hearst.

McHugh most recently was interfacing with the McKinsey& Co. consulting crewthatis taking awrecking ball to certain parts of Time Inc. Earlier, she had been the launch editor of All You, amagazinesince folded that was aimed at the Walmart crowd. More recently, McHughwasoverseeing a handful of titles, including Sunset, Health and Coastal Living. Health last month was handed off to a new editor-in-chief, Lori Leibovich. After first announcing Coastal Living was prepping for asale, TimeInc. CEORichBattista this weeksaidthe companydecided not to sell it off. But Marcoux announced her resignation anyway.

Neither McHugh nor Marcoux could be reached for comment.