Yahoo has tapped media veteran Martha Nelson to grow its slate of digital magazines.
The former editor-in-chief of Time Inc. has been named global editor-in-chief at Yahoo. She starts working out of the tech giant’s New York offices on Aug. 17 and will report to media head Kathy Savitt.
“As an accomplished editor, proven brand innovator and media veteran, Martha adds to Yahoo’s established media business to continue to elevate our world-class products and journalism,” Savitt wrote in a blog post. “With her proven track record of building successful brands as the founding editor of InStyle and for the growth of People (and People.com) into a globally recognized brand, I’m excited to work with Martha to further grow our digital magazines.”
Nelson spent more than 20 years at Time Inc. and rose to the position of editor-in-chief in early 2013. She resigned from her position at the company at the end of that year ahead of its spinoff from Time Warner. During her years at Time, she oversaw the launch of InStyle and later served as editor at People.
Yahoo, under CEO Marissa Mayer and CMO Savitt, has placed an emphasis on making big-name hires for its media division, most notably global news anchor Katie Couric. The Tumblr-powered digital magazines launched in January 2014 with a tech site run by former New York Times columnist David Pogue, a beauty site run by Bobbi Brown and a fashion site led by Joe Zee. Since then, Yahoo has added a number of new verticals, expanding to 13 digital magazines in the United States and 30 globally.
