Joe Ripp's Last Hurrah

AS THE COMPANY CONTINUES FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS, CEO JOE RIPP PULLS WHAT COULD BE HIS LAST TRICK

TIME INC CEO JOE RIPP

Since taking over as CEO of Time Inc, no one can say that Joe Ripp didn't hit the ground running, making cuts, launching new products, restructuring, acquiring digital brands and hiring some of the best talent out there to join his team. The man has literally pulled every trick out of his hat since September 2013. His next trick could be seen as his last one. His last one not as CEO but his last one to help jolt the company's sleepy stock price and the company's revenue. Mr. Ripp and his top lieutenants like Evelyn Webster has spent the last three years trying to convince advertisers and the public that Time Inc isn't a magazine publishing company. But the company's bread and butter is still its print magazines even with all the effort to run away from it.

Mr. Ripp is planning to restructure the current layout of how the magazines are managed,  decreasing Evelyn Webster's portfolio by pushing the sports group under People/Entertainment Weekly President Rich Batista, a move some expect will be announced this week according to the NY Post. Time Inc's stock continues to slide thanks to the overall performance of media stocks but also because, Wall Street still doesn't believe in the current strategy. This September will mark the third year that Mr. Ripp has been on the job, but it could also be the beginning of the clock running out on his tenure and vision for a storied company that is still trying to find its way in an increasingly digital media environment.


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