National Geographic made some big changes this week as they work to realign the organization for an aggressive new approach to creating content.
Gary Knell, President and CEO of the National Geographic Society since January, announced a reorganization that involves the creation of new positions and a new management structure. 
The changes are intended to better align the nonprofit media organization with its mission “to inspire people to care about the planet” by focusing on three key areas: to inspire, illuminate and teach.
Susan Goldberg, who was hired as Executive Editor of News and Features this January, has been promoted to Editor in Chief of National Geographic magazine and News.
Declan Moore has moved from Executive Vice President of the National Geographic Society and President of National Geographic Publishing and Travel to the role of Chief Media Officer. Moore will lead all content creation efforts across television, film and video, as well as corporate partnerships, consumer products and licensing, and marketing.
Chris Johns, who had been in the EIC role, will take on the new position of Chief Content Officer, reporting to Moore. He will be responsible for the print and digital editorial content across platforms, including National Geographic magazine, News, Books, Traveler magazine, Maps and all digital content except National Geographic Kids.
Melina Bellows is now Chief Education Officer, overseeing the Kids’ products, School Publishing, the National Geographic Education Foundation, and the National Geographic Bee. Prior to this promotion, she was Executive Vice President of the National Geographic Society and Chief Creative Officer for Books, Kids and Family.
Terry Garcia has been promoted from Executive Vice President for Mission Programs and President of Licensing for the National Geographic Society, to Chief Science and Exploration Officer. He will lead research and exploration, Explorer programs, global experiences location-based entertainment, and public programs.
We’re very excited to see changes that aim for a new, refreshed approach to thinking about content. It represents a great model for other publishers to watch and embrace as they face similar challenges.
Posted by: tfpadmin