The Washington Times announced Friday it has hired Adam VerCammen as its new advertising and sales director, taking over a division that helped the company to reach its first-ever profitable month in September.
Mr. VerCammen joins The Times after a successful stint as the head of digital sales and client solutions at Sightline Media Group/TEGNA, the Washington-based publisher of military and government publications that was spun off by Gannett. During his tenure, the company registered double-digit gains in digital revenues.
“We are thrilled by Adam’s arrival at The Times, his record of sales growth and his vision for what The Times can still become,” President and CEO Larry Beasley said. “He’s a leader with a unique ability to get his troops to lean into the future to find solutions that will serve our loyal and growing advertising base.”
Mr. VerCammen, who began his media career in Florida before moving to Washington in 2011, takes over an advertising department that has expanded its portfolio from less than a dozen offerings two years ago to 29 distinct product lines today.
“The news marketplace is craving new ideas and solutions that provide advertisers with improved return on investment, something The Times has already begun to offer and which was at the heart of my last job,” he said.
“The print world continues to bring important value, and the digital world has evolved to a mobile world. I’m excited to lead The Times team on connecting our sales solutions with people where they are — when and how they choose to read The Times,” he added.
John Solomon, the editor and vice president for content and business development, who led the selection process, said Mr. VerCammen stood out among a strong field of candidates in both the bold vision he articulated for The Times’ business model and his unique blend of experience.
“Adam is well versed in the national advertising marketplace, experienced in the ways of Washington and a proven leader in both the print and digital worlds,” Mr. Solomon said. “And he is a visionary with a talent to arm his team with new ideas and solutions and to customize opportunities that improve the experience and investment of advertisers.
“We couldn’t have found a better leader to turn over the keys of a department with momentum behind it and opportunity still ahead,” he added.
At Sightline, Mr. VerCammen oversaw digital sales and custom solutions for such well-known news outlets as Military Times, Defense News and Federal Times.
Mr. VerCammen began his management career as a sales supervisor for the Gannett-owned Florida Today newspaper in Melbourne, Florida, in 2008 before becoming advertising director at Gannett’s Florida-based Knight Newspapers in 2010.
He continued to rise through the Gannett ranks, moving to Washington in 2012 to take over the military publications division, which was later spun off to the new company Sightline.
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