Jonathan Hunt leaves Vox Media for National Geographic – Poynter

Jonathan Hunt, Vox Media’s former vice president of international operations, has left the digital news publisher for a job leading National Geographic’s audience development and digital strategy.

Hunt’s hire is part of an expansion of National Geographic’s digital team. Also new at National Geographic will be Marcus East, formerly the digital director at retail company Marks and Spencer, who will be executive vice president of product and technology. He will be joined by Marcelo Galdieri, previously senior vice president of global consumer digital programs at MasterCard, who will be senior vice president of digital product at National Geographic.

Rachel Webber, executive vice president of digital product at National Geographic, emphasized the importance of building the company’s relationship with readers and viewers in a statement.

“Marcus, Marcelo and Jonathan have strong track records in aggregating audiences and building engaging relationships with communities through smart product, social and video solutions for some of the world’s most beloved brands,” Webber said.

Founded in 1888, National Geographic was purchased in 2015 by 21st Century Fox, which embarked upon a mission to transform it into a kind of “HBO for science and adventure programming,” according to a 2016 Bloomberg assessment of the changing company.

Hunt has spent his career in digital media. He rose to become director of global marketing at Vice Media before decamping for Vox Media to become its vice president of marketing and communications. In September 2016, he was named vice president of international at Vox Media to lead the company’s global expansion.

Benjamin Mullin is the managing editor of Poynter.org. He previously reported for Poynter as a staff writer, Google Journalism Fellow and Naughton Fellow, covering journalism innovation, business practices and ethics. He’s also reported for USA TODAY College and The Sacramento Bee, and he was editor in chief of The Orion, Chico State’s student-run newspaper. An Air Force brat who grew up around Northern California, he’s still adjusting to the Florida sunshine.