Jo Ann Ross on ViacomCBS’ Ad Sales and Upfront Strategy—and Why She’s Not Retiring
In her first interview since the merger, she talks about her new role at the combined company
After 27 years at CBS, “I wasn't ready to hang it up, as has been rumored," Ross said.
Sasha Maslov for Adweek
Key insights:
- Since the merger, Ross has been learning about Viacom's assets, combing the Viacom and CBS ad sales teams and preparing for ViacomCBS' first upfront.
- ViacomCBS will be simplifying its go-to-market strategy for clients.
- This upfront, Ross will continue the Viacom agency dinners, as well as the traditional CBS presentation at Carnegie Hall.
When CBS and Viacom announced their plans to merge last August, some in the industry speculated that Jo Ann Ross, who had presided over CBS ad sales since 2002, might take it as an opportunity to retire. Instead, settled into her new corner office high up in ViacomCBS’ Times Square building two and a half months after the merger was completed in December, Ross finds herself busier than ever (“there’s not enough hours in the day!”), juggling meetings with company execs, her expanded ad sales team and clients.
