BuzzFeed executive Michelle Kempner is making a move to Facebook, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Kempner will join the social network on the product marketing team, focused on video products that foster community, and also will work on Facebook’s commitment to creators. She follows in the footsteps of Matthew Henick, the former head of BuzzFeed Studio who joined Facebook in March as head of content strategy and planning, but she is not joining his team.
A BuzzFeed spokesman confirmed Kempner’s departure, saying in a statement, “We’re grateful to Michelle for her many fantastic contributions to BuzzFeed, and we wish her the very best.”
After joining BuzzFeed in 2014, Kempner was promoted to publisher of the Motion Pictures group in 2015. In that role, she oversaw operations and growth opportunities at the Los Angeles-based studio and worked closely with Buzzfeed Motion Pictures president Ze Frank. During her time at BFMP, the creative shop built out an extensive online video team and grew the profile of in-house talent like The Try Guys and Quinta Brunson.
BuzzFeed’s entertainment arm has gone through several changes in recent years. In 2016, the online publisher created an Entertainment Group that assumed oversight of all video at the company. Then, early this year, BuzzFeed reorganized its Entertainment Group to create two new divisions: BuzzFeed Studios, for all film and television output; and BuzzFeed Media Brands, for lifestyle projects like Tasty.
BuzzFeed is not expected to fill the role that Kempner is vacating.
