Time Inc. Names IAB CEO Randall Rothenberg Its First Chief Digital Officer

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Time Inc. has named Randall Rothenberg, who has been president-CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau since 2007, exec VP and its first chief digital officer. In his new role at Time Inc., the publisher of magazines such as Time and People, Mr. Rothenberg will be responsible for the company's digital growth strategy, focusing on building interactive brands and finding new revenue opportunities including potential acquisitions. He will also become one of Time Inc.'s representatives on the board of Next Issue Media, the consortium of five major publishers formed to help print navigate tablets and other devices. He will also establish a "virtual" Center for Digital Innovation that will provide seed money for new digital projects and a Center of Digital Knowledge to share digital insights throughout the company. The Interactive Advertising Bureau grew into a significant force under Mr. Rothenberg, expanding membership by 50% to 460 companies, doubling revenue, opening a lobbying office in Washington D.C., building a successful series of conferences, and developing industry standards on numerous fronts including privacy and ethics. It said today that it had begun a search for a successor to Mr. Rothenberg, who joins Time Inc. on Jan. 17. Before joining the IAB, Mr. Rothenberg had been senior director of intellectual capital and CMO at Booz Allen Hamilton. He previously was a marketing and media columnist for Advertising Age and, before that, an editor, reporter and columnist at The New York Times. Griffin's first big outside hire "Randall has participated in every aspect of the digital media marketplace -- from content creation to marketing to revenue -- giving him a unique perspective that will be critical to his new position," said Jack Griffin, who became Time Inc. CEO in September and has recently begun making significant personnel moves. Mr. Rothenberg's hire is Mr. Griffin's first major hire, however, from outside the company. "Randall is the ideal candidate to lead Time Inc.'s digital growth strategy and further establish our brands as innovators in the tablet and other emerging digital arenas," Mr. Griffin said in a statement announcing Mr. Rothenberg's hire. "In addition, his background as an accomplished journalist makes him a great cultural fit for the company." As Mr. Rothenberg seeks growth opportunities for Time Inc., including possible acquisitions, he won't have the field to himself. News of his new role comes on the same day that Advance Publications -- which owns Conde Nast Publications as well as daily and weekly newspapers and American City Business Journals -- named Andrew Siegel, a former Yahoo VP of corporate development, to become senior VP for strategy and corporate development, a new post. "Andrew brings great experience in strategy and sales development," said Steve Newhouse, chairman of Advance.net, Advance's digital division. "He will help us take advantage of attractive growth in the media space." Follow Nat Ives on Twitter.

Time Inc. Names IAB CEO Randall Rothenberg Its First Chief Digital Officer

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