Univision Communications has bolstered its executive management ranks, hiring an industry veteran and promoting one of its own.
Rick Ehrman, a 20-year industry veteran, has joined the U.S. Spanish-language media leader as executive vice president of corporate business development, while Jennifer Ball has been elevated to executive vice president of content distribution marketing and partnerships. Based in New York, both executives report to Tonia O’Connor, president, content distribution and corporate business development.
In this newly created role, Ehrman will oversee and manage all aspects of strategy, finance and operations for Univision’s corporate business development group. He will work toward diversifying the company’s revenue base through new services and opportunities with companies that recognize the benefits of investing in the Hispanic marketplace. Ehrman joins Univision most recently from researcher Frank N. Magid Associates, where he was managing director of business development. His experience includes 12 years at General Electric, where he held various executive positions in corporate development at GE Corporate, GE Capital, NBC and ValueVision.
Ball, who has been with Univision for five years, will continue to oversee its distribution partnership marketing group, while adding audience development and content partnership responsibilities. Launched in 2011, the unit was created to help distributors leverage the growing Hispanic consumer base and deliver subscriber growth through unique integrations with Univision’s industry leading assets. In her new role Ball and her team will expand the scope of this effort to include support the organization's corporate business development. Prior to joining Univision, Ball, who has been honored as a “Wonder Woman” by Multichannel News, served as vice president of distribution marketing for A&E Television Networks, where she directed all distribution marketing initiatives and the strategic positioning of the programmer’s seven U.S. cable networks.
“We are pleased to have Rick join the Univision team and have Jennifer expand her role,” said O’Connor. “These appointments to our senior leadership team mark another important step in our strategy to build new and unique partnerships across all sectors. We will leverage Rick and Jennifer’s deep experience in asset creation to ensure that these partnerships deliver long-term, sustained growth.”
