Meredith Names Martin Chief Strategy Officer

Meredith Corp. today named Kim Martin its new chief strategy officer. In this role, Martin will work with Meredith’s senior management team on developing corporate and business unit strategies — with a strong focus on Meredith’s millennial strategy across the company’s multiple media platforms — and leading other key strategic initiatives.

She will start April 13, and report to Meredith Chairman-CEO Steve Lacy.

Martin brings a blend of senior-level media management, content development, and sales and marketing skills to the position. Most recently, she was president and general manager of WE tv for nine years. In this role, Martin oversaw all aspects of the network, including marketing, programming, production, scheduling, digital media and new business opportunities. She was responsible for evolving the network brand to attract young, professional contemporary women. Martin shifted the programming strategy, expanded the digital footprint, updated the network image and attracted celebrity talent, which all contributed to substantially increasing revenue from both affiliates and advertisers.

Prior to running WE tv, Martin spent five years with parent company Rainbow Media, eventually becoming EVP of distribution and affiliate marketing. In this role, she was responsible for the distribution and marketing of all the company’s networks, including AMC, Fuse, IFC and WE tv.

Before joining AMC Networks, Martin spent 10 years with Discovery Networks, rising to SVP of affiliate sales. She was instrumental in helping Discovery grow from a single network with 18 million subscribers to a multi-network company with over 300 million subscribers and brands such as Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health and Discovery Espanol.

Martin holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Georgia College and State University. Martin has served on the Women in Cable and Telecommunications’ (WICT) national board of directors as treasurer.  She also is a graduate of WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute and Senior Executive Summit at Stanford University, and has served as a WICT executive mentor. Additionally, she has served on the national Board of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. 

Martin was named by CableFAX as one of the Top 30 most powerful women in cable for five consecutive years, and is a Multichannel News & WICT Wonder Woman. She was also named to The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Top 30 in Reality Television” list of honorees.

Martin currently serves on the executive committee of the Foundation Board of Trustees of Georgia College and State University. She is a Luminary Circle member and mentor for the Step Up Women’s Network, a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to connecting and advancing women and girls.