Layoffs guillotine: Big heads roll at Time Inc

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Time Inc. today slashed 105 employees from its rolls, including some of its highest longtime publishing executives.

Presidents, exec VPs

Among those losing their jobs are Jack Haire, exec VP in charge of corporate ad sales; Richard Atkinson, exec VP in charge of the news and information group; Eileen Naughton, president, Time magazine; David Kieselstein, president, the parenting group; Fred Poust, who ran corporate ad sales under Mr. Haire; and Steve Buerger, who also worked in corporate sales.

The move was part of another reorganization by Ann S. Moore, chairwoman-CEO, Time Inc., who last shuffled chairs in July, if not anywhere near so dramatically. Ms. Moore is under heavy pressure to keep Time Inc.’s numbers growing amid an uneven and hard-to-predict ad market.

Co-chief operating officers

Ms. Moore named Nora McAniff, exec VP-women, entertainment and luxury group, and John Squires, exec VP-sports and leisure group, to serve as co-chief operating officers, the first in the company’s history.

Robin Domeniconi, who had been president and publisher of Time Inc.’s runaway success Real Simple, was named to handle corporate sales and marketing, reporting to Ms. McAniff. Steve Sachs, from consumer marketing, was named to succeed Ms. Domeniconi at Real Simple.

And Andy Sareyan was removed from his post as president of Entertainment Weekly, to be succeeded by David Morris, who had been publisher of Sports Illustrated and was previously publisher at Entertainment Weekly.

Growth markets chief removed

Cathy O’Brien, who had overseen the growth markets group, was removed from that post. Growth market titles Teen People and People en Espanol are returning to oversight by People itself; All You, the third and last title in the growth group, will report to Life magazine.

Mr. Sareyan and Ms. O’Brien are talking to Time Inc. about potential new roles there.

 
 
Date Posted: 13 December 2005 Last Modified: 13 December 2005