• by Sara Guaglione , May 19, 2017

The media company that once owned Gawker is taking another hit. The Daily Beast has hired Heather Dietrick as its new president and publisher. She was previously president of Gizmodo Media Group.

Dietrick, named Gawker Media’s president in 2014, at the height of its success. She had stayed on with the company after Univision shuttered the flagship site Gawker and renamed the company to Gizmodo Media Group, which owns Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Jezebel and Jalopnik.

Univision bought Gawker Media at a bankruptcy auction for $135 million, after losing a lawsuit brought by Hulk Hogan over a sex tape published on the site.

Dietrick replaces Mike Dyer, who left The Daily Beast in March to become vice president, global marketing and communications for Intel Corp.

“The time is now for The Daily Beast," stated Dietrick. "Millions of people rely on it to cut through the noise and deliver the truth. Given today's political climate, this has never been more critical or, for me, inspiring.”

Dietrick starts June 14.

Separately, Hearst Magazines has appointed Steve Ross as its first vice president, global chief licensing director. He will oversee the global licensing team at Hearst.

Ross was previously Fox Networks Group’s head of brand integration, where he led the company’s sales solutions and marketing efforts.

He will report to Donna Kalajian Lagani, SVP, publishing director and chief revenue officer of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.

Ross will be responsible for the licensing of new consumer products initiatives, retail merchandising and ecommerce, brand migration including location-based and live events, and franchise development for Hearst’s portfolio of brands.

He stated his goal is "leveraging innovative, impactful and immersive licensing programs for our iconic IP across ... and amplify reach, resonance and relevancy.”

Hearst Magazines has launched a range of licensed products, including eyewear, accessories, apparel and beauty and grooming lines.