Donna Speciale, a veteran TV ad sales exec who had a long stint at Turner before moving to Univision, is stepping down as President of U.S. Advertising Sales and Marketing at TelevisaUnivision.
The Hispanic media giant said TikTok and Roku alum Tim Natividad will succeed Speciale on June 9, with the latter remaining onboard for a period of time to ensure a smooth handoff.
Speciale, who spent two decades at Turner/WarnerMedia and WPP’s MediaVest, arrived at Univision in January 2021. A year later, the company closed its $4.8 billion merger with the media and entertainment arm of Mexico’s Grupo Televisa.
Natividad most recently headed enterprise sales in the U.S. for TikTok. He has also held senior posts at Roku, Amazon, and Google.
Like its traditional media peers, TelevisaUnivision is working to offset secular decline in its linear TV business with growth in streaming. Ad sales in the U.S. tumbled 11% in the first quarter, the company reported last month.
Daniel Alegre, a tech vet who joined the company as CEO last fall, has been making moves aimed at streamlining operations and reinvigorating the staff.
“We’re thrilled to have Tim at the helm of our U.S. advertising business at such a pivotal time for both our business and the industry at large,” Alegre said. “Tim’s deep expertise in platform strategy, data-driven marketing, and emerging media will accelerate innovation, sharpen our commercial edge, and reinforce our position as the partner of choice for brands looking to engage the most critical growth consumer in America today: U.S. Hispanics.”
Natividad said he is “honored to join TelevisaUnivision at a moment of such transformation in media, marketing, and consumer engagement. The company’s unrivaled connection to U.S. Hispanic audiences presents a powerful opportunity for brands to grow through cultural relevance, innovation, and measurable impact. I look forward to building on the momentum of this world-class team and advancing solutions that deliver performance at scale for our partners,” said Natividad.
Alegre said Speciale “has left an indelible impact on TelevisaUnivision, serving as a fierce advocate who helped shift the industry’s focus toward the full potential of U.S. Hispanic consumers.”
“It’s been a privilege to have led this team during such a pivotal phase of growth and reinvention,” Speciale said. “Together, we’ve elevated the role TelevisaUnivision plays in helping hundreds of new brands connect with U.S. Hispanic audiences in powerful and performance-driven ways.”
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