Hachette Filipacchi Media will not sitting passively by as the downturn does wreaks havoc on the magazine industry (or the French head office continues to sideline its American titles)! Instead they are restructuring their women's titles under three "chief brand officers."

The Chief Brand Officers will have responsibility for their respective business units, including developing new revenue streams, setting brand direction across platforms, and integrating print and digital advertising sales. Lemarchand named Carol Smith SVP, Chief Brand Officer, ELLE Group; Deborah Burns SVP, Chief Brand Officer, Luxury Design Group, and Carlos Lamadrid SVP, Chief Brand Officer, Woman's Day Group. They will report to Lemarchand and will serve on the company's Executive Committee.

The full release explaining exactly what this all means is after the jump

New York, N.Y., March 2, 2009 - Alain Lemarchand, President & CEO, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM U.S.) today announced a dynamic new structure to promote growth for the future by creating brand groups centered around the women’s titles, each led by Chief Brand Officers. The Chief Brand Officers will have responsibility for their respective business units, including developing new revenue streams, setting brand direction across platforms, and integrating print and digital advertising sales. Lemarchand named Carol Smith SVP, Chief Brand Officer, ELLE Group; Deborah Burns SVP, Chief Brand Officer, Luxury Design Group which includes ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home; and Carlos Lamadrid SVP, Chief Brand Officer, Woman’s Day Group. They will report to Lemarchand and will serve on the company’s Executive Committee.

"HFM U.S. has evolved from a print magazine publisher into a diverse media company with an updated structure to match," said Lemarchand. "Our respected magazines have grown into full fledged brands with successful extensions on the internet and mobile, as well as on television, radio, books, branded events and licensed products. The key to that continued success is the brand quality and continuity across platforms that the new structure facilitates. By aligning each group’s powerful assets under one champion, we are creating nimble, cohesive, strategic and focused units that will propel these successful brands even further ahead. Carol, Deborah and Carlos are exceptional professionals each possessing talent and deep experience. I am confident that they will be excellent brand leaders."

Lemarchand added that, "We want to stay ahead of the marketplace and give our business partners what they are looking for -- strong brands that reach magazine readers, web and mobile users, radio listeners, television viewers and shoppers. Consumers expect brand quality on all platforms all the time, and advertisers demand multiplatform integrated packages that reach targeted consumers. It's a new day, and we have embraced the challenge to better serve our customers and business partners in the future by giving them what they need."

Each brand group will be comprised of three primary areas reporting to the Chief Brand Officer: content development led by the VP, Brand Content, advertising sales across all platforms overseen by the VP, Brand Publisher and new business extensions under the VP, Brand Development.

The following Editors In Chief of the women’s titles have been named VP, Brand Content: Roberta Myers, VP, Brand Content, ELLE Group; Margaret Russell, VP, Brand Content, ELLE DECOR; Donna Warner, VP, Brand Content, Metropolitan Home and Jane Chesnutt, SVP, Brand Content, Woman’s Day Group. They will remain as Editors In Chief of their magazines and are additionally responsible for brand consistency and contributing content across platforms. Preserving editorial integrity is key, and the Editors In Chief will be part of an Editorial Committee which Lemarchand will chair. The brand content editors will work closely with digital editors on the development of content through joint project groups; the Digital Media group will remain responsible for digital platforms.

The ELLE Group will name a VP, Brand Publisher and VP, Brand Development. For the Luxury Design Group, Barbara Friedmann will assume the role of VP, Brand Publisher for both ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home, and Christie Boyle will become VP, Brand Development, Luxury Design Group. For the Woman’s Day Group, Claire Marin has been named VP, Brand Publisher and Renee Ifill has been appointed VP, Brand Development.

ELLE

ELLE is the largest fashion magazine in the world, with 42 editions on five continents. It is also the foundation of numerous brand extensions, including ELLE DECOR (25 editions), ELLE A Table (five editions), ELLE Accessories (seven editions) and ELLE.com (20 websites).The U.S.

edition reaches an audience of 5.1 million readers, who find in ELLE style and substance with an independent point of view.

Woman's Day

Woman's Day is the trusted resource for more than 22 million women, helping them to Live Well Every Day. From looking and feeling their best, to cooking a great meal or creating a loving home, Woman's Day meets the essential needs of its readers with both substance and style. Publishing 17 issues each year, the magazine inspires women with information they can use to enhance the quality of their days, and ultimately, the quality of their lives. WomansDay.com launched a new redesign this Fall making it easier for users to find and navigate through information.

Luxury Design Group (ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home)

ELLE DECOR

ELLE DECOR is a chic and sophisticated GPS (Global Positioning System) for the world of design. Founded in 1990 and published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., it is known for interiors that are as personal and idiosyncratic as they are luxurious and inspiring. What began as an off-shoot of ELLE nineteen years ago has grown to become part of an international network of 23 editions on six continents, wielding a global footprint second only to ELLE itself. In 2007, the magazine saw its best year ever, with 1,266 advertising pages, up 13% over the prior year and the #1 growth rate in the category.

Metropolitan Home

Metropolitan Home stands alone as the definitive guide to modern design and the ultimate authority on what's next. The magazine is the unparalleled champion of state-of-the-art style. Each page of Metropolitan Home informs and inspires its 2.7 million readers to decorate, renovate, garden and cook as they create a modern haven for themselves and their families. Metropolitan Home’s distinctive voice elevates personal style and celebrates the effect that quality design has on today's world.