Hearst has announced that Rachel Kay has been named senior vice president and chief people officer (CPO) of Hearst. The announcement was made by Hearst President and Chief Executive Officer Steven R. Swartz and is effective immediately.
In her new role, Kay will be Hearst’s most senior human resources executive, leading companywide strategy, programs and human capital management support, while maintaining a longstanding tradition of local oversight of the majority of human resource decision-making.
“Since joining us in 2019, Rachel has distinguished herself thanks to her judgment, strategic thinking and innovation,” Swartz said. “She will be a great partner to me, our new Chief Operating Officer Jordan Wertlieb and all of our group heads and senior human resource executives across the company in forging the future of our workforce and our workplace.”
“The role of the chief people officer could not be more important today, where the focus on attracting and retaining talent and providing an inclusive workplace is a major priority,” said Wertlieb. “I look forward to working with Rachel in my new role as we continue to advance Hearst’s special culture.”
For the past four years, Kay has served as the vice president of talent for Hearst. In this role, she has developed and led strategic initiatives related to recruiting, diversity and inclusion, compensation and talent planning across all of Hearst’s businesses.
Prior to Hearst, Kay spent 15 years at McKinsey & Company, the international management consulting firm. She started at McKinsey as a consultant and then transitioned to roles responsible for managing and operating the firm. Kay holds a law degree from Columbia Law School and an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard University.
“Leading Hearst human resources is an exciting role at this time of growth and change across our diverse businesses, and I look forward to building upon the many distinctive strengths of our company in promoting it as a top workplace,” Kay said.
Swartz added, “I want to give particular thanks to our Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Eve Burton for all she has done to step in and help build up our human capital management and corporate human resources capabilities, and for helping craft this new chief people officer role at our company.”
“While this marks the culmination of a great building process by many teams and the launch of a fully developed chief people officer function, it highlights Hearst’s continued focus on its greatest asset, its employees,” Burton said.
“Rachel’s skill set as an executive who is adept at recognizing the hiring and workplace needs for a growing corporation like ours makes her the perfect choice as Hearst’s first CPO,” said Mark Aldam, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hearst, who recruited Kay to Hearst.
Kay is a graduate of Hearst’s executive development program, Hearst Management Institute.
About Hearst:
Hearst is a leading global, diversified information, services and media company with operations in 40 countries. Its major interests include global financial services leader Fitch Group; Hearst Health, a group of medical information and services businesses; Hearst Transportation, which includes CAMP Systems International, a major provider of software-as-a-service solutions for managing maintenance of jets and helicopters; ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; 33 television stations; 24 daily and 52 weekly newspapers; digital services businesses; and nearly 260 magazines around the world. Follow us on Twitter @Hearst. To learn more about Hearst, visit hearst.com.
