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DES MOINES, Iowa and NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; www.meredith.com), the leading media and marketing company reaching 175 million American consumers – including 80 percent of U.S. Millennial women – announced today that Catherine Levene has been named Chief Strategy Officer. She will begin her new duties on January 14.
Levene will advise President and CEO Tom Harty and the senior leadership team in setting Meredith's strategic direction, with a particular focus on growing the company's digital lifestyle portfolio. Levene will also work closely with Chief Development Officer John Zieser on potential M&A opportunities. She will report to Harty.
Levene has spent her entire career in the media, digital media and eCommerce industries. She has extensive experience working with boards and CEOs to set strategy, implement business plans and direct M&A activities, including attracting financing. Her background also includes operational roles including digital executive positions at leading media companies such as The New York Times and Daily Candy, as well board positions at various private companies in the digital space.
"Catherine brings exceptional skills and knowledge to the Chief Strategy Officer role," Harty said. "Her experience in digital media, eCommerce, and M&A are ideal for this position. Catherine is innovative and has a proven track record of strong leadership and achievement. I am looking forward to Catherine's counsel and having her as part of the senior leadership team as we position Meredith for organic revenue growth."
Levene began her career at The New York Times and returned after working with internet startup Firefly and premium cable network Showtime. She spent eight years with New York Times Digital, progressing to Vice President of Product, Business Development and Strategy. Levene then served as COO of Daily Candy before and through its sale to Comcast.
Most recently, Levene was co-founder and CEO of Artspace, the leading online marketplace for contemporary art, where she was responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of the company's plan. She spent three years growing and positioning Artspace for sale, and then stayed on for two more years following the acquisition.
"I am thrilled to join Meredith during this transformative and exciting time in its history, and I'm eager to work with the Meredith senior team on creating and implementing growth strategies for its digital businesses," Levene said. "Meredith has already built a digital business with great scale, and the organic revenue growth opportunities are very exciting."
Levene holds a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, and dual undergraduate degrees in History and Business from the University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School. Levene currently serves on the Board of Directors for Business.com. She has also served on the Boards of Directors for Rent the Runway and TheFind. Levene is currently an advisory Board member of theSkimm.
ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION
Meredith Corporation has been committed to service journalism for 115 years. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms — including broadcast television, print, digital, mobile and video — to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners.
Meredith's National Media Group reaches more than 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including over 80 percent of U.S. Millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas such as entertainment, food, lifestyle, parenting and home. Meredith is the No. 1 magazine operator in the U.S., and owner of the largest premium content digital network for American consumers. Meredith's leading national brands include PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle, Allrecipes, REAL SIMPLE, SHAPE, Southern Living and Martha Stewart Living. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S. and at walmart.com. Meredith's National Media Group also includes leading affinity marketer Synapse, and The Foundry, the company's state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio.
Meredith's Local Media Group includes 17 television stations reaching 11 percent of U.S. households. Meredith's portfolio is concentrated in large, fast-growing markets, with seven stations in the nation's Top 25 markets — including Atlanta, Phoenix, St. Louis and Portland — and 13 in the Top 50. Meredith's stations produce more than 700 hours of local news and entertainment content each week, and operate leading local digital destinations. Meredith also owns MNI Targeted Media, which delivers targeted advertising solutions to more than 1,200 clients on a local, regional or national level.
SOURCE Meredith Corporation
