Athan Stephanopoulos has been named EVP and Chief Digital Officer of CNN Worldwide.
Stephanopoulos will be responsible for the digital worldwide business, including editorial, product, technology, business operations and innovation strategies, and report to CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht.
“I am thrilled Athan is joining CNN. His vision for digital journalism, alongside his leadership and business acumen, is exactly what we need to build CNN’s digital future,” said Licht, CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO.
Stephanopoulos joins CNN after more than eight years at NowThis, where he served as president and led the brand to become one of the largest and fastest-growing digital news outlets for a young Gen Z and Millennial audience.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join CNN at this unprecedented time in news,” said Stephanopoulos. “CNN’s digital reach around the world is truly unrivalled and its digital offering is best-in-class, and yet there is still so much opportunity for growth and innovation to move CNN into the future. I look forward to working with Chris and the entire CNN team to drive deeper engagement among existing audiences online, as well as expand the brand’s digital reach to new audiences around the globe.”
Prior to NowThis, Stephanopoulos was the Founder and CEO of Cliptamatic, a social video distribution platform acquired by NowThis in 2014. The platform was used by broadcasters including Paramount Pictures, HBO, ABC News, AMC Networks, MTV, Starz and Saturday Night Live.
With Stephanopoulos’s appointment, Wendy Brundige, who was the interim leader of the digital organization during the search for a Chief Digital Officer, has been named Senior Vice President, CNN Digital Worldwide.
Brundige will oversee business operations, commerce and audio, in addition to continuing her management and oversight of the global digital video team. Brundige has been at CNN for eight years, most recently serving as SVP of Global Video for CNN Digital, working in close partnership with every corner of the organization around the globe.
Stephanopoulos will begin his new role on November 14 and be based out of CNN’s New York bureau.
