Columbia Business School

Northwestern University

University of Southern California

Lead strategic initiatives and business development for The Weather Channel television network and the associated digital businesses, including streaming and audio. 

* Partner with business-unit leaders and executives to develop business and financial plans for new organic businesses.

* Evaluate, and develop financial models, for strategic initiatives including acquisitions and investments. 

* Lead business development and the execution of third-party relationships critical to the business, including licensing, distribution and key-vendor agreements. 

* Project-manage diligence efforts on external partnerships and acquisitions.

Weather Group Television

VP Strategy & Business Development

Partner with media and technology startups to provide business planning, financial modeling, market research, and strategic analysis.

•	EngageYa, an Israel-based native-advertising innovator:  Providing U.S. business-development support to build publisher relationships for StoriYa, a social-“stories” platform. 

•	Axate, a London-based media-technology platform start-up:  Developed a U.S. market-entry plan and prospect prioritization based on multiple business criteria. Acted as business-development lead to initiate contact with key leads in U.S. 

•	Atlanta-based media start-up:  Created business plan for a premium-video consumer-media vertical. Company finalizing investor package to pitch investors based on completed plan.

•	Atlanta-based media start-up:  Developed initial concept, strategy and business plan for B2B vertical-news organization.

Anchor Ridge Consulting

Consultant

Partnered with CNN Digital senior leadership team across the global business portfolio to create and implement the long-term strategy of the organization and to develop, launch and project-manage new business initiatives.

•	Collaborated with digital leaders to create strategic business and operational plans for various initiatives

•	Led initial ideation and business planning/modeling for subscription/direct-to-consumer service

•	Developed an ingestion, filtering and evaluation process for reviewing new growth opportunities proposed by individuals throughout the organization

•	Project-managed the business planning, financial modeling and contract discussions for a major strategic partnership in the health space, the goal of which was to create the global leader in health news and info.

•	Identified and validated growth opportunities and drive initial implementation

•	Evaluated, ranked and make recommendations on acquisition and strategic-alliance opportunities

Turner (Turner Broadcasting System, Inc)

Vice President Strategy and Growth Initiatives - CNN Digital

Led the team responsible for financial planning and analysis for all of CNN's digital businesses, including CNN.com, CNN.com International and CNNMoney.

•	Worked with senior management to develop yearly expense and capital budgets, then managed those budgets throughout the year, providing monthly forecasts, reporting, analysis and business insights.

•	Participated as a member of CNN Worldwide’s capital working group which prioritizes, approves and manages CNN's global capital investments. 

•	Developed and operationalized new business plans to drive organic growth within the core CNN digital businesses, overseeing the hiring of 250+ digital heads.

•	Provided strategic-planning guidance for various digital business units.

•	Oversaw the development of the business plan and launch of the new digital-video business, Great Big Story.

Vice President Finance - CNN Digital

Reported to EVP Finance, CNN Worldwide and managed a team of Strategic Planning Managers leading planning and corporate-development efforts for CNN Worldwide. Partnered with senior execs,, business-unit leaders, and others to develop business plans, analyze market and competitive dynamics, evaluate M&A opportunities and provide insights and strategic recommendations

•	Increased team’s project output from five projects in 2010 to 40 projects in 2013. 

•	Led overall CNN corporate-strategy project in 2014 to develop mission / vision / strategy frameworks for main CNN business units (CNN U.S., CNN Digital, CNN International), which were adopted globally.

•	Directed due diligence and project management of Zite acquisition, which was completed successfully.

•	Developed business model for CNN en Español broadcast-distribution initiative; approved by senior management. Successfully led initial distribution negotiations with local-broadcast affiliates.

•	Worked with management to develop strategies for CNN Mobile, CNN en Español digital, HLNtv.com.

•	Worked with HLN leadership to develop and analyze multiple options for repositioning the linear network.

•	Performed extensive analysis of opportunities and needs for renewing a global Associated Press relationship

•	Led CNN Digital project that developed more than 75 new-business ideas for revenue diversification.

•	Led numerous CNNMoney operational and strategic projects, including operational reviews, competitive analyses, acquisition opportunities; co-developed business case for transitioning JV to CNN full control.

•	Oversaw analysis of 30+ acquisition opportunities (primarily for CNN Digital).

•	Developed multiple models for new distribution channels for Airport Network.

•	Partnered with small HR and Finance team to lead effort in “rethinking” CNN’s U.S. newsgathering organization and develop new structure (project put on hold due to broader CNN/Turner restructuring).

Vice President - Strategy & Corporate Development, CNN

Reporting to President of WSJDN, was business lead for new initiative exploring how/if to leverage WSJ’s commerce platform into a new SaaS business. Developed business case, structure, P&L.

Dow Jones

Executive Director, Digital Commerce

Reporting to Chief Product Officer, co-managed WSJDN product roadmap, reconciling the product managers’ individual roadmaps into cohesive plan based on broad business / strategic goals.

Executive Director, Product Operations

Promoted to Executive Director, and transitioned to role focused on strategic projects. Reported initially to SVP, Ops. / Bus Dev, and later to WSJDN President. Acted as “internal consultant” to various units.

Executive Director, Strategy & Operations

Transitioned to new, New York-based group chartered by the CEO to develop large, strategic partnerships that would extend Journal franchises and facilitate entry into new markets. Purview included brand licensing, JVs, M&A, equity investments, strategic partnerships.

Director, Franchise Development & Partnerships

Managed licensing and distribution team and had revenue accountability for all third-party Dow Jones and Wall Street Journal consumer-licensing efforts. 

Following 2005 MarketWatch acquisition, also managed traffic-driving portal relationships and MarketWatch audio and video licensing activities

Director, Business Development

Managed content-distribution activities related to wireless and specialty web services and collaborated with Director to develop strategy, business models and revenue goals. Accountable for revenue goals.

Business Development Manager

Identified new third-party online and wireless distribution channels, structured licensing agreements, negotiated terms and worked with legal to draft and execute contracts. Managed resulting relationships.

Business Development Specialist

Assisted in strategic business planning of Newton Handheld division.

Richard Trumble