Conde Nast, the publisher of Vogue and Vanity Fair, ended recent speculation Wednesday when it named former Fairchild Fashion Media President and CEO Gina Sanders to the newly created position of president of global development at Conde Nast.
Two weeks ago, Conde Nast sold Fairchild, publisher of Women's Wear Daily, to Penske Media for a reported $100 million. But Ms. Sanders, a 26-year Conde Nast veteran who became president and CEO of Fairchild in 2010, didn't go with Fairchild; Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend said then that she would assume a role with parent company Advance Publications to be announced shortly.
Ms. Sanders' next step became a subject of conversation partly because she is widely considered on a track for growing leadership responsibilities at Conde Nast. Ms. Sanders' earlier posts at Conde include VP-publisher stints at titles including Lucky and Gourmet, and she was founding VP-publisher of Teen Vogue, but the assignment to run Fairchild established her credentials as an operator of a multi-title company division.
In her new role, Ms. Sanders reports to Mr. Townsend and Jonathan Newhouse, chairman and CEO of Conde Nast International. "With Gina's extensive relationships and strong business acumen, we will be able to fully harness the power of our brands worldwide," Mr. Townsend said.
Ms. Sanders will have offices in New York and Paris.
The appointment comes after Conde Nast -- whose other titles include GQ, The New Yorker, Glamour, Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler and Allure -- has made several recent changes. Last month, it promoted Vanity Fair VP-Publisher Edward Menicheschi to CMO-president of the Conde Nast Media Group, which sells ad programs spanning the company's brands. He succeeded Lou Cona, a Conde Nast veteran who left the company as part of the change.
Also, last month, Conde Nast said it was spinning off Lucky magazine into a separate company. And in July, the company reshuffled its executive ranks, consolidating some power under Conde Nast President Bob Sauerberg and giving Vogue Editor and Conde Nast Artistic Director Anna Wintour more influence over the magazines. Tom Wallace, the company's longtime editorial director, left the company.
