ViacomCBS has named Comedy Central veteran Josh Line to serve as executive VP and chief brand officer for the newly enlarged company.
Line will oversee all marketing strategies for the company with an emphasis on synergy efforts across a collection of brands that range from MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Comedy Central to Paramount Pictures, CBS and Simon & Schuster. He was most recently head of marketing and digital for Comedy Central, TV Land and Paramount Network.
Justin Dini, ViacomCBS’ exec VP of corporate communications, will expand his role to become head of communications and chief spokesman for the company. Dini joined ViacomCBS in July 2017 as senior VP of corporate communications, after representing ViacomCBS parent company National Amusements during his tenure at Brunswick Group. Dini and Line report to Julia Phelps, ViacomCBS’ chief communications and marketing officer.
Line and Dini’s expanded roles come as ViacomCBS has made other changes in Phelps’ unit. Marketing and communications functions are particularly important for ViacomCBS, which has faced a chilly response so far from Wall Street to the growth initiatives outlined for the Viacom-CBS merger that was completed in early December.
“We will be telling the cross-company story to internal and external audiences including advertisers, distributors, investors, creators, press and employees, ensuring all audiences understand our strategies, priorities, brands, businesses and culture,” Phelps wrote in a memo detailing the promotions.
Phelps highlighted five other appointments in a memo announcing the new roles for Line and Dini.
- Crystal Barnes will oversee social impact, philanthropy and community engagement as senior VP of corporate social responsibility, ESG strategy and reporting.
- Susan Claxton will help manage projects that involve communications and corporate marketing functions. She will also be the company liaison for the ViacomCBS board of directors in her role as VP of production and board relations.
- Cheryl Family will lead the creative team that works on cross-company projects, serving as senior VP of creative and strategy.
- Stephen Kipp will oversee the execution of events for the company as senior VP of special events.
- Marc Zelanko will manage business matters for the marketing and communications group as senior VP of business operations, communications and corporate marketing.
(Pictured: Justin Dini, Josh Line)