THE BOSTON GLOBE announced on Thursday that it has hired Tim Marken as its chief growth officer, a new position that reflects what appears to be a different approach to the sale of advertising.
Globe CEO Mike Sheehan said in an email to staff that Merken will oversee “the transition of a sales organization from one that sells advertising to one that sells ideas. Companies and brands are looking for longer-term, cross-platform sponsorships adjacent to our ever-improving content, and that’s dramatically changing the manner with which we go to market, as a partner creating business solutions instead of a vendor selling advertising inventory. This will mean a material restructuring of our sales effort.”

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Editor, CommonWealth
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
Marken, formerly the chief operating officer of Breakway, a Boston venture capital firm that also helps startups with their marketing, has been working as a consultant at the
Globe for several months. He previously worked at Fenway Sports Group, a company owned by
Globe owner John Henry. He is a graduate of Babson College and Harvard Business School and is a lecturer at Babson.
Marken replaces Jason Kissell, the former vice president of advertising, who left the Globe earlier this year.