Ozy Names Former Discovery Ad Sales Exec O’Sullivan CRO

Former Discovery Communications advertising executive Sharon O’Sullivan has been named chief revenue officer, a new position, at Ozy Media.

In her new role, O’Sullivan will be responsible for driving sales for Ozy.com and its TV series, podcasts and events.

“As Ozy becomes increasingly multiplatform and multimedia, we have the ability to offer our advertisers access to untapped audiences at a variety of touchpoints, and we need someone who can innovate and drive that growth,” said Carlos Watson, co-founder and CEO of Ozy Media. “With the addition of Sharon, we have a leader with years of experience, along with the creativity, passion and vision to help lead OZY and our clients into the future.”

Ozy said O’Sullivan will be working to deepen existing revenues streams and create new ones. She will work with Ozy’s advertisers, including JPMorgan Chase, Discover, Intel, Volvo, Netflix, Lufthansa and Anheuser-Busch to develop new advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

Most recently O’Sullivan had been executive VP of client and brand partnerships for Discovery Communications. Before joining Discovery in 1999, she held posts at ESPN, Fox and CBS.

Ozy, founded in 2013 and backed by Silicon Valley investors and German media company Axel Springer, publishes an online magazine focusing on news politics and sports. It launched its third primetime television series, Breaking Big on PBS and Facebook Watch in June. Later this month, Ozy will host its third annual Ozy Fest in New York City’s Central Park. Speakers will include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Emerson Collective founder Laurene Powell Jobs, comedians Michelle Wolf and Hasan Minhaj and author Malcom Gladwell.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.