RACHEL WEBBER PROMOTED TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FOX TELEVISION GROUP
Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden announced today that they have elevated Shannon Ryan to Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications for Fox Television Group, and have promoted Rachel Webber to Senior Vice President, Fox Television Group. Both Ryan and Webber will report directly to Walden and Newman and join them in the executive suite of the company’s television group, which encompasses a consortium of media and content creation companies, including Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
As Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications for Fox Television Group, Ryan will oversee publicity and corporate communications, as well as talent relations, across the network, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television studios. She will also assume oversight of the cross-company Audience Strategy group, in addition to continuing to lead FOX’s creative services and special ops marketing teams.
“Now that our network and studio businesses are aligned, it’s important that our approaches to external communications, community initiatives and talent relationships are aligned as well – and Shannon is the perfect person to lead that charge,” said Newman and Walden. “She’s a gifted marketing and communications strategist and a trusted senior leader on our team, and she will no doubt have a tremendous impact on our company in this expanded role.”
In her new role as Senior Vice President, Fox Television Group, Webber will be responsible for developing new business opportunities for FOX and 20th Century Fox Television. Her primary areas of focus will be on the company’s content distribution strategy, growing brand partnerships and expanding the monetization of its franchises and digital offerings.
“Rachel’s experience in corporate development and brand partnerships across traditional and digital media makes her uniquely suited for Fox Television Group, as we evolve our distribution and monetization strategies,” said Walden and Newman. “She has proven to be an incredibly valuable executive across various divisions of the company, and we are looking forward to working with her even more closely at Fox Television Group.”
Both Ryan and Webber will transition into their new roles immediately.
Previously, Ryan served as Executive Vice President of Marketing & Communications for FOX, beginning in 2011, where she drove the network’s earned media strategy and grassroots marketing efforts and oversaw FOX’s special operations, publicity and corporate communications, and creative services teams. Ryan is a longtime member of FOX’s publicity staff, having originally joined the company as a coordinator. While a publicist at the network, she developed and executed launch campaigns for such hit series as FAMILY GUY, “That ’70s Show,” “King of the Hill,” “The Simple Life,” “Undeclared” and “Arrested Development.” In 2006, Ryan was promoted to Vice President of Entertainment Publicity overseeing PR and awards
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FOX TELEVISION GROUP EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS – Page 2
campaigns for such seminal series as AMERICAN IDOL, “House,” THE SIMPSONS and “24.” Following her promotion to Senior Vice President, Publicity & Corporate Communications in 2007, she supervised launch campaigns for FOX hits “Glee,” NEW GIRL, “Fringe” and “The X Factor,” and also oversaw internal and external executive communications strategies for the network. Ryan is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television.
Webber previously served as Vice President, New Media Business Development at Fox Networks Group, where she led efforts to expand the company’s advertising technology and data solutions capabilities, collaborated to build brand sponsorship offerings and drove digitally-focused corporate development initiatives. She began her career at News Corporation, serving in the corporate office; at Fox Television Studios; and at Australia’s major pay-TV platform, FOXTEL. Prior to returning to 21st Century Fox, Webber served as Director of Partnership Development at Tumblr and as Vice President, Video, at Rovio Entertainment, where she built the company’s video business. Webber is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos of Ms. Ryan and Ms. Webber are available at www.foxflash.com.]