PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. today named three of its most accomplished executives to lead its international divisions, which are responsible for the company's business in more than 70 countries. The new appointees are Dawn M. Zier, President, Europe; Andrea C. Martin, President, Asia Pacific; and Patricia Hespanha, President, Canada-Latin America. All three will serve on the company's Executive Committee and report to Mary G. Berner, RDA's President and Chief Executive Officer.
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"I am pleased to announce the appointment of these highly experienced and talented executives to lead our International divisions," Berner said. "With records of consistent accomplishment and innovation within RDA, they have the proven skills to help intensify our progress against the company's transformational goals, most notably leveraging the digital channel to drive revenues and profits."
Zier, currently serving as President of Global Consumer Marketing and CEO, Direct Holdings, will succeed Michael Brennan as President, Europe, the company's largest international division. The appointment is effective November 2. Brennan is completing a two-year assignment in Europe and will be returning to the United States to assume a new role as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy, reporting to Berner.
Zier has a strong track record of delivering results in general management and consumer marketing leadership roles, including significantly growing the digital channel to bring in new customers, supporting and driving growth of the U.S. affinity businesses, and increasing retail sales in a down market. Zier was the driving force behind the recent launch of Taste of Home Holiday, a new subscription-driven publication that quickly reached a circulation of 500,000 through non-traditional channels and also spearheaded the record-setting circulation launch strategy for Every Day with Rachael Ray. Other accomplishments include the successful phase-out of direct mail sweepstakes at U.S. Reader's Digest magazine as well as leading successful turnaround and integration efforts across several RDA businesses.
In March 2007, Zier was appointed President, North American Consumer Marketing, responsible for marketing North American magazines and products, as well as managing market research, database and Customer Care. In 2008, she was promoted to President, Global Consumer Marketing, where she added international marketing to her responsibilities. In June 2009, she was also named President and CEO of Direct Holdings, which markets the Time Life business under license. Earlier, she served as President, Reader's Digest Canada and U.S. Books and Home Entertainment.
Martin, currently President of Canada and Latin America (CALA), will become President of Asia Pacific, effective immediately. She succeeds Paul Heath, who will be leaving RDA after a brief transition. Martin has led businesses in Canada and Latin America to strong results during her 26-year career with RDA. As President of CALA since 2007, she oversaw the launch of Best Health, a multi-platform brand that serves a community of women 35-55 through a website, magazine and other elements, the launch of More of Our Canada (she earlier had launched Our Canada), and Reader's Digest magazine in Chile.
Martin was promoted to Managing Director of Reader's Digest Canada in 2004 and produced strong business results, growing all product lines. During her tenure, she transformed the business from an off-line direct mail company to a multi-platform direct marketing company that has built on-line communities around various brands. She was named Vice President of Marketing in 2001 and played a central role in positioning Reader's Digest Canada as one of the country's largest and most successful publishers and direct marketers. Earlier, she was Marketing Director of Books & Home Entertainment, Marketing Manager of Home Entertainment, and Product Manager for Video. She joined the company in 1983.
Hespanha for the past year has been Managing Director, Mexico. She will succeed Martin as President of CALA, effective immediately, and will retain her responsibilities as Managing Director, Mexico. Hespanha, who has been with the company for 13 years, has strengthened the Mexico business through growth initiatives, including the relaunch of Selecciones (the Spanish-language Reader's Digest), and by restructuring the business and bringing in new management. Previously, as Managing Director in Brazil, Hespanha led that company to significant growth, turning around the business by implementing a direct-debit system, introducing new product lines and revenue sources, instilling a culture of cost reduction, and maintaining a focus on Customer Care. Under her leadership, RD Brazil grew across all platforms - magazines, books, music, video, advertising, marketing services, retail sales and Web - and was a digital pioneer in RDA with early successful Web offerings.
Previously, Hespanha served as Magazine Circulation Director for RD Europe and spent three years in London working with RDA's European businesses to improve circulation performance. During this time, she played a key role in testing a new, customer-supplied content model that led to the creation of Our Canada magazine in Canada and similar "Our Country" magazines. She joined the company in 1996.
RDA is a global multi-brand media and marketing company that educates, entertains and connects audiences around the world. The company builds multi-platform communities based on branded content. With offices in 44 countries, it markets books, magazines, and music, video and educational products reaching a customer base of 130 million in 78 countries. It publishes 94 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader's Digest, the world's largest-circulation magazine, operates 65 branded websites generating 22 million unique visitors per month, and sells approximately 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Its global headquarters are in Pleasantville, N.Y.
