NPR CEO John Lansing Names Will Lee Chief Operating Officer

Will Lee, an experienced media executive with a strong track record of digital innovations and brand transformation, who most recently served as SVP/Head of Digital, Entertainment Group at Meredith Corporation, will become NPR’s Chief Operating Officer, announced John Lansing, President and CEO of NPR. The Technology; Audience Technology; Product; Content Operations; Research, Archives & Data Strategy; Member Partnership’ and Change Management and Transformation teams will report up to this role. This portfolio brings together the teams that are leading the way in how NPR reaches and serves audiences now and into the future. Lee’s appointment as Chief Operating Officer begins March 14 and follows an extensive national search.

“NPR is a media force and a news institution like no other in the world. Its journalistic mission is more essential and critical to the American public than ever before,” said Lee. “I’m truly honored to join this incredible team and work closely with NPR’s remarkable network of Member stations to ignite and drive continued growth, transformation, and brand momentum to reach new and more diverse audiences everywhere they encounter NPR.”

“Will is a creative and successful digital media leader who has spent his career transforming legacy media brands by expanding and growing audience engagement and revenue. He understands that to serve NPR’s critical public service mission we must meet audiences where they are — on the radio, and on other on-demand platforms and devices,” said NPR CEO John Lansing. “Will is also keenly aware of the unique competitive advantages of NPR, most notably the scale and strength of our 252 Member stations.”

Lee brings more than two decades of experience in content creation, audience expansion, commitment to and evolution of DEI in organizations, and brand development. In his previous role at Meredith, he led and directed the digital, platform, and video businesses of People, Entertainment Weekly, People en Español, and PeopleTV, with over 130 million total monthly users and over a billion monthly content views. In his time there, digital audiences and revenue more than tripled. He formerly served as the Vice President of Digital Content and Programming at The Hollywood Reporter, where he drove record-breaking audience growth for THR.com and THR video and led a complete renovation and relaunch of the digital newsroom. Lee currently sits on the Board of Advisors of the New York University Center for Publishing, and Nekton Mission, a non-profit devoted to protecting the oceans.

Russell Reynolds Associates assisted NPR with the search.

About NPR

NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), and now it’s easy to listen to our stories on smart speaker devices. Ask your smart speaker to, “Play NPR,” and you’ll be tuned into your local Member station’s live stream. Your speaker can also access NPR podcasts, NPR One, NPR News Now, and the Visual Newscast is available for screened speakers. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.