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CNNIC taps Rob Bradley and Cathy Ibal to lead ‘Audience First’ strategy
NEW DELHI: CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) has appointed Rob Bradley and Cathy Ibal as joint-heads of the organisation’s international advertising sales business as part of its ‘Audience First’ strategy.
In these new positions, Bradley and Ibal will be focused on creating and delivering solutions for clients that have the most impact with defined audiences on a global scale and enhancing our audiences’ advertising experience across all CNN platforms. The ‘Audience First’ strategy supercharges putting audiences at the heart of every campaign rather than focus on platform or geography.
Bradley leads advertising sales across the Asia Pacific, including Australia, and Latin America and will now be responsible for CNNIC’s international digital and data development. Corinna Keller, vice president for advertising sales, Latin America, and Tini Sevak, vice president, audiences & data, will report to him. Bradley will be relocating to Asia in 2021 and continue with his global role while remaining close to key clients and markets.
Ibal is in charge of advertising sales for all EMEA and will take over CNNIC’s international client development. James Hunt, senior vice president, global client solutions, will report to her while continuing to oversee all client servicing functions within CNNIC, including its Create brand studio.
Both Rob Bradley and Cathy Ibal will continue to report into CNN Worldwide Commercial president Rani Raad.
“We are optimising how we partner with brands to have maximum impact with audiences at a time of accelerated change in both consumer behaviour and the way advertisers are connecting with customers,” said Raad. “Cathy and Rob have an excellent track record in working collaboratively with clients and across CNN to develop and execute sophisticated campaigns that no other media can match.”
Cathy Ibal has been at CNN since 2001, originally working in research and then in sales since 2006 where she manages some of CNNIC’s largest partnerships. Rob Bradley joined CNN in 2015. Since then he has led CNNIC’s digital revenue, strategy and operations as well as advertising sales for the UK, Nordics and US.
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Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
