Hearst Television has hired Chris Plourde, a longtime finance and strategy executive at TEGNA, as its new Vice President of Strategy & Distribution, the company announced.
Plourde joins Hearst after spending 20 years at TEGNA, where he most recently served as Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis. He will report to John Robertson, Hearst Television’s Senior Vice President of Strategy & Distribution.
In his new position, Plourde will work on distribution strategy, technology partnerships and relationships with television networks and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs). His responsibilities will also include supporting the company’s advanced advertising partnerships.
“Finding a leader with Chris’s depth of experience is a rare and exceptional opportunity,” Michael J. Hayes, President of Hearst Television, said in a statement. “His arrival further strengthens what is, without question, the finest strategy and distribution team in the local television business, and positions us to lead Hearst Television boldly into its next generation.”
At TEGNA, Plourde worked on distribution strategy, corporate development and financial planning, including commercial negotiations involving television distribution agreements.
His responsibilities included developing financial models to support distribution revenue forecasts, negotiations and new business ventures. He also oversaw financial strategy and analysis related to network affiliation agreements and other strategic partnerships.
That experience will carry over to his new role at Hearst, where he will assist Robertson with the company’s distribution relationships and commercial partnerships.
“Chris brings an extraordinarily distinctive and wide-ranging breadth of experience, and we are fortunate to welcome him to the team,” Robertson said. “His insight and perspective will be invaluable as we continue to build on our momentum and he will be instrumental in helping drive our relationships with networks and MVPDs, including our advanced advertising partnerships.”
Plourde joined TEGNA in 2006 after earning a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from George Mason University.
Hearst Television operates local television stations across the United States and is a subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. Its strategy and distribution team oversees business relationships involving television networks, distribution platforms and other industry partners.
