Media Leadership:
Mapping the Future
By: Fran Helms and Grant Duncan
of Media Leadership
What forces are impacting talent decisions the most?
The direct-to-consumer model
Desire for internal disruption
Cross-pollination
Original content as differentiator
New modes of monetization
Globalization
Increased M&A
Demand for diversity
Increased M&A
To build scale and power, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are becoming commonplace in media. Every business today must continually assess whether it will be a consolidator, position for a strategic exit or remain independent, bolstered by a highly unique value proposition. Demand for strategic corporate development leadership is high, requiring candidates from more M&A-heavy sectors.
The direct-to-consumer model
Media players need leaders who can make data-driven decisions to attract and engage consumers, and many of these roles are largely foreign to traditional media businesses.
Desire for internal disruption
As traditional media companies play “catch up” with disruptive models, they demonstrate increased appetite to blend their internal networks of long-tenured executives with externally recruited change agents to bring fresh perspectives and capability to “disrupt from within.”
Cross-pollination
To build out digital content, we see a migration of talent from video-based and digitally native businesses to historically print-based businesses and shifts from data-intensive sectors like retail and banking to D2C media.
Original content as differentiator
Increased investment in original content to compete for viewers has made talent moves between traditional studios and vertically integrated digital platforms more fluid.
New modes of monetization
IP-driven media businesses need commercially oriented executives who can expand revenue outlets, with particularly high demand for consumer products leaders who can drive franchise models.
Globalization
As media companies become more global in their marketplace reach and search for new revenue streams, leaders need to demonstrate cultural agility and savvy for how content travels across borders.
Demand for diversity
Cultural movements like #MeToo have highlighted the need for more women and diversity in leadership and board roles in the media sector. At the same time, organizations outside the industry are turning to tech and media to boost their board’s digital IQ, intensifying competition for this talent pool.
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What skills have become more important for leaders at the top in an evolving media landscape?
In this environment, it’s time to rethink the traditional media leader profile.
Today's Media Leader Toolkit
Profile
Broad mix of experience
Visionary POV
D2C expertise and data-driven customer-centricity
Global perspective
Learning agility
M&A expertise
As media consumption and channels evolve, leaders in high demand bring perspectives from multiple sectors, many bouncing between traditional and digitally native businesses, as well as crossing over from e-commerce, omnichannel and telco environments.
Visionary POV
D2C expertise and data-driven customer-centricity
The best candidates have a “thesis” for how to move forward in an uncertain landscape,
and articulate it clearly and
with confidence.
D2C expertise and data-driven customer-centricity
Good leaders understand the major shift from B2B to consumer revenue and use data as a powerful decision-making tool to shape their content strategies and distribution channels according to measurable trends in customer behavior and preferences as a necessary complement to creative vision and instincts.
In a consolidating marketplace, M&A skills and experience
are highly valued.
To keep up in a rapidly changing marketplace, leaders must fail
fast when wrong and scale fast when right.
M&A expertise
A command of the global marketplace is a must for top leaders in pursuit of new
avenues for growth.
Learning agility
M&A expertise
Hover over each dot to see these shifts.
Media companies need leaders with a clear understanding of the broader media ecosystem and changing consumer consumption patterns within it. As such, there is more cross-sector movement than ever before.
Media’s Fluid Ecosystem
Streaming media / OTT
Digital
media
Advertising /
PR
Consumer products / services
TV network (cable / broadcast)
Tech & platforms
Radio broadcast
Kelly Campbell
Google
Hulu
Max Conze
Dyson
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE
Peter Faricy
Amazon
Discovery
Andrew Fitzgerald
Twitter
Hearst Television
Nick Hugh
Yahoo!
Telegraph Media Group
Megan Liberman
Yahoo!
Sirius XM
David Kenny
IBM Corporation
Nielsen
Jaya Kolhatkar
WalmartLabs
Hulu
Roger Lynch
Pandora
Condé Nast
Carolyn McCall
EasyJet
ITV
Dawn Ostroff
Condé Nast
Spotify
Katherine Pope
Studio 8 Entertainment
Charter Communications
Sheila Spence
WPP Group
Spotify
Mark Thompson
BBC Worldwide
The New York Times Company
New landscape, new roles
As media changes, we’ve seen some key functional roles evolve, and entirely new ones emerge.
Chief Content Officer
Performance Marketer
Chief Customer Officer
Chief Data Officer
Business/Corporate Development Leader
Chief Content Officer
Performance Marketer
Chief Customer Officer
Chief Data Officer
Business/Corporate Development Leader
Must have:
• Proven content development and
“storytelling” experience, ideally from
a respected training ground
• An appetite to use data to enhance —
not stifle — creativity, and do it at scale
• Cross-functional collaboration and
decision-making skills
• Ability to build and inspire
top-performing teams
• Understanding of consumer behavior
and mastery of personalization for
an increasingly D2C media world
• A CTO mindset to maximize use of
technology across the organization
• Proficiency in data and design,
including predictive analytics and
algorithmic marketing strategy
• Experience mapping and guiding the
entire customer journey
• Consumer data and analytics
experience, including audience
segmentation and measurement
• Customer engagement, retention and
loyalty experience
• Traditional marketing expertise and
ability to collaborate across functions
• Experience implementing data and
analytics strategies in complex
organizational structures
• Executive and board-level presence
• Understanding of how to use data to
advance business goals
• Ability to influence and collaborate
• Strategic and financial acumen
• Strong track record of driving inorganic
growth or forging new business models
internally
• Understanding of the organizational culture and talent implications
of M&A
Some questions to consider when assessing and building media teams:
Hover over to explore.
Culture
Experience
Perspective
Agility
Change
Skills
Capabilities
Global
M&A
Perspective
Do individuals on my team bring the breadth of perspective and experience necessary to properly evaluate opportunities in a dynamic, ever-shifting marketplace?
perspective
How do the people on my team fit with the organizational culture we have
(or are trying to build)?
culture
Culture
How critical is industry experience versus specific functional experience for key roles on my team, specifically among newer roles or disciplines?
experience
Experience
Does my team work together effectively and demonstrate a learning agility?
agility
Agility
Do my board and shareholders understand and support the need for change?
change
Change
Does my team have the right combination of skills necessary for the future?
skills
Skills
What is the current state of our content, marketing, analytical and strategic capabilities?
capabilities
Capabilities
Do we have integration challenges to navigate as a result of recent or planned M&A?
M&A
M&A
How strong or deep is the global experience base on my team?
global
Global
Download the full list
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Does your organization have the right leaders
with the right skills to thrive in a shifting media landscape?
LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP
Broad mix of experience
Visionary POV
D2C expertise and data-driven customer-centricity
Global perspective
Learning agility
M&A expertise
*Many of the organizations listed play in more than one space; for illustrative purposes, they have been categorized according to their primary focus.
Diversified
media
Telecom
Information services
Film /
TV studio
Ann Sarnoff
BBC America
Warner Bros.
For media companies, change is the new status quo. A constantly shifting media landscape has given rise to new leadership roles and placed a premium on a different set of skills.
Fran Helms
Grant Duncan
Visionary POV
Data-driven customer-centricity
Global perspective
Learning agility
M&A expertise
Data-driven customer-centricity
Global perspective
Learning agility
M&A expertise
Global perspective
Learning agility
M&A expertise
Learning agility
M&A expertise
M&A expertise
Media’s Fluid Ecosystem
Media companies need leaders with a clear understanding of the broader media ecosystem and changing consumer consumption patterns within it. As such, there is more cross-sector movement than ever before.
*Many of the organizations listed play in more than one space; for illustrative purposes, they have been categorized according to their primary focus.
Streaming media / OTT
Digital media
Advertising / PR
Consumer products / services
TV network
( cable / broadcast )
Tech &
platforms
Streaming media / OTT
Roger Lynch
Pandora
Condé Nast
Dawn Ostroff
Condé Nast
Spotify
Kelly Campbell
Google
Hulu
Jaya Kolhatkar
WalmartLabs
Hulu
Sheila Spence
WWP Group
Spotify
Digital media
Nick Hugh
Yahoo!
Telegraph Media Group
Megan Liberman
Yahoo!
SiriusXM
Scroll on
TO:
Diversified media
FROM:
Diversified media
FROM:
Tech & platforms
FROM:
Consumer products / services
FROM:
Advertising / PR
Advertising /
PR
Sheila Spence
WPP Group
Spotify
TO:
Streaming media / OTT
Consumer products / services
Carolyn McCall
EasyJet
ITV
TO:
Jaya Kolhatkar
WalmartLabs
Hulu
TO:
Max COnze
Dyson
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE
TO:
TV network (cable / broadcast)
Peter Faricy
Amazon
Discovery
TV network (cable / broadcast)
Streaming media / OTT
TO:
TV network (cable / broadcast)
TV network
( cable / broadcast )
Andrew Fitzgerald
Twitter
Hearst Television
Ann Sarnoff
BBC America
Warner Bros.
TO:
Carolyn McCall
EasyJet
ITV
Mark Thompson
BBC Worldwide
The New York Times
Film / TV studio
TO:
Radio broadcast
TO:
Diversified media
Max Conze
Dyson
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE
FROM:
Tech & platforms
TO:
Diversified media
FROM:
Consumer products / services
FROM:
Consumer products / services
Peter Faricy
Amazon
Discovery
FROM:
Consumer products / services
Tech & Platforms
David Kenny
IBM Corporation
Nielsen
TO:
Information services
Andrew Fitzgerald
Twitter
Hearst Television
TO:
TV network (cable / broadcast)
Kelly Campbell
Google
Hulu
TO:
Streaming media / OTT
Radio broadcast
Megan Liberman
Yahoo!
SiriusXM
Digital media
FROM:
Diversified media
Dawn Ostroff
Condé Nast
Spotify
Mark Thompson
BBC Worldwide
The New York Times
TV network (cable / broadcast)
FROM:
Nick Hugh
Yahoo!
Telegraph Media Group
FROM:
Digital media
Roger Lynch
Pandora
Condé Nast
FROM:
Streaming media / OTT
Streaming media / OTT
TO:
Telecom
Katherine Pope
Studio 8 Entertainment
Charter Communications
Film / TV studio
FROM:
Information services
IBM Corporation
Nielsen
Tech & platforms
FROM:
David KennY
Film / TV studio
Katherine Pope
Studio 8 Entertainment
Charter Communications
TO:
Telecom
Ann Sarnoff
BBC America
Warner Bros.
FROM:
TV network (cable/broadcast)
Radio broadcast
Diversified media
Telecom
Information services
Film / TV studio
JONATHAN CARSON
Vevo
The Trade Desk
Digital media
FROM:
KEITH GROSSMAN
Engine
Time
Diversified media
TO:
Jacki KellEy
Bloomberg
Dentsu Aegis Network
Diversified media
FROM:
Brian Lesser
GroupM
Xandr/AT&T
Telecom
TO:
Lisa Utzschneider
Yahoo!
Integral Ad Science
Digital media
FROM:
Jonathan Carson
Vevo
The Trade Desk
TO:
Advertising / PR
KEITH GROSSMAN
Engine
Time
FROM:
Advertising / PR
Jacki kellEy
Bloomberg
Dentsu Aegis Network
TO:
Advertising / PR
BRIAN LESSER
GroupM
Xandr/AT&T
Advertising / PR
FROM:
Lisa Utzschneider
Yahoo!
Integral Ad Science
TO:
Advertising / PR
Paul Bascobert
XO Group
Gannett
TO:
Diversified media
Paul Bascobert
XO Group
Gannett
FROM:
Digital media
OREN KATZEFF
Tastemade
Condé Nast
FROM:
Digital media
OREN KATZEFF
Tastemade
Condé Nast
TO:
Diversified media
MaryAnn Turcke
Bell Media
NFL
Diversified media
TO:
MaryAnn Turcke
Bell Media
NFL
Telecom
FROM:
Paul Todd
eBay
GLG
TO:
Information services
Paul Todd
eBay
GLG
FROM:
Consumer products / services
Jonathan Carson
Vevo
The Trade Desk
Paul Bascobert
XO Group
Gannett
Keith Grossman
Engine
Time
Jacki Kelley
Bloomberg
Dentsu Aegis Network
Oren Katzeff
Tastemade
Condé Nast
Brian Lesser
GroupM
Xandr/AT&T
Maryann Turcke
Bell Media
NFL
Lisa Utzschneider
Yahoo!
Integral Ad Science
Paul Todd
eBay
GLG