Alex MacCallum has been promoted to chief operating officer at CNN, a further indication of the importance that CEO Mark Thompson has placed on digital and streaming.
MacCallum has served as executive vice president of digital products and services for the past two years. In a memo to employees on Thursday, Thompson wrote that MacCallum “is already playing a crucial role in turning our vision of the future CNN into a reality.”
Her duties will expand to include oversight of consumer strategy, operations, mission-driven project work and strategic partnerships and business development, Thompson wrote.
“Alex has already achieved an impressive set of critical accomplishments in record time,” he wrote. “On top of building a world-class digital operation and transforming our core products, she’s led and launched a direct-to-consumer sub business, assembled a set of outstanding leaders in audience, data, product and tech, engagement and monetization, and has built excellent collaborative working relationships with all of CNN’s other top leaders.”
CNN launched All Access, a subscription tier that includes a streaming feed of the linear network, in October. Thompson has prioritized the integration of digital with the network’s linear operations, which are grappling with cord cutting and the general shift to streaming and social media.
Before her current CNN tenure, MacCallum was chief revenue officer at The Washington Post. Before that, she was global head of product for CNN Worldwide and general manager of CNN+, the latter of which was shut down after just one month by new parent Warner Bros. Discovery. She previously spent eight years at The New York Times.
David Leavy previously served as COO before he departed last May. Status first reported on MacCallum’s promotion.