International: Roger Lynch, former CEO of Pandora, will become the first global CEO of Condé Nast. It was announced today by Jonathan Newhouse and Steve Newhouse on behalf of the Condé Nast Board of Directors. Lynch also will join the board when his appointment takes effect on April 22.
Jonathan Newhouse, board chairman, said, “After conducting a thorough search for an executive to run the combined Condé Nast US and Condé Nast International, we believe Roger is the right person to lead Condé Nast during our new phase of global integration, growth and transformation. Roger is a transformative leader with significant international experience and a proven track record building companies at the evolving intersection of media and technology. His strong business acumen, relevant experience, and ability to unite a team around a common purpose to drive results make him a clear choice for our next CEO.”
Steve Newhouse, board member, said, “What impressed us most about Roger was his passion for great journalism, magazines that make a difference, and brands that have exceptional potential for growth. Roger will build on the outstanding work of Bob Sauerberg and Jonathan Newhouse in extending our print brands into digital video, data and experiences. We are delighted that Roger, a truly innovative leader, will carry this work forward, and we are grateful to Bob and Jonathan for making so much progress in a challenging environment.”
Lynch is a global CEO with a distinguished track record across entertainment, media, television and music. He has extensive experience leading innovative consumer media and technology businesses through critical transformation and high-growth periods. Most recently, as President & CEO of Pandora, Lynch led the turnaround of the country’s largest streaming music service. At Pandora, he refocused the business on growth, transformation, and investment initiatives to accelerate revenue and generate positive returns.
“I have long admired the extraordinary, award-winning content produced by Condé Nast,” said Lynch. “The company is home to some of the most culturally-significant and iconic media brands in the world. As a newly-combined global company, we have the opportunity to accelerate the evolution of the consumer experiences and value we deliver to our audiences and partners around the world. I’m very excited to work alongside the talented, passionate and creative team at Condé Nast as we drive the next phase of the company’s growth.”
Prior to working at Pandora, Lynch was the founding CEO of Sling TV, where he led the creation, launch, and growth of Sling TV to become the #1 Live OTT service in the U.S. Lynch also served as chairman and CEO of Video Networks International Ltd., a UK based IPTV provider, and before that, as president and CEO of Chello Broadband in Amsterdam, where he pioneered the widespread rollout of consumer broadband services across ten countries in Europe. Earlier in his career, Lynch was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley specializing in technology and a member of the physics technical staff at Hughes Aircraft Company. He holds a Master of Business Administration with Highest Distinction from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Southern California.
As previously announced, Jonathan Newhouse will become chairman of the board of directors and will relinquish his position as CEO of Condé Nast International. Also with Lynch’s appointment, Bob Sauerberg, who served as CEO of Condé Nast’s U.S. business for the past three years, will step down and exit the organization after a distinguished 18 years with the company. Sauerberg will continue to represent Advance on the Board of Reddit.
