New York Media, the parent company of New York Magazine, has hired Avi Zimak as chief revenue officer and publisher. Zimak succeeds longtime publisher Larry Burstein, who stepped down in November after 13 years in the role.
Zimak is charged with growing revenue and continuing to innovate with the company’s advertising offerings, in particular in branded content, video, mobile and programmatic, according to New York.
The publisher joins the company from Outbrain, where he was most recently vice president, general manager of the Americas. Zimak has also held key management and sales positions at Hearst and Condé Nast earlier in his career. He will start his new position on March 20 and report to chief executive officer Pam Wasserstein.
“Avi is uniquely qualified to step into this role — a strategic and entrepreneurial thinker who understands premium brands as well as he does digital and ad tech, whose breadth and depth of experience across many categories aligns with our diverse portfolio,” Wasserstein said.
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New York Media comprises the biweekly print edition of New York Magazine, and a slew of digital properties including Vulture, the Cut, Grub Street, Science of Us, Select All and the Strategist.
Zimak joined Outbrain as head of sales, North America in September 2012 before being promoted to president and general manager for the Americas. Prior to joining Outbrain he was the advertising director of Hearst’s “App Lab,” directing all aspects of app-related advertising and marketing for Hearst’s 20+ domestic magazine brands, and before that he held a management role at Hearst’s Town & Country and advertising sales roles at Condé Nast’s (now defunct) Gourmet and Details magazines.
“I have long been awed by New York and the company’s digital brands, both as a reader and observer of the industry,” offered Zimak. “The role of journalism is more vital than ever, and there could not be a more exciting time for me to be re-entering the publishing ecosystem. With its unmatched editorial excellence and passionate audience, New York Media is primed to continue growing and maintain their leadership position within the space.”