• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 1, 2007

Don Fries has been named associate publisher of Time, with responsibility for advertising, Time Inc. announced Friday. The elevation of Fries, who previously led digital sales for the Time Inc. Media Group, is among a spate of new hires and promotions that illustrate the growing importance of digital expertise at Time Inc.

Time Inc. also announced the promotion of Alison Fried to general manager of Time's U.S. edition. Fried first joined the company in 2002 as general manager of Time.com and finance director of U.S. revenues. Previously, she was COO for InStyle.com.

Fries and Fried are the latest executives recruited from the digital ranks and given power to turn around struggling print operations. In July, Vivek Shah--formerly head of digital publishing for Time Inc.'s Finance and Business Network--was bumped up to president of the division, later renamed the Fortune|Money Group, which also includes Fortune Small Business and the Web site CNNMoney.com.

Since then, Shah has shaken things up, axing Business 2.0 and the group publisher role and reinstituting the role of individual publishers at the remaining magazines. Shah also brought on board Alan Ives, previously vice president of digital media sales for ABC, as vice president of sales for CNNMoney.com. Shah's decision to create a new role overseeing all digital and print sales underscores the integration of these operations.

Time Inc. isn't the only publisher mining digital expertise.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia named former Yahoo sales chief Wenda Harris Millard its new president of media. Millard oversees MSLO's publishing, Internet and broadcast concerns. Brand matriarch Stewart said the move signaled "an intensified focus on our Web site, more cross-platform content initiatives and international expansion."

Fries will be assisted by two other newly promoted executives: Kelley Gott, named Time director of new business development--a new position within the company--and Brendan Ripp, the new Eastern sales director for the magazine.

In her new role, Gott will be responsible for all special advertising sections, sales for Time for Kids and development of new stand-alone brand extensions. She will also serve as publishing director for Time Style & Design. Ripp is now responsible for New York, Boston, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. ad sales. His duties include close coordination with Time.com for integrated print-digital sales.