Media and publishing
10 publisher ad sales experts
These ten professionals have held advertising sales leadership roles at newspapers, magazines and digital publishers. A reader can learn how publishers build and run their ad sales teams.
Professionals to explore
01—10Amber Aldrich
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Advertising · The Seattle Times
Vice President of Advertising at The Seattle Times since 2024. Former Senior Director of Advertising and Digital Services (2018–2024), Senior Director of Sales (2017–2024) and Local Sales Director (2014–2016) at The Seattle Times, and former Advertising and Marketing Director at The Bellingham Herald (2011–2014). The profile describes overseeing the sales, service and execution arms of Seattle Times Media Solutions.
Deirdre Finnegan
LinkedInExperience: Director of National Sales · USA TODAY Co., Inc.
Director of National Sales at USA TODAY Co., Inc. since 2025, a role the profile describes as leading and developing a sales team and driving revenue growth across verticals including Sports, Pharma, Tech, Financial Services, Travel and Entertainment. Former SVP Brand & Strategic Partnerships-Southern Living,Real Simple,Midwest Living & Coastal Living at Meredith Corporation (2013–2024).
Farhad Fozounmayeh
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President, Head of Ad Sales & Brand Partnerships · Cricket Media
Senior Vice President, Head of Ad Sales & Brand Partnerships at Cricket Media since 2026 and former National Sales Director there (2025–2026). Former Director, Advertising Partnerships at The Guardian US (2021–2023) and National Sales Director at Common Sense Networks (2023–2025).
Laura Sonnenfeld
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Advertising · The New York Times
Former Vice President, Advertising (2013–2020) and Advertising Director (2007–2013) at The New York Times. Senior Vice President, Sales Operations at The New York Times since 2024, and former Vice President, Sales Operations there (2020–2024). The profile describes a media sales and operations executive with experience driving revenue growth.
Lauren Funke
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Advertising · The Athletic
Vice President Advertising at The Athletic since 2024 and former Head of Ad Marketing there (2022–2024). Former Executive Director, Advertising at The New York Times (2017–2020), Executive Director, Sales Operations (2020–2021) and Executive Director, Agency Partnerships & NYT Events Sales (2021–2022) at The New York Times.
Lee Garfield
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Programmatic Sales and Agency Relationships · Hearst Magazines
Vice President, Programmatic Sales and Agency Relationships at Hearst Magazines since 2025. Former East Coast Sales Director Programmatic Sales Lead at USA TODAY Co., Inc. (2024–2025), and former VP, Programmatic Sales and Strategy at G/O Media (2021–2023) and at Billboard (2019–2021).
Patrick Judge
LinkedInExperience: EVP Print Revenue Publisher Alexa · New York Post
EVP Print Revenue Publisher Alexa at New York Post since 2020. The profile says this person oversees all sales and strategy for clients, agencies, products and platforms, and drives advertising revenue by delivering custom solutions. It also describes leading, managing and developing sales professionals.
Ray Daley
LinkedInExperience: Vice President and Advertising Director · Sun Sentinel Media Group
Former Vice President and Advertising Director at Sun Sentinel Media Group (2005–2016), and former Classified Advertising Director there (1989–2005). The profile summary cites experience in print and digital sales, sales strategy, pricing, event marketing and targeted publication initiatives.
Scott Lareau
LinkedInExperience: Vice President National Sales · NY Post Digital
Vice President National Sales at NY Post Digital since 2015, where the profile says this person leads a digital and print sales team that focuses on Retail, Entertainment, Sports and strategic partnerships. Former Director, Ad Sales at Tribune Publications (2006–2009) and Vice President, Ad Sales Local Integrated Media at NBCUniversal (2009–2011).
Stephanie Shapiro
LinkedInExperience: Director of Advertising · Baltimore magazine
Director of Advertising at Baltimore magazine since 2020 and Vice President of Sales there since 2022. Former Director of Advertising Sales at Mid-Atlantic Media (2013–2020). The profile cites experience in advertising sales, print, digital, marketing and events, and says this person currently manages a sales team of 7.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's background to the inventory you sell, since leading print and direct-sold advertising is different work from running programmatic sales or agency relationships. Ask each person about the size of the team they led and how their sales targets were set, so you can judge how close their situation was to yours.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How did you split your ad sales team across categories, agencies and direct clients, and why?
- 02How did you balance print, digital and programmatic revenue when setting sales goals?
- 03Which changes to pricing, packaging or sales process produced the biggest revenue gains on your team?
Reaching publisher ad sales experts
How can I contact one of these publisher ad sales experts?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 10 companies, including The Seattle Times; USA TODAY Co., Inc. and Cricket Media, based on profile data retrieved on October 4, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach publisher ad sales experts?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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