Hong Kong: CNN has announced the promotion of Ellana Lee to a newly created global leadership position, naming her Group Senior Vice President, General Manager APAC, and Global Head of Productions. The move marks a significant expansion of CNN’s commitment to multi-platform sponsored content, with Lee set to oversee a newly formed global productions team while continuing her editorial leadership in Asia Pacific.
In her 25-year tenure at CNN, Lee has played a pivotal role in shaping the network’s feature content strategy, spearheading acclaimed initiatives such as Call to Earth and building out a globally respected Features unit. Prior to her promotion, she served as SVP, Managing Editor Asia Pacific, and Global Head of Features Content.
As part of her expanded role, Lee will lead a new Global Productions team responsible for the development and production of sponsored content across all platforms. The initiative will also see the creation of new roles in the United States aimed at enhancing CNN’s Features capabilities, which currently span Atlanta, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and London.
“Under Ellana’s leadership, our Features team has consistently innovated, delivering award-winning, multi-platform, editorially robust and engaging content that has attracted commercial partnerships with some of the world’s most dynamic and successful brands,” said Mike McCarthy, Managing Editor, CNN Worldwide. “She will now bring that experience, creativity, and skill to bear across the network.”
Lee will remain based at CNN’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong, continuing as the network’s most senior executive outside the United States. In her ongoing role as head of APAC, she will retain responsibility for CNN’s editorial operations across the region, overseeing programming and newsgathering teams across eight bureaus.
