Condé Nast Entertainment has named Kathryn Friedrich as its new general manager and EVP of operations. Friedrich, who most recently served as the chief business officer of RYOT Studio for Verizon Media Group, will be based in New York and report to Condé Nast Entertainment (CNE) president Oren Katzeff.
Friedrich will work closely with Katzeff to help ensure that the company’s strategic focus and operational discipline are applied across its video offerings, including overseeing the video verticals of 18 Condé Nast brands.
“Kathryn is the perfect person to take our video business to the next level with her innovative solutions and expertise,” Katzeff said. “She will be instrumental to CNE’s exponential growth by leveraging our award-winning content and expanding our global influence. I’m thrilled to have her transformative leadership on board as we realize CNE’s full potential.”
During her time as chief business officer for RYOT Studio, Friedrich was responsible for building scalable content programs for advertisers of Verizon Media Group’s global business. Prior to that, she served as the chief marketing and revenue officer at Thrive Global, working with Arianna Huffington to build all aspects of the startup, from business and monetization strategies to product development and revenue growth.
Friedrich’s hire follows a period of record-breaking growth for CNE’s YouTube channels, including a 174% increase in watch time year-over-year. The video network has signed nine original series for Facebook, two of which are currently live, and has more than 28 shows on Snapchat.
Following the success of WIRED’s new OTT channel, CNE launched Bon Appétit’s channel this year, which debuted in the number one spot on Apple’s “Apps We Love” List. The production studio also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Robert Redford’s role in “The Old Man & The Gun.” CNE currently has more than 65 active projects in film and TV, 175 new digital pilots and a new GQ Sports channel coming in fall 2019.