Business Leader

Ross Levinsohn

Ross LevinsohnHe is currently the publisher of Sports Illustrated magazine and SI.com. Previously he was the CEO of Yahoo! Inc., which he joined in July 2016 to lead the company’s media business following its acquisition by Verizon Communications Inc. Levinsohn came to Yahoo from Rovio Entertainment Ltd. In this Finnish game maker, he has served as CEO since November 2014.

Prior to that, he was at The Walt Disney Company for more than seven years, where among other positions, he served as president of ABC Television from 2007-2012 and chief financial officer from 2002-2007, following stints in various senior management roles at FOX Broadcasting Co. and News Corp.

He joined FOX in 1994, holding a variety of positions, including group controller, senior vice president of corporate accounting, CFO, and chief accounting officer of Fox’s Telecommunications Group. Earlier in his career, Levinsohn held several finance and business development roles at News Corp.’s Star TV in Hong Kong and India. He began his career in investment banking at the New York office of Lehman Brothers.

Levinsohn is active on several boards, including LiveRamp Inc. and Ora Media Inc. Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn stepped down on Aug. 31 after just a year at the helm of the New York magazine publisher, where he was accused of creating a toxic work environment.

Levinsohn’s demotion came after employees raised concerns about his management style, reported The New York Times. The employees complained that their complaints to him were dismissed or ignored and that he was dictatorial and micromanaging. The change in leadership comes as Levinsohn is trying to re-energize Sports Illustrated CEO after years of declining sales and circulation. He hired new editors, including Chris Stone, and is experimenting with a mix of digital and print content. He also moved Sports Illustrated from its longtime home in Time Inc.’s Manhattan headquarters to an office in the Conde Nast building.