This week’s executive shifts include CMOs for Hostess, Vasa Fitness, Oscar Health, Hearst Autos, XFL, The Webster, Regis, Conde Nast Italia and Yolt, as well as senior marketing appointments at Epic Records and Organigram.

Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.


Ex-Ferrera Candy Marketer Joins Hostess As CMO

Hostess hired Chad Lusk as the company’s chief marketing officer. Lusk was previously CMO of the Chamberlain Group, and prior to that spent three years in the same position at the Ferrera Candy Company.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with the Hostess leadership team, associates, agency partners and customers to continue to elevate an already iconic brand that enjoys a special emotional connection with consumers,” said Lusk in a statement. “As Hostess celebrates its 100th birthday and looks ahead to its next century, we see tremendous potential to further invest in and leverage consumer insights, robust innovation capabilities and targeted marketing to build on the momentum and drive our next exciting phase of growth.”


Ad Council Appoints New Members

The Ad Council has appointed new members to its board of directors and leadership council. Some notable names added to the board of directors include, NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis, Target chief marketing officer Rick Gomez, Citi chief brand officer Carla Hassan.

Those added to the Ad Council Leadership Council include Minjae Ormes, chief marketing officer at Visible, (who we just interviewed here).

See the full list of appointments here.


Condé Nast Italia Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

Condé Nast Italia promoted Francesca Airoldi to the position of chief marketing officer. She was most recently Condé Nast Italia’s general manager of sales & marketing.


Vasa Fitness Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

Vasa Fitness appointed Mindi Bridges as the company’s chief marketing officer. Bridges previously held senior marketing roles at In-Shape Health Clubs, Treasury Wine Estates and Abercrombie & Fitch.

“Joining VASA is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Bridges said in a statement. “VASA has such a great story and the idea of bringing that story to life in a way that current and future members can connect to is important to me. I’m excited to work for a brand with such a positive focus – to make fitness accessible and give everyone an opportunity to be part of a supportive and uplifting fitness community.”


Hearst Autos Hires Chief Marketing Officer

Hearst Autos, the publisher of Car and Driver and Road & Track, hired Michelle Panzer for the chief marketing officer position. Panzer comes to Hearst Autos after spending the last five years at Say Media as SVP strategic marketing communications, head of digital publishing.

Prior to that, Panzer was executive director of communications, brand marketing at Condé Nast. Panzer also “held several executive roles in the marketing of feature films and award campaigns for Hollywood studios” according to a statement from Hearst.


NFL’s San Francisco 49ers Name Chief Marketing Officer

NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers named Alex Chang to the position of chief marketing officer. Chang was head of partnership marketing and head of sports marketing over the course of three years at Samsung Electronics America.

Before Samsung, Chang was a VP at agencies Wasserman and IMG, and spent 12 years at American Express working his way up to vice president of sports and entertainment marketing.

“Our leadership team was strengthened today with the addition of Alex Chang,” said 49ers president Al Guido in a statement. “His combined experience and track record for successfully growing global brands, sparking innovation, and driving business development make him uniquely qualified to serve as our chief marketing officer as we continue to elevate and evolve our franchise. We look forward to Alex’s leadership and insight as we continue to uncover new and exciting ways to engage and grow the Faithful fanbase.”


Oscar Health Hires Chief Marketing Officer

Oscar Health hired Ivan Wicksteed as the company’s chief marketing officer. Wicksteed was most recently a founding partner at FNDR and Proven Skin Care.

Prior to that, he spent years at chief marketing officer at Cole Haan and then Old Navy.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ivan to Oscar. Ivan’s ability to leverage two key components of successful marketing — creative and analytics — will make him an important contributor to Oscar’s growth. Ivan will be a critical leader at Oscar as we work to build a brand that our consumers can trust as their health care partner,” said Mario Schlosser, Oscar CEO and co-founder in a statement.


Regis Hires CMO From 72andSunny

Regis named James Townsend as the company’s chief marketing officer. Townsend spent the last nine years at marketing agency 72andSunny, most recently the position of chief development officer and also an agency partner.

According a press release from Regis, Townsend “oversaw transformational campaigns and marketing strategies for clients such as Samsung, Smirnoff, Cheerios.”

Hugh Sawyer, Regis’ president and CEO, said in a statement, “A key element of our multi-year transformational strategy is to elevate the visibility of our franchise and company-owned salons as we continue to differentiate our core brands. James has been a leader in designing and implementing disruptive, successful marketing campaigns on behalf of his clients around the globe. I am confident that he will bring an intense focus on the customer while leveraging our new business technologies and the capabilities of our franchise partners to accelerate the growth of our business.”


Yolt Names New Chief Marketing Officer

Yolt hired Cristel Lee Leeds as the company chief marketing officer. She leaves the same position at Nutmeg, and also held the CMO role at WWF Australia and OneDome.

According to a press release, Leeds will be responsible for “leading the brand’s growth in key global consumer markets by overseeing the strategic planning, development and execution of Yolt’s marketing and customer initiatives for all its B2C and B2B activities. “


Epic Records Hires VP Brand Marketing

Epic Records hired John Kirkpatrick as the company’s vice president of brand marketing. Kirkpatrick is a veteran marketer who was most recently chief marketing officer at VR entertainment company The Void—and previously held the same role at both PTTOW! and Hot Topic.

Epic Records president Sylvia Rhone told Billboard“John is a true marketing visionary. He has been responsible for countless game-changing partnerships that not only amplify the influence of talent, but also set the pace for culture. He will be a cornerstone of Epic Records’ continued cultural expansion and no doubt accelerate our efforts as a lifestyle leader. It’s an honor to welcome him.”


XFL Names Chief Marketing Officer

The second coming of Vince MacMahon’s XFL hired Jordan Schlachter as the company’s chief marketing and commercial officer. Schlachter was previously the president of THINK450 and chief marketing officer of the NBA Players Association.

Schlachter was also a previously a marketing VP at iHeartMedia, MTV Networks and the New York Knicks basketball franchise.


Millennial Esports Promotes Chief Marketing Officer

Millennial Esports announced the company’s chief marketing officer, Darren Cox, was promoted to president and will join the corporation’s board of directors. Cox has been with the company since 2017 and was previously the head of brand at Nissan.

“We are confident that, with his unmatched database, decades of motorsport experience, and well-earned reputation as The Godfather of Esports Racing, Darren is the perfect fit to take this company forward,” said Millennial Esports’ CEO Steve Shoemaker in a statement.


The Webster Hires Former Stella McCartney CMO

The Webster, a luxury fashion brand, hired Stephane Jaspar as the company’s chief brand officer. Jaspar was previously chief marketing officer at Stella McCartney for over 15 years. He stepped down from that position in early March.

“I am very excited to join [founder] Laure [Heriard] and [CEO] Laurent [Malecase] as well as rest of the incredible team at The Webster,” said Jaspar in a statement. “I am looking forward to helping drive and communicate the brand’s vision and collaborate with all the amazing brands and talent curated by The Webster, to inspire and welcome new consumers into our community in the US and abroad.”


Cannabis Retailer Promotes For SVP Marketing

Organigram named Ray Gracewood as the company’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. Gracewood has been with the company since 2016, serving as chief commercial officer. Previously he spent over a decade as director of marketing, maritimes at Moosehead Breweries.


Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment is updated until Friday, April 12. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.


Job Vacancies 

Chief Marketing OfficerStila CosmeticsNew York, NY
Chief Marketing OfficerMoog Music GroupAsheville, NC
Vice President, Marketing Strategy Saks Fifth AvenueNew York, NY
VP, Brand MarketingCarl’s Jr.Franklin, TN
Head of MarketingUberLondon, UK
VP Marketing AnalyticsDISNEYNew York, NY

Make sure to check back for updates on our Careers page.