Los Angeles Times Names Kris Viesselman Chief Transformation Editor
Viesselman will focus on digital and video development for the California News Group
The Los Angeles Times today announced that Kris Viesselman has been named to the newly-created position of Chief Transformation Editor and Creative Director, reporting to Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine.
“Kris will have major responsibility for charting our future, building digital, video and other products that will be distributed across multiple platforms for the benefit of new and existing audiences,” Pearlstine said. “She will work closely with editorial and business-side colleagues at The Times and she will have primary responsibility for developing systems and synergies between The Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune and other publications in the California News Group.”
Viesselman most recently was Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of CQ and Roll Call in Washington, D.C., where she led a newsroom of more than 100 people covering Congress. As part of her responsibilities, she served as Chief Creative Officer, overseeing brand standards, reader research and UX design efforts across all CQ and Roll Call products.
This is a California homecoming for Viesselman who has previously worked at the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and The San Diego Union-Tribune – as Managing Editor and VP/Product – and did stints at The Sacramento Bee and the San Jose Mercury News.
Viesselman also wore several hats at National Geographic: founding editor for an annual international publication on global trends, Director for Interactive Publishing and Digital Product Development and Editorial and Design Director for National Geographic Maps.
“I am thrilled to be returning to California to work with the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune – two brands that I love – to help create a journalism-fueled strategy that will ensure that these great institutions thrive,” said Viesselman.
The Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune and other entities in the California News Group were recently purchased by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong through NantCapital, his personal investment company, restoring local ownership to some of the top news organizations in the West. Soon-Shiong serves as executive chairman of the California News Group and, on June 18, appointed Norman Pearlstine executive editor of the Los Angeles Times. Jeff Light remains editor-in-chief and publisher of The San Diego Union-Tribune.
