Lara Bashkoff Named President, Global RDA Interactive for the Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Lara Bashkoff has been promoted to President, Global RDA Interactive (RDAi), responsible for all digital activities for The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. The announcement was made today by Mary Berner, RDA's President and Chief Executive Officer. Bashkoff, who will report to Berner and serve on the company's Executive Committee, will lead RDA's efforts to expand digital media and marketing globally including e-commerce and other revenue-generating initiatives.
"I am delighted to announce the promotion of Lara Bashkoff to lead our digital strategy and operations," Berner said. "Lara has done an excellent job directing the expansion of our global digital efforts. Her strong background in business development, marketing, and in applying advanced technology in both corporate and business environments make her ideal for this position."
Bashkoff has served as interim president of RDAi since November 2008, when Jodi Kahn, her predecessor, left the company. Since then she has played a key role in building a content syndication business leveraging RDA's digital content library, rolling out the company's digital platform worldwide, and working with marketing partners to quickly develop effective interactive marketing programs. Bashkoff joined RDA in 2006 as Vice President, Corporate Digital Strategy.
Before coming to RDA, Bashkoff was Vice President, Planning Director, for Young & Rubicam Brands, Wunderman, in New York. There she served as a key strategist for one of its leading clients, Microsoft, establishing a vision and marketing tactics to develop and promote services to target audiences. Earlier, she was Director of Online Services for Akamai Technologies, Inc., where she managed web operations; she served as Marketing Manager, Online Source, for Time Inc.; and she was Director, Marketing, for American Mobile Satellite Corporation. She has also played senior-level roles in several start-ups and small businesses. She started her career at Accenture, where she was a Senior Consultant, specializing in application development and systems analysis.
Bashkoff holds a Bachelor's degree in economics from Columbia College, Columbia University, and an MBA in marketing from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
The Reader's Digest Association Inc. is a global multi-brand media and marketing company that educates, entertains and connects audiences around the world. The company uses its editorial and content-delivery skills to serve communities. With offices in 45 countries, it markets books, magazines, music, video and educational products reaching 130 million households in 79 countries. It publishes 92 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader's Digest, the world's largest-circulation magazine; operates 65 branded Web sites generating 18 million unique visitors per month; and sells approximately 68 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Its global headquarters are in Pleasantville, N.Y.
