From a company release we’ve learned that after Farm Journal Media’s acquisition of Vance Publishing some management changes have been announced. Here you go.
Steve Custer, an 18-year veteran of Farm Journal, is promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) from Executive VP and COO. Custer will continue to run the expanded day-to-day operations of Farm Journal.
Charlene Finck, currently Senior VP of Content Development and a 26-year company veteran, is promoted to Executive VP and Chief Content Officer (CCO). In her new role, Finck not only assumes leadership of all incoming Vance content assets in addition to Farm Journal content, but also heads up a new division called Content Services, which comes with the Vance acquisition, to better partner with the overall agricultural industry to distribute content.
Joe Matthews, Senior VP of Finance, is promoted to Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) following the very successful completion of the Vance acquisition in December 2015. Matthews takes on a larger role in Farm Journal’s mergers-and-acquisition strategy.
Joining Farm Journal Jan. 12, in the newly created Senior VP and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role, is Jonathan Burr. Currently, Burr works at Sears’ Emerging Technology Group overseeing 120 product and technology developers. Previously, he had succeeding responsibilities with CrossLoop Inc., CISION Inc., SupportSoft Inc. and Accenture. Burr will lead the technology infrastructure integration efforts at Farm Journal while rapidly accelerating the company’s competency in data and Agile development.
In addition, the executive search for the new position of Division President, Paid Business Information, is concluding with the expectation a new executive will be named by Jan. 31, 2016.
With these changes, the P&L and Functional reporting structures at Farm Journal Media are aligned under Weber and Custer as follows:
P&L executives reporting to CEO Andy Weber:
• Steve Custer-President and COO
• Jeff Pence-Division President, Broadcast and M&A
• Mitch Rouda-Division President, e-Media
• Ron Wall-Division President, Publishing
• Division President, Paid Business Information (to be named)
Functional executives reporting to President and COO Steve Custer:
• Charlene Finck, Executive VP and CCO
• Will Murphy, Senior VP, Sales
• Joe Matthews, Senior VP and CFO
• Jon Burr, Senior VP and CTO
• VP, Human Resources (to be named)
In announcing the new structure, Weber stated: “The Vance acquisition increases our size by 40% and puts us over a new operating threshold. This new structure has the diverse talent, strength and, most of all, collaborative culture to take the company to more than $100 million in the next couple of years and continue to grow rapidly beyond that. It’s easily the best team I’ve had the privilege of working with in my 38 years in the media and information business.”