Refinery29 has appointed Dana Stern to vice president of talent relations and casting, the publisher announced Tuesday morning. Stern, who officially started in May, will be responsible for leading and building cross-company efforts to integrate talent across the company’s editorial and sponsored initiatives, including video, experiential and live events.
Stern will work closely with Natasha Vaquer, vice president of talent partnership & influencer strategy, and will report to Amy Emmerich, president of North America and chief content officer.
“Dana is a magic maker and has shown success at integrating celebrity talent and social media influencers across platforms to create new revenue opportunities and brand integrations,” said Emmerich. “Her ability to forge meaningful and trusted relationships within the talent ecosystem will prove to be immensely valuable to Refinery29 as we look to identify new and innovative ways to partner with talent our audiences respect and admire — and those they have not yet discovered.”
Stern most recently served as president of her own talent consultancy DSS & Associates where she worked on clients such as A+E Networks, Viacom Digital and Group Nine Media. Prior, to that she spent more than a decade at Hearst Magazines, most recently serving as executive entertainment director for Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to strengthen Refinery29’s inroads with leading celebrity talent as well as the next generation of stars, while also identifying new areas for growth,” said Stern. “As a catalyst driving women to realize their full potential, Refinery29 offers many exciting opportunities for talent to share meaningful experiences with today’s highly-connected, highly-influential female consumer and best in class brands.”