Hearst Corporation Announces New Leadership Team at the San Francisco Chronicle

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 23, 2013) -  Hearst Corporation today announced new leadership at its leading California newspaper the San Francisco Chronicle. Joanne K. Bradford, 49, has been named president and Jeffrey M. Johnson, 53, has been named publisher. Frank J. Vega, 64, retires as publisher and will continue as chairman through the transition. The San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com are the Bay Area's most-read source of local and national news.

The announcements were made by Hearst Corporation CEO Frank A. Bennack, Jr., and Hearst Newspapers President Mark Aldam and are effective June 3. Both executives will report to Aldam.

Commenting on the announcements, Bennack said, "Joanne and Jeff will be a great team to take the San Francisco Chronicle to the next level. They have deep publishing and new media experience and believe in the power of great content with a valued brand. We are excited to work with them to redefine the choices for how and where readers can experience the trusted Chronicle content they depend on."

Aldam added, "Frank Vega has had a highly successful tenure at the San Francisco Chronicle and has been an important part of the transformation of this business into a multiplatform news organization with a suite of print and digital products that serve readers and are important partners for local businesses. We are happy he will continue to support the transition to a new leadership team and wish him all the best."

"It is a dynamic time for media where new distribution opportunities abound and we intend to make sure the Chronicle and SFGate remain the information leader in the Bay Area," Bradford said. "The Bay Area has always been my home and I couldn't be more excited to be back here working with Jeff to further the Chronicle's important role in Northern California by focusing on our audience's connection with our content and our important relationships with businesses."

"With Hearst's demonstrated support, the Chronicle is a successful and growing brand that is well positioned to continue to serve the Bay Area," Johnson said. "I am excited to work with Joanne and the entire Chronicle team as we explore new ways to connect to this dynamic region and provide valued news and information to our readers through innovative print and digital products."

Joanne K. Bradford

Most recently, Bradford served as chief revenue and marketing officer for Demand Media beginning in 2010. In that position, she led Demand Media's marketing, sales and corporate communications efforts. For two years prior to joining Demand Media, Bradford served as senior vice president at Yahoo!, where she was responsible for North American revenue generation activities and also struck innovative branded entertainment partnerships.

From 2001 to 2008, Bradford was at Microsoft as corporate vice president and chief media officer of MSN Media Network, where she helped grow online revenue to over $2 billion and expanded the company into in-game advertising and self-serve search ad platforms. Bradford began her career at McGraw-Hill, where she was vice president of sales and marketing at BusinessWeek.

Bradford currently serves on the boards of the Ad Council and CARE. She is also an advisor to Greycroft Partners and LeanIn.org. In 2010, Bradford was named to the Mediaweek 50, Adweek Media's annual list of the most influential people in media. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from San Diego State University.

Jeffrey M. Johnson

Prior to Hearst, Johnson was an operating partner at The Yucaipa Companies focusing on media investments from 2007 to 2013. Before that, he was president, publisher and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Times from 2005 to 2006, where he was responsible for the newspaper's digital and print operations including editorial, advertising, circulation, consumer sales and marketing, finance and technology. Prior to being publisher, Johnson served as senior vice president and general manager of the Times from 2000 to 2004.

Johnson has over 20 years of publishing experience and has held senior management positions at Landoll Inc., the Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel. Earlier in his career, he held positions at KPMG.

Johnson holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Illinois and an MBA from The University of Chicago. He has served as board chair for the United Way of Los Angeles and on the board of the Metropolitan YMCA of Greater Los Angeles.

Frank J. Vega

Vega has been president and publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle since January 2005. He will continue in his role as chairman through the end of the year.

Prior to Hearst, Vega spent 26 years with Gannett Co. Inc., most recently as president and CEO of Detroit Newspapers since 1991. Before Detroit Newspapers, he served in a variety of positions with Gannett, including a tenure at the Bay Area's Oakland Tribune. Vega was the vice president of circulation for USA Today when the flagship was launched. He was publisher of Florida Today from 1984 to 1991, and was also a regional president, where he oversaw a number of newspapers owned by the company.

About the San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst Corporation in 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Combined with its online home, SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle reaches 1.7 million Bay Area adults each week.

About Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified media and information companies. Its major interests include ownership of 15 daily and 36 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union; hundreds of magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, ELLE and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations, which reach a combined 18 percent of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, HISTORY and ESPN; significant holdings in automotive, electronic and medical/pharmaceutical business information companies; a 50 percent stake in global ratings agency Fitch Group; Internet and marketing services businesses; television production; newspaper features distribution; and real estate. Follow us on Twitter @HearstCorp.