Mode Media’s management moves Jack Rotolo to CEO
Jack Rotolo, a longtime and early executive team member of Mode Media, has been elevated to interim chief executive, replacing company founder Samir Arora, who will be stepping down from the role — but will continue to serve on its board of directors. Rotolo has more than 25 years experience that includes stops at Pepsico and Apple.
"Mode Media is poised to redefine social content for brands thanks in large part to Samir Arora’s dedication and vision. I am very excited about the opportunity to guide Mode Media forward as the leading social content and video platform for brands,” said Rotolo.
Originally known as Glam Media (as an homage to its flagship fashion site) since the early 2000s, the privately-held, Brisbane, California-based company changed it's name to Mode Media in 2014 and has ventured into other content areas — and the acquisition of bespoke social platform Ning, led to high-profile entrepreneur and investor Marc Andreessen joining then-Glam Media as part of the transaction. Traditionally focused on women with Bliss, Tend and Foodie as part of the Mode lifestyle profile, it launched its “Brash” product to appeal to more the more upscale male audience in 2008.
Mode Media is a top 10 U.S. media property with, according to the company, 137m monthly unique US users and 405m unique worldwide users. According to comScore in March 2015, it is the #1 multiplatform lifestyle destination ahead of SheKnows, AOL Lifestyles, Condé Nast and Meredith. Additionally, in November 2015, comScore placed Mode Media as the 7th largest video platform in the US.