MediaLink Expands Executive Search Practice with Two Senior Hires

Time, Inc. Veteran Bucky Keady Joins as Senior Vice President; Suzanne Kelly as Vice President

MediaLink, an Ascential company, announced today that it has hired Bucky Keady and Suzanne Kelly as Senior Vice President, Executive Search and Vice President, Executive Search, respectively. Both will be based in New York and will report to Trish Shortell, Managing Director, Executive Search, who joined MediaLink in 2018.

The hires follow an extensive period of growth for MediaLink’s executive search practice under the leadership of Shortell, on whose watch revenue has significantly increased. In her role, Keady will oversee team management, client services, and product offerings; she will also lead searches across the media owner category. Kelly’s primary focus will be on global CEO searches across the media and marketing industries.

“Talent is frequently identified as the most vital and elusive asset for progressive companies,” said Shortell. “MediaLink’s executive search practice exists to close the gap. The increasing demand for outstanding people has compelled us to add leaders whose skills and mindset match the vision of our talent practice and the needs of our clients. In the media world, Bucky is considered the gold standard for excellence in talent management and is a deeply trusted partner to CEOs and boards. Suzanne has honed her solutions-focused approach through executive search experience client-side and in various advisory roles. I’m delighted to welcome them to the team.”

Keady joins MediaLink following an 18-year career at Time, Inc., where she was most recently SVP of Talent and Learning & Development and was responsible for talent transformation to support the company’s high-intensity transition to a multiplatform media company. While there, Keady was an active participant in multiple mergers, acquisitions, launches and divestitures, including creation of the talent infrastructure for the new Time Inc. as it separated from Time Warner. She oversaw talent management and learning and development for over 30 major brands across the organization and built teams for newly launched digital brands like TheDrive.com, PeopleTV and #welldone. Earlier, Keady was an Associate Director of Human Resources at Condé Nast and also held positions at Cushman & Wakefield and Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co.

Kelly comes to MediaLink from Geller & Company, a strategic financial advisory firm, where she was focused on human capital and talent acquisition. Previously, Kelly spent five years at The Estée Lauder Companies, most recently as Director of Global Talent. There, she led the recruitment process, played a key role in talent management across brand and function and helped centralize talent acquisition globally. She was also a recruiter in the Financial Officer Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates and has held positions at Thomson Reuters, Morgan Stanley and Deloitte.

“I’m a strong believer that an organization’s corporate strategy is only as strong as the people and culture that support it,” said Keady. “The media and marketing industries in particular are undergoing a massive transformative period. They require creative talent solutions that can completely reimagine how a company operates and then, therefore, their business challenges. I was intrigued by the prospect of solving business problems from multiple perspectives, and that’s exactly where MediaLink excels. I’m thrilled to get started with Trish and the entire team.”

About MediaLink:

MediaLink is a leading strategic advisory firm operating at the intersection of media, marketing, advertising, entertainment, technology and finance. Unlike any other company in the strategic advisory space, MediaLink provides counsel for navigating the age of digital disruption in the core areas of talent and organization, marketplace development, brand transformations, technology application, agency optimization and investor strategies. Founded in 2003 by Michael E. Kassan, MediaLink employs 165 professionals in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London. MediaLink is an Ascential company. www.medialink.com

About Ascential plc:

Ascential (LSE:ASCL.L) is a specialist global information company that helps the world’s most ambitious businesses win in the digital economy. Our information, insights, connections, data and digital tools solve customer problems in three disciplines:

• Product Design via global trend forecasting service WGSN;
• Marketing via global benchmark for creative excellence and effectiveness Cannes Lions and WARC and strategic advisory firm MediaLink; and
• Sales via ecommerce-driven data, insights and advisory service Edge by Ascential, leading Amazon managed services provider Flywheel Digital, the world's premier payments and Fin Tech congress Money20/20, global retail industry summit World Retail Congress and retail news outlet Retail Week.

Ascential also powers political, construction and environmental intelligence brands DeHavilland, Glenigan and Groundsure.

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MediaLinkJennifer Seley, Vice President, CommunicationsT: 646-722-3944E: [e-mail]