The build-out of the CBC/Radio-Canada Media Solutions Group continues with the appointment of digital veteran Robyn Sullivan as director of digital revenue optimization and innovation. She started in the role on Monday.
Sandra Hammond, senior director of revenue optimization for CBC/Radio-Canada, said the position is a consolidation of responsibilities previously scattered throughout the organization.
Sullivan will work alongside Robin Mrowka, director of television, revenue optimization and Diane Morel, who oversees client services for CBC/Radio-Canada.
Hammond described Sullivan as “one of the smart up-and-comers” in the media industry, and lauded her as a veteran of the digital industry with more than a dozen years of experience.
“I was always impressed with her enthusiasm, her knowledge and her sense of team, which is very important to me because we are a very close-knit group of people,” said Hammond. “You really want to make sure you’ve got a good personality fit as well.”
In her new role, Sullivan will determine CBC/Radio-Canada’s strategic direction from both a pricing and forecasting standpoint as it relates to digital. She will also serve as a digital lead on high-profile events including the Pan Am Games and Rio Olympics, as well as what Hammond characterized as “key properties” for CBC Television and Radio-Canada.
As the CBC prepares its sponsorship pitches for Rio, Hammond said Sullivan will be one of the “pivotal” people on that team, as well as “one of the key point people” for internal departments including programming, marketing, research and finance.
Sullivan was most recently at Compass Group Canada, where she was the financial planning and analysis lead for the healthcare sector. She also spent nearly 12 years with Bell Media, most recently as senior revenue manager, digital platforms.
In that role, she was responsible for developing multi-year digital strategy plans and revenue budgets, acting as a central hub for sales, ad operations, marketing, research, content, promotions and finance – responsibilities Hammond said would enable her to easily transition into her new role with the public broadcaster.
Hammon said CBC/Radio-Canada is well into its fall pitches with advertising clients, and that preliminary discussions look to be “very promising.”
