Rick Lewchuk To Exit CNN Senior VP Post As Network Undergoes Cost Cutting
Rick Lewchuk is exiting his post as senior vice president of creative marketing and brand standards for CNN Worldwide, amid cost-cutting and layoffs at the network this week.
He oversaw on-air and off-channel brand and marketing for the CNN channels, as well as CNN Go and CNN Digital and the short-lived CNN+, with responsibilities that included brand messaging, on-air promotion, design and marketing campaigns across platforms. He also served as interim head of marketing after the departure of Allison Gollust in February.
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Lewchuk joined CNN in 2012 after holding a number of senior level positions at CTV, a division of Bell Media in Canada. That included a tenure as senior vice president of Bell Media Agency and Brand Strategy.
His tenure at CNN included the launch of CNN Original Series and CNN Films, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, as well as the first HLN Original Series. He also launched the Go There and Facts First campaign for the network, as well as the first brand standards for CNN. During that time his team won four Emmys for promotional achievement. Lewchuk and his teams have earned more than 2,000 Promax awards over his five decade career, including seven times as global marketing team of the year.
Lewchuk reported to Kris Coratti Kelly after she was named executive vice president and chief communications officer in August. She oversees global communications, brand strategy, PR and global marketing.
In a memo to staffers on Thursday, Licht wrote that the creative marketing team would “see an overall reduction in size, realigning around in-house production and consolidating creative and strategy roles in New York. Roles will be added to both support that work and expand our digital and growth marketing efforts.”
Licht announced last month that CNN’s top programming chief, Michael Bass, had decided to leave the network at the end of the year and that they would launch a search for his successor.
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