• by Ray Schultz , 9 hours ago

Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, CEO and group publisher of Variety, will leave next month after 28 years with the brand. 

Sobrino-Stearns, who has long wanted to build a business from the ground up, is is moving to an entrepreneurial venture with a startup fashion brand, according to Variety, a Penske Media publication. 

Dea Lawrence will assume the top business role at Variety, as co-president and publisher.

Ramin Setoodeh will serve as co-president in addition to his current role as co-editor in chief. 

Cynthia Littleton, who was named  co-editor in chief in 2020, will continue to supervise all newsgathering and editorial operations with Setoodeh.

Sobrino-Stearns joined Variety in 1997. She was promoted to publisher by Penske in 2012, the first woman to serve in that role, and in 2020 was named Variety’s first CEO. 

“It has been a privilege to work alongside Michelle over the last 13 years,” says Jay Penske, CEO of Penske Media, to whom Lawrence, Setoodeh and Littleton will report, in a statement. “From the pivotal moment of PMC’s acquisition of Variety, Michelle’s fearless leadership, creativity and dedication have been instrumental in transforming the brand into the powerhouse it is today.”