Clear Channel Outdoor Names Vicki Lins Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
NEW YORK – October 18, 2012 – Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO), one of the world’s largest outdoor advertising companies, today announced the appointment of Vicki Lins as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA). An advertising industry veteran with more than twenty years’ experience, Lins brings an expertise in building and distinguishing brands, a strong track record of strategic market development and growth, and an in-depth understanding of the transformational impact of technology on media and advertising to her new role at Clear Channel Outdoor.
Lins will lead the marketing strategy and execution for the CCOA business, and will also serve as a member of the CCOA Executive Committee which guides the overall corporate strategy in North America. Additionally, she will liaise with Clear Channel Outdoor’s global marketing organization to collaborate for the ongoing distinction of the company’s brand in markets worldwide.
“Clear Channel Outdoor is going through a transformation from a real estate company into a global advertising business. Vicki will play an integral role in implementing our strategic vision. By using her vast marketing experience and working closely with international colleagues, she will add further momentum to the global change program for our business and our brand,” said William Eccleshare, CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor. “I am excited to work with an industry expert of Vicki’s quality to help grow our business by building and strengthening relationships with our key audiences of advertisers and agencies.”
Lins joins CCOA after 15 years in the cable TV industry where she served in leadership positions with Comcast and its advanced advertising initiative, Canoe Ventures. As Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications with Comcast, Lins led the development of a cohesive national marketing organization for Comcast’s local ad sales business after the company’s rapid, acquisition-powered growth which positioned it as the largest cable TV company in the nation. Lins received accolades for her accomplishments at Comcast which included the rebranding of the company’s advertising business as Comcast Spotlight. Following this success, Lins was tapped to lead Marketing at Canoe Ventures which helped to further the evolution of national advertising on television by increasing the awareness of cable’s new technology capabilities and by creating a forum for industry-wide collaboration which included television programmers, their advertisers and the vast collection of advertising agencies and creative thinkers, industry organizations, and technology innovators who continue to evolve the TV medium. Prior to Comcast, Lins led marketing and communications for Adlink, the nation’s largest interconnect, where she developed the “It’s Targeted TV” campaign successfully repositioning the industry for exponential growth, and prior to her tenure in cable, she held marketing roles at GTE and AirTouch Cellular.
“In my career, I have always appreciated the important role that out-of-home advertising can play in building brands; and in different organizations, it has often been an important part of my own mix. I am thrilled at the opportunity to now lead CCOA’s marketing during an important inflection point in media and advertising which is triggered by digital technologies that are evolving consumer behaviors,” said Lins. “I firmly believe that out-of-home will not only continue to hold its place with marketers, but also grow to increased importance. Clear Channel Outdoor is a leader in the industry. I look forward to being a part of its continuing evolution and to helping our clients’ brands meet people.”