ATLANTA—Cox Media Group (CMG) has promoted Brad Smith to chief financial officer.
Smith joined CMG in 2020 as the senior vice president of finance & FP&A and has been the interim co-CFO for the last six months. His promotion reflects his success in helping CMG develop its corporate vision and business strategy while evolving the finance team to be more effective and efficient, the company said.
“Brad brings a unique skillset and perspective to the role of CFO,” said Dan York, CMG’s president & CEO. “He’s committed to maximizing company performance and efficiency and has been invaluable in helping CMG win in our local markets today while positioning us to continue to do so in the future. This is a well-earned promotion for Brad that also reflects the strength and depth of CMG’s talented team.”
Smith spent the last 20 years of his career in the media space at the crossroads of finance, strategy and operations. Prior to CMG, Smith co-founded Videa, a media technology start-up, where he was senior vice president of revenue and operations. His experience also includes stints as CFO for Four Points Media Group and vice president of finance for NBC Universal.
During his time at CMG, Smith and his teams have successfully streamlined financial operations by focusing on the fundamentals of the business and automating where possible. That includes increasing advertising and retransmission revenue and implementing focused cost management strategies that have allowed CMG to reinvest in the business.
“We have a great team at CMG, one that’s bonded by our commitment to creating value and generating revenue while helping our customers grow their businesses,” Smith said. “Local media is special because of the positive impact we have on the communities and businesses we serve. To consistently do that requires collective dedication and partnerships across CMG to align vision with strategy and execution to ultimately exceed our business goals.”
Smith, a native New Yorker, lives on Long Island with his wife and 3 children. He’s active in his community, including running a not-for-profit baseball program for nearly 500 kids in his local community. He has an Economics degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
