Ross B. Levinsohn is an American media executive and businessman. Levinsohn is the CEO of Guggenheim Digital Media and oversees its investments in digital media properties. He is also Sports Illustrated CEO, where he leads the brand’s expansion into new digital and media platforms. Levinsohn is a former Yahoo! Inc. executive and director. He was named Yahoo!’s interim CEO on July 16, 2012, replacing Carol Bartz. On September 13, 2012, he was replaced by Scott Thompson as CEO and left the company. Before his tenure at Yahoo!, he served as President of AOL’s Media and Platform Group in November 2006.
- Investments
Ross Levinsohn is a Principal of Guggenheim Digital Media, which oversees the management of Guggenheim Digital Media’s (GM) portfolio of premium content and multiplatform digital partnerships in sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. GM acquired Sports Illustrated in October 2012, and Levinsohn oversees the integration of the brand into Guggenheim’s digital network. Before joining GM, Levinsohn was a Senior Advisor at Oak Investment Partners. He led an investment group that purchased Demand Media, Inc. for $117 million in 2003 and served on its board of directors.
- Bio
Ross Levinsohn was born in New York City and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan. Levinsohn began his career at Yahoo! Inc., where he was a media executive. He was subsequently named President of AOL’s Media and Platform Group in November 2006, where he led the company’s digital media strategy. In 2008, Levinsohn served as Senior Vice President at News Corporation, where he helped to establish Fox Interactive Media as a global leader in digital content distribution.
- Awards
He was awarded Yahoo!’s Chairman’s Award in 2009 for consolidating the company’s advertising platforms, including Right Media and the Yahoo! Publisher Network, which account for over 25 percent of display advertising globally. He was also named one of Mediaweek magazine’s 2011 Mavens 40 and is a member of the board of directors at Demand Media, Inc. He received Yahoo!’s 2008 Jack Welch Award for Excellence in Corporate and Business Leadership.
Ross Levinsohn is a very successful executive at a storied media company. He oversees some of the most important digital content brands in sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. Sports Illustrated CEO and Guggenheim Digital Media are very active in the digital space and are at the forefront of digital transformation.