Snap Out Of It
Hearst Magazines has tapped a Snap Inc. executive for its new chief business role.
Kristen O’Hara has been named senior vice president and chief business officer, overseeing U.S. advertising sales and marketing at the media company’s magazines division. She’ll begin her new role on Jan. 6.
O’Hara’s appointment follows the retirement of Michael A. Clinton, who led marketing and publishing for the entire outfit under three presidents and three chief executive officers during his 21 years at the company.
He won’t be completely disappearing from the hallways of Hearst Tower, though, as he’ll continue to serve as senior media adviser, keeping both an office and his assistant of more than three decades. Before that, his last title was president of marketing.
Another Hearst Magazines executive that didn’t fully retire is David Carey. After stepping down as president of the division last year, he remained on as chairman and in a surprise turn of events revealed last week that he’ll rejoin Hearst full time as senior vice president of public affairs and communications.
As for O’Hara, she was previously at Snap Inc., where she was vice president of business solutions. Before that, she spent 16 years at Time Warner, where she held senior executive sales and marketing roles, most recently as chief marketing officer — HBO,
Turner and Warner Bros.
She joined Time Inc. in 2002 as vice president of marketing and sales strategy. Prior to that, she was at Young & Rubicam in brand strategy and business development roles.
“Kristen brings a wealth of experience, solid relationships and innovative ideas to this new role,” said Troy Young, president of Hearst Magazines, to whom O’Hara will report.
“Her track record leading teams that sell across multiple brands and platforms — coupled with her fearless approach to an evolving media industry — will help our clients drive even stronger engagement with our audience while moving our business forward,” he added.
O’Hara said that “with strong brands, vast video offerings, sophisticated data and distribution — combined with loyal audiences at scale — the company is perfectly positioned to deliver elegant and effective solutions for marketers today.”
She joins the company at a time when hundreds of staff at the magazines division have been trying to unionize through the Writers Guild of America, East since November.
Hearst Corp.’s refusal to recognize it resulted in the socalled Hearst Magazine Media Union filing for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that oversees disputes related to workplace organizing. It is currently investigating the case.
— KATHRYN HOPKINS