Ross Levinsohn
Levinsohn is a seasoned media executive, having held various high-ranking positions in news organizations for over two decades. He has been serving as Yahoo! ‘s interim CEO since July 2016 and its President since November 2012, when Marissa Mayer hired him to lead Yahoo! ‘s Media Group following the acquisition of his previous company, AOL Inc., by Verizon Communications Inc.
Before joining Yahoo! Inc., Levinsohn spent three years as a senior executive at AOL, responsible for its media properties, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget, and Moviefone, as well as led the company’s video services.
Sports Illustrated CEO Levinsohn was the President of Fox Interactive Media (FIM), a 21st Century Fox Inc. division, which included Fox Sports Digital and MySpace. He oversaw a significant restructuring of FIM after it spun off from News Corp. in 2008 to focus on digital and mobile activities. Levinsohn became president of FIM on February 1, 2008, and was promoted to chief executive in February 2009.
Sports Illustrated has the most recognized brand in sports media, with a range of products, including Sports Illustrated magazine and the SI.com website. Levinsohn was named CEO of Sports Illustrated in April 2015 after serving as executive publisher since October 2014. During his tenure as editor-in-chief at the magazine between 1995 and 2010, he oversaw numerous initiatives, including creating SI Now, launching SI TV, and creating digital editions of Sports talker to draw in younger audiences.
Under his leadership, Sports Illustrated has experienced a dramatic rise in digital subscribers, with its digital editions now enjoying a 28% share of the magazine’s total circulation. Under Levinsohn’s leadership, Sports Illustrated has also focused on growing its digital presence. In 2012, Sports Illustrated partnered with Twitter to provide sports updates and tweets from SI writers and athletes.
Levinsohn is involved in several charity organizations and was a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. He is a former chairman of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and serves as vice-chair. He also sits on the board of directors for EIF, which raised $34 million at its 2012 annual event, Champions for Children.
Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn is a well-established executive in media who has successfully led the charge for his new company. With Levinsohn in charge, any future marketing or advertising would be a breeze since he already has the experience needed to make any company succeed.