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SBJ/February 18-24, 2013/Media
ESPN streamlines customer marketing and sales group, promotes three execs
Published February 18, 2013, Page 9
Editor's note: This story is revised from the print edition.
ESPN has restructured its customer marketing and sales group, leading to the promotion of three sales executives.
Patricia Betron, Wendell Scott and Lisa Valentino were promoted to the role of senior vice president, multimedia sales.
All three will report to Eric Johnson, executive vice president of multimedia sales.
Johnson made the moves as a way to streamline his number of direct reports. Ten executives had reported into Johnson; now it’s just four: Betron, Scott, Valentino and Tim Bunnell, ESPN International’s senior vice president of programming and marketing. Bunnell also reports to Russell Wolff, executive vice president and managing director of ESPN International.
Johnson said he needed to cut down on his number of direct reports, in part, because he recently added ESPN’s international business to his portfolio.
“The marketplace is changing and digital is at the center of what we’re doing,” Johnson said. “We have a vision for what’s in the future and it involves every screen.”
Betron will oversee ESPN’s sales teams in Chicago and Detroit. Scott will oversee the sales teams in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Valentino will oversee the sales teams in Atlanta and New York.
“It’s the diversity of their experience that led to this,” Johnson said. “These three
executives handle a lot more than traditional ad sales.”
For example, Valentino will oversee ESPN’s print and digital sales, which include espnW, Global X Games and ESPN International’s digital properties; Scott will oversee sales for ESPN’s syndication and event properties, plus multicultural sales; and Betron will work with ESPN Research.
Other promotions within the group include Greg Rossi to vice president, multimedia sales; Jennifer Hoffnagle to vice president, multimedia sales; Danielle Brown to director, multimedia sales; and Sal Talluto to director, multimedia sales.
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ESPN has restructured its customer marketing and sales group, leading to the promotion of three sales executives.
Patricia Betron, Wendell Scott and Lisa Valentino were promoted to the role of senior vice president, multimedia sales.
 |
| Betron |
Johnson made the moves as a way to streamline his number of direct reports. Ten executives had reported into Johnson; now it’s just four: Betron, Scott, Valentino and Tim Bunnell, ESPN International’s senior vice president of programming and marketing. Bunnell also reports to Russell Wolff, executive vice president and managing director of ESPN International.
Johnson said he needed to cut down on his number of direct reports, in part, because he recently added ESPN’s international business to his portfolio.
 |
| Scott |
“The marketplace is changing and digital is at the center of what we’re doing,” Johnson said. “We have a vision for what’s in the future and it involves every screen.”
Betron will oversee ESPN’s sales teams in Chicago and Detroit. Scott will oversee the sales teams in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Valentino will oversee the sales teams in Atlanta and New York.
“It’s the diversity of their experience that led to this,” Johnson said. “These three
 |
| Valentino |
For example, Valentino will oversee ESPN’s print and digital sales, which include espnW, Global X Games and ESPN International’s digital properties; Scott will oversee sales for ESPN’s syndication and event properties, plus multicultural sales; and Betron will work with ESPN Research.
Other promotions within the group include Greg Rossi to vice president, multimedia sales; Jennifer Hoffnagle to vice president, multimedia sales; Danielle Brown to director, multimedia sales; and Sal Talluto to director, multimedia sales.
