The Digital Hollywood Experience

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"The Conference that Defines the Future of the Industry"

PDF of Summit Program

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

2:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Session B: Prague Room A, 3rd Floor - Live Webcast from This Room

PEOPLE - The Legendary Brand Transforms into a Cross - Platform Content & Advertising Power

Will Lee, Digital Editorial Director, PEOPLE.COM and EW.COM

Suejin Yang, VP/General Manager, Digital Entertainment, PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly

Anne Toal, Associate Publisher, PEOPLE Digital

Michael Sebastian, Media Reporter, Advertising Age, Moderator

Will Lee joined Time Inc. as editor of PEOPLE.com in October 2014, where he works with the integrated print-digital staff, dedicated team at the website, and colleagues company-wide to provide strategy and vision across the No. 1 celebrity brand’s digital platforms.  He was promoted in February 2015 to Digital Editorial Director, PEOPLE.COM and EW.COM.  Lee, who lived in Los Angeles and relocated to New York to join Time Inc., brings with him 15 years of experience creating, igniting, and growing media brands.  He most recently served as vice president, digital content and programming at The Hollywood Reporter, where he led the brand to numerous traffic records and played a key role in integrating print and digital newsrooms.  Lee is no stranger to Time Inc.  He began his career as an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly in 1998, and has written for Sports Illustrated.  Prior roles include vice president, strategy and planning at Penske Media Corp., where Lee helped guide content strategy as well as audience and

editorial operations for Deadline, Hollywood Life, TV Line, Boy Genius Report, several video initiatives, and other websites in the PMC portfolio; and New York bureau chief at TMZ, where as one of the launch producers of TMZ’s syndicated television series, Lee produced and directed all East Coast coverage for the website and TV show, helping both to achieve remarkable growth. Will Lee grew up in Decatur, Illinois and studied at Phillips Exeter Academy, Eton College, and NYU Stern School of Business.  He earned an A.B. in Classics from Brown University.

Anne Toal, Associate Publisher, PEOPLE Digital: Anne is the Associate Publisher, Digital for PEOPLE. In this role, Anne sets the digital sales strategy and manages a national team of advertising sales professionals who deliver innovative advertising solutions across display, mobile and video platforms. Since joining Time Inc. in 2005, Anne has served various sales positions including Vice President, Sales for CNNMoney. Prior to joining Time Inc. she held positions with Forbes.com, MIT’s Technology Review, Business 2.0, DDB and Young & Rubicam where she began her media career. Anne graduated from Boston College with a BS in Marketing.

Suejin Yang was named VP/General Manager, Digital Entertainment of PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly in September 2014.  A 20-year media industry veteran, Yang joined Time Inc. from NBC Universal, where she most recently held the post of Vice President, Bravo Digital Media for the past three years.  In her new role at Time Inc., Yang serves as General Manager of PEOPLE Digital and oversees the digital operations of Entertainment Weekly.  She is responsible for growing Time Inc.’s digital entertainment businesses, as well as managing relationships between cross-functional and corporate teams to create and execute digital strategy for the two iconic brands.  Prior to her role at NBC Universal, Suejin Yang held various senior management positions at Viacom from 1998-2011 including MTVi (Director, Ad Sales Marketing), MTV Networks (Executive Producer, MTV Digital), and MTV/VH1 Digital (VP, Product Development).  She earned a B.A. in History from Cornell University and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.  Yang is a native New Yorker and lives in Greenwich Village.

Michael Sebastian, Reporter, Advertising Age:  Michael Sebastian covers digital and traditional media, the trends affecting them and their fight over both advertising dollars and the attention of readers and viewers. In covering the evolving media business, his beat has grown to include the worlds of content marketing and native advertising. He joined Ad Age in 2013 after founding PR Daily, a daily news site covering digital marketing and public relations. He started his career as a newspaper reporter in Chicago.