Kathy Savitt is leaving Yahoo.
The tech giant’s chief marketing officer announced today that she is taking a new role at STX Entertainment as president of the motion picture and television studio’s digital arm.
Savitt was not only Yahoo’s top marketing executive, but also managed Yahoo’s media unit that has recently produced digital magazines, original video programming, and live concerts, in addition to bringing on top talent like Katie Couric and David Pogue.
“I’m excited and proud to join Bob, Sophie and the STX team,” Savitt said in a statement. “In a time of unprecedented change in the media industry, STX is redefining storytelling. Viewers are in control and each film or show has to earn its space in their time on its own merit. What we are doing at STX hasn’t been done before; we are creating a new way for audiences to access meaningful stories, from wherever they are.”
Love and gratitude for 3 amazing years @Yahoo. Excited and humbled to soon join STX Digital to build an audience-first content force.
— Kathy Savitt (@ksavitt) September 11, 2015
Before joining Yahoo in 2012 as one of Marissa Mayer’s early appointees, Savitt was CEO of Lockerz, the battered and bruised Seattle upstart she founded in 2009 that sold last year to a Chinese e-commerce company at a fire sale price. The Wall Street Journal wrote a detailed piece last year that analyzed the rise of Savitt, a former public relations executive and entrepreneur who was “a key architect in Ms. Mayer’s plan to turn around the Internet portal,” the Journal reported.
Savitt also worked at Amazon.com, where she was VP of Strategic Communications, Content and Entertainment Initiatives for four years. She’s also an Alaska Airlines board member.
Re/code first reported on Savitt’s departure earlier Friday and noted how the shift is part of a big shakeup at Yahoo, which has struggled to keep up with competitors like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
