Mashable Hires a New CRO and New Chief Content Officer

The digital media company Mashable, which was founded in 2005 by a then-19-year-old Pete Cashmore, is underdoing a major reorganization that includes the appointment of a new chief revenue officer and a new chief content officer. Ed Wise, who most recently managed partnerships for Pinterest, has joined the company as CRO, replacing Seth Rogin, who is moving on to "a new venture." Chief Content Officer Jim Roberts, who came aboard in 2013 after a lengthy career at The New York Times, is also leaving, and will be replaced by Gregory Gittrich, who recently served as chief content officer for Vocativ, another digital media startup. Other Mashable employees are also leaving as part of the reorganization, which is intended to unify the company's voice and to reflect a greater focus on video storytelling. Mr. Cashmore, Mashable's CEO, announced the changes, which are effectively immediately, in a Thursday morning staff memo. "To reflect these changes, we must organize our teams in a different way," he wrote. "Unfortunately this has led us to a very tough decision. Today we must part ways with some of our colleagues in order to focus our efforts. Everyone affected by these changes has already been notified." He continued: "We are certain this is the right direction for Mashable. But that doesn't make it any less difficult to say goodbye to our friends and teammates. ... We will miss them and we will offer services to help them transition into new roles." Moving forward, Mashable's editorial coverage will focus on the company's core subjects, including technology, web culture, entertainment and business. Politics and world news will no longer have dedicated verticals, but will still be covered from a digital angle and as the news cycle dictates. Mashable Studios, the company's video production arm, and Mashable Collective, which is focused on platform publishing, will fall under Mr. Gittrich's purview, going forward. Mr. Cashmore called Mr. Roberts, who was considered a marquee hire at the time, "an incredible leader and mentor who has inspired us all to reach new heights." Mashable will hold an all-hands meeting Thursday to discuss the changes, Mr. Cashmore said. Mashable, which has 325 employees across the globe, last week announced a $15 million funding round, led by Turner, as part of a digital video-focused partnership. Mashable also has a video-development deal with NBCUniversal's Bravo.

Mashable Hires a New CRO and New Chief Content Officer

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