Russell Schneider named the company’s first Head of Partnerships and Business Development to be based in new 9GAG U.S. office
9GAG, the global cross-platform entertainment media network, announced today that it has expanded its operations into North America with the opening of a US office in New York. Russell Schneider will report to the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Lilian Leong, who operates out of 9GAG’s headquarters in Hong Kong.
Since its inception in 2008, 9GAG has grown its audience to over 150 million people, many of whom are highly-engaged millennials. The company has expanded operations into the U.S. to answer the growing need of U.S.-based marketers to connect with this highly-coveted, often-elusive demographic as its collective wealth and influence continues to expand.
As Head of Partnerships and Business Development, Schneider will be responsible for building a U.S. brand presence, while leading brand partnerships and the company’s media advertising revenue in North America. He will be charged with accelerating the company’s stated goal of shifting to video and content marketing, including generating new brand clients for 9GAG’s new content studio.
“9GAG is Instagram’s number one most followed entertainment brand (number six most followed brand) and number 1 social media on entertainment. Russell’s deep digital sales and management experience in the US makes him the perfect fit for us as we grow in the North American market. His extensive knowledge of integrated and content marketing, sales and business strategy is crucial as we communicate our deep experience with, connection to and expertise on millennials to the broader U.S. advertising community,” said Leong.
Most recently, Schneider served as Playboy Enterprise’s first Executive Director of Integrated Sales, where he played an instrumental role in the launch of Playboy’s SFW (safe-for-work) digital launch and monetisation strategy where he built the go-to-market blueprint. At Playboy, his responsibilities included oversight of the national sales team, revenue operations, marketing, brand positioning and partnerships. Earlier in his career, Schneider oversaw digital sales and business development at IndieClick Media Group, where his revenue contributions led to their acquisition by Demand Media (now Leaf Group).
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to bring 9GAG to the U.S. marketplace and am honoured to join such a well-rounded team. We are just getting started, over the past few months we’ve been building next level content marketing offerings, which will capitalise on our massive, global social footprint and more. When it comes to organic engagement and cross-platform collaborations, I truly believe 9GAG is the most compelling opportunity available for marketers to connect with millennial consumers at scale,” said Schneider.
Throughout his career, Schneider has led innovative programs with a wide array of fortune 500 brands in the U.S. As a sales leader, he has driven significant YOY revenue growth and profitability. His early career included director positions at Crave, Complex, and Demand Media.
