Susan Mernit

Susan Mernit has more than ten years of senior executive experience building profitable new brands and products, with P&L responsibility. As an entrepreneurial, creative leader skilled in managing media brands and services through a full life cycle, from concept to launch, she has led the development of leading consumer brands for Scholastic, Parade Magazine, Advance Publications, Netscape, and America Online. In her consulting practice, she now works with both large media companies and emerging technology start-ups to create new products and rethink existing businesses.

A former magazine journalist, Mernit’s products have won industry awards from The Newspaper Association of America, Folio, Clarion Women in Communications, The American Journalism Review, the Software Industry Association of America, and Editor and Publisher Magazine, among others. Regarded as one of the most effective and experienced Internet/digital media executives in the country, Ms. Mernit served as Vice-President, Programming, Design and Production at Netscape.com, transforming the site into the #1 daytime work/home content destination on the Internet. In her role as Vice President of Network Strategy and Programming, she developed beyond the banner, editorially focused solutions for major advertising partners including Bertelsmann, Phillips, Sony, eBay, Discovery, Coke and Burger King and created AOL’s annual first editorial calendar. She also wrote a white paper for AOL’s Blog strategy and launched content initiatives to establish interactive community as a retention tool for the AOL Brand.

Mernit’s combination of business skill and creative energy has allowed her to repeatedly demonstrate ways in which Internet operations can become core to an off-line business’ identify and branding, and improve their bottom line. Known for her strength in building online complements to offline brands, as well as building core online products, Ms. Mernit’s signature is her creative energy and ability to both innovate and execute. A published poet and journalist, she is passionate about media and consumer experience. Through 5ive (www.5ivegroup.net), her consulting company, she works with media organizations, tech start-ups and non-profits, including Consumer Reports, Hearst Magazine Group and The Media Center/American Press Institute. She is an avid blogger (susanmernit.blogspot.com) and active on LinkedIn, Ryze and Orkut.