Condé Nast Shuffles Execs, Sets ‘New Course’

Bob Sauerberg named president; Chuck Townsend retains CEO title

In another shuffle of its executive decks, Condé Nast said on Friday the company is promoting Bob Sauerberg, currently president of the consumer marketing group, to president of Condé Nast.

Sauerberg will report to Chuck Townsend, who had been president and chief executive officer (Townsend will retain the CEO title).

The move is part a Condé Nast’s “new strategic course as a consumer-centric media and entertainment company in order to accelerate growth,” Townsend said.

The company is being “realigned to better embrace and harness developing technology; broaden consumer touch points; and create contemporary value propositions for advertisers.”

For Sauerberg, his “primary responsibility,” Townsend said, “will be to move the company to a new business model focused around digital connectivity, technology development, and consumer insight.”

A few other changes in Condé’s executive suite were announced on Friday, too.

>> John Bellando, currently Condé Nast’s chief operating officer, will assume the chief financial officer title, too.

>> Louis Cona, currently EVP of the Condé Nast Media Group (CNMG), will become chief marketing officer, charged with overseeing “the evolution of CNMG into a seamless, multi-media, multi-platform sales and marketing services facility.”
 
>> Tom Wallace remains editorial director.

After a tumultuous 2009 — in which the company made a slew of cuts, closings and watched ad pages evaporate — things appear to have stabilized at Condé Nast, at least in terms of advertising.

Through June, ad pages at Vanity and Vogue, two of Condé's jewels, were up 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively, compared to the first half last year.

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