By Adam Jacobson and Cameron Coats
Hartley Adkins, the iHeartMedia Markets Group President and one of the company’s key senior executives, is retiring.
That was news shared in a News Alert distributed Wednesday afternoon by RBR+TVBR. One day later, it became known through a second staff memo from CEO Bob Pittman and COO/CFO Rich Bressler that his successor has been named, and she’s taking the role as of September 1.
In the memo to iHeartMedia team members, Pittman and Bressler revealed that Ann Marie Licata will become President, Markets Group and Sales Operations. She rises from the position of EVP/Sales and Operations and Client Success.
But, there’s more: Bernie Weiss, Division President of the Northeast & Chicago Division, will become Chief Operating Officer of the Markets Group as Paul Corvino, Division President of our Southern California+ Division, will take on additional responsibilities, working with a special team on major new business development.
Speaking of Atkins, and of what’s next for publicly traded iHeartMedia, Bressler and Pittman said, “We’ve been excited about the growth and progress of the Markets Group under Hartley’s leadership, and we think this new team will continue that momentum, taking full advantage of the unique assets we have as a company and the impact we have for both our communities and for our advertising partners.”
Regarding Licata, they added, “Ann Marie has proven to be an exceptional leader at iHeart in every role she’s held, and we look forward to her applying that leadership skill, with the rigor of data and analytics, to make a major and positive impact on the Markets Group.” Bressler and Pittman pointed to Licata’s “long history of roles with a client centric and results driven focus, leading several teams within our organization.”
Licata has been associated with iHeartMedia for more than 12 years and joined iHeartMedia in 2014 from her role as Activation Director for Madison Square Garden.
Regarding Weiss and Corvino, iHeartMedia’s COO/CFO and CEO said, “Bernie’s success, building through every level of iHeart’s New York Market and then in his role in scaling that success in other markets like Washington, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore make him the perfect partner for Ann Marie. In each role he has displayed a keen focus on the business outcomes and solutions which are the hallmark of our company and the Markets Group, and will be invaluable as we continue our journey of growth. Paul’s impressive successes in Market leadership in Detroit, Texas and Los Angeles as well as Division President of the Southern California+ Division have been built on developing new business. We’re excited for him to expand that track record of success to the entire company, working closely with Ann Marie and Bernie as well as Julie Donohue, our President of Multi-Market Partnerships.”
The internal announcement, obtained by RBR+TVBR, follows one shared Wednesday with iHeartMedia team members. It reads as follows:
Team,
It’s with mixed emotions that we let you know that Hartley Adkins has made the decision to retire at the end of this summer after 32 years with us. We’re sad because Hartley has been such an important part of this company in every role he’s held, and certainly most recently as President of the Markets Group; on the other hand, we understand his desire to spend more time with his family – it’s well-deserved, and certainly comes with our blessings and support.
Hartley began his career with us as a salesperson in Tampa, Florida in 1993; since then, he’s moved upward through our company’s leadership and taken on increasingly larger roles. Hartley has had a series of impressive accomplishments in this company in every job he’s held. Most recently, as head of our Markets Group, he led a transformation from a single platform for broadcast radio to the strength we have across our multiple platforms, including podcasting, digital radio, social and events, and he’s been developing the data and case studies our partners need to appreciate and utilize the power of our broadcast radio asset and how they can take advantage of the full array of our multi-platform assets. His wisdom, knowledge and urgency in everything he does will be missed, and on a personal level, we will miss working with him day to day. In addition to being a valued colleague, he’s also a good friend.
Hartley has also made significant contributions to our industry with his leadership roles at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), and as our company’s point person for the entire radio industry.
Given his track record of success and his deep knowledge of, and commitment to, our company, we’re pleased that Hartley has agreed to continue on as a Strategic Advisor to us on special projects, including representing us with industry organizations and partnering with internal teams on our growth and innovation strategies as needed. Additionally, to ensure a seamless transition, Hartley has been working closely with us on a succession plan and will be available to us going forward.
Please join us in thanking and celebrating Hartley for his contributions and leadership at iHeart as we transformed into the 21st century audio industry leader. We know the time he’ll be able to spend with his family is very special, and we wish him well. Additionally, we want to thank his wife Kelly for her understanding over the years for Hartley’s 24/7 commitment to the company and our mission.
Bob and Rich
Adkins has over 25 years of marketing, sales and programming experience in the broadcast industry. His prior roles at iHeartMedia include President of Revenue Strategy, President of Corporate Operations, President of North East Divisions, EVP of Major Markets, EVP of Operations, Major Markets West and SVP of Operations for the South East Region. He serves on the Executive Radio Board of Directors for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and is Past Chair of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).
From the Streamline Publishing Archives:
Hartley Adkins: Loyalty. Hard Work. Dedication.
https://radioink.com/2019/05/03/hartley-adkins-loyalty-hard-work-dedication/
