Vice President, Media & Brand Licensing

The Opportunity

CNET Group is seeking an elite, heavy‑hitting Vice President of Media & Brand Licensing to spearhead revenue growth, strategic innovation, and talent development specifically within the New York City market
.

As the world’s largest technology publisher portfolio, CNET Group commands a premier, high‑HHI audience of active buyers making large, high‑consideration purchases. In this pure leadership role, you will be responsible for guiding a team of elite sellers to scale partnerships, drive aggressive new business, and unlock next‑generation revenue models.

In addition to a high growth media portfolio, you will oversee a multi‑million‑dollar Brand Licensing division, which enables enterprise brands to leverage the prestigious accolades won through our rigorous, lab‑based product testing. Simultaneously, you will champion the media monetization strategy across our powerhouse portfolio—including CNET, Mashable, PCMag, Lifehacker, and ZDNET
—reaching over 100 million unique visitors monthly
.

Our clients are Fortune‑100 leaders like Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, and Amazon who rely on our unmatched scale and affluent audience to move the needle.

• Oversee the growth of a multi-million-dollar Brand Licensing division and media portfolio, with a relentless focus on capturing new market share.
• Drive the media sales organization to aggressively pursue and close new business, leveraging our high‑HHI audience profile to win premium, enterprise‑level partnerships.
• Identify, build, and scale brand‑new, non‑traditional revenue streams to future‑proof and diversify CNET Group’s commercial business.
• Act as a dedicated mentor and "Favorite Colleague," actively coaching your team of sellers to expand their strategic capabilities and deepen agency/brand relationships.
• Partner with internal yield, product operations, testing labs, affiliate, and marketing teams to build bespoke problem‑solving commercial solutions for premium clients.
• Maintain a meticulous Salesforce pipeline, leveraging deep data fluency to deliver precise forecasting and consistent year‑over‑year growth.

• You are firmly entrenched in the New York market with deep, existing relationships across major media agencies and Fortune 100 brand‑direct clients.
• You have a proven track record of shifting teams from "account management" to aggressive "new business hunting," while simultaneously keeping an eye out for net‑new monetization opportunities.
• You understand the immense commercial value of editorial trust and know how to help brands turn lab‑backed accolades and awards into powerful marketing tools.
• You lead through strategic guidance and action, fostering a high‑performance culture grounded in respect, kindness, and professional growth.

• 7+ years of digital media experience preferred, with 5+ years of direct sales leadership experience.
• Strong track record of managing high‑performing sales teams, meeting/exceeding business goals, and developing internal talent.
• Demonstrated experience in building new revenue streams or driving business diversification (e.g., brand licensing, IP monetization, commerce, or affiliate models).
• Must be based in the Greater New York City area with the ability to work in our NYC office via our hybrid model and attend local client/agency meetings.
• Bachelor’s Degree or further education in a related field.

CNET Group (part of Ziff Davis) represents a growing portfolio of trusted digital media brands—including CNET, PCMag, Mashable, Lifehacker, and ZDNet—specializing in tech reviews, news, and advice. Reaching over 81 million monthly users, we help consumers navigate, purchase, and enjoy technology through expert analysis and in‑depth reporting. Our content empowers the world to use tech for personal development in all areas of life, and we seamlessly guide our readers toward the products and services that make their lives better.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech.…