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FORBES PART TWO: Forbes on Monday continued to adjust its head count for the tough economy, restructuring its sales and marketing divisions. The moves follow Friday’s layoffs that saw the company shutter forbesautos.com and its conference division, and trim head count to a bare-boned staff at forbestraveler.com. In all, 43 people have been laid off across the editorial and business sides during both days’ reorganizations. Forbes Media president and chief executive officer Steve Forbes sent a memo Monday afternoon to staffers outlining the changes, which “will enable us not only to better weather the current economic storm, but to move ahead quickly and profitably when the global economies begin recovering,” he wrote.
The sales divisions for Forbes and forbes.com will now be combined and organized into three different groups: the Brand Intelligence Group, or a handful of Forbes executives focused on meeting senior-level advertisers and marketers to spearhead custom programs, led by Kevin Gentzel, former Web ad sales chief, as president and group publisher of Forbes Media; the Integrated Solutions Group, led by president Mike Woods; and Forbes Media Sales and Service, comprised of the regional sales executives across the company, led by Avery Stirratt and Robert Pietsch, who will serve as co-presidents and chief advertising officers. Forbes conferences will now be integrated into these new sales groups. Each group leader will report to a newly formed office of the chairman, comprised of Steve Forbes; Timothy Forbes, Forbes Media president and chief operating officer, and Jim Spanfeller, president-ceo of forbes.com.
Though Monday’s consolidation focused on the business side, the edit side is soon to follow, but to what extent is unclear. “We are also strengthening and expanding the editorial integration at both Forbes and forbes.com,” Steve Forbes wrote to staff, and while both sides have shared talent where applicable for some time, “we are in the midst of conversations to discuss ways to truly integrate the great talent in both organizations by sometime in early 2009.” A spokeswoman said plans will not be final for the next stage of editorial consolidation until January.
— Stephanie D. Smith
The sales divisions for Forbes and forbes.com will now be combined and organized into three different groups: the Brand Intelligence Group, or a handful of Forbes executives focused on meeting senior-level advertisers and marketers to spearhead custom programs, led by Kevin Gentzel, former Web ad sales chief, as president and group publisher of Forbes Media; the Integrated Solutions Group, led by president Mike Woods; and Forbes Media Sales and Service, comprised of the regional sales executives across the company, led by Avery Stirratt and Robert Pietsch, who will serve as co-presidents and chief advertising officers. Forbes conferences will now be integrated into these new sales groups. Each group leader will report to a newly formed office of the chairman, comprised of Steve Forbes; Timothy Forbes, Forbes Media president and chief operating officer, and Jim Spanfeller, president-ceo of forbes.com.
Though Monday’s consolidation focused on the business side, the edit side is soon to follow, but to what extent is unclear. “We are also strengthening and expanding the editorial integration at both Forbes and forbes.com,” Steve Forbes wrote to staff, and while both sides have shared talent where applicable for some time, “we are in the midst of conversations to discuss ways to truly integrate the great talent in both organizations by sometime in early 2009.” A spokeswoman said plans will not be final for the next stage of editorial consolidation until January.
— Stephanie D. Smith
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