Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Company: Hearst Magazines
Alma-mater: Trinity College (1966)
1. President of Hearst Magazines
1. Member of the Board : Coca-Cola Company
1. Member of the Board : IBM
Nicknamed: "The First Lady of American Magazines"
First woman publisher of weekly consumer magazine New York
Holds 8 honorary degrees
Trustee of University of Notre Dame
Member of the Council on Foreign Relations
With a best-selling book drawing on her four decades in the media business, Cathie Black—dubbed "The First Lady of American Magazines" and "one of the leading figures in American publishing over the past two decades" by the Financial Times—heads Hearst Magazines, a division of Hearst Corporation and one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines. For 15 years, first as president and now as chairman, she has managed the financial performance and development of some of the industry's best-known titles: Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, O, The Oprah Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Redbook, and Town & Country—14 magazines in all. She also oversees nearly 200 international editions of those magazines in more than 100 countries. At Hearst Magazines, aggressive international development worldwide as well as significant digital expansion are two key priority areas for Black.
Her book, BASIC BLACK: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life) www.cathieblack.com, explains how she achieved "the 360° life"—a blend of professional accomplishment and personal contentment—and how women can seize opportunity in the workplace. "BASIC BLACK," now in its eighth printing (166,000 copies), reached No. 1 on the Wall Street Journal Business Books list (Nov. 6, 2007) and Business Week best-seller list (Jan. 3, 2008), and No. 3 on the New York Times Business Books List (Nov. 11, 2007). The book has been licensed for translated editions in 12 countries including China, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Korea, Poland, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Romania and Croatia. The paperback edition debuted Sept. 9, 2008. It is published by Crown Business, an imprint of Random House.BASIC BLACK is both practical and motivational. Black offers case studies; "black-and-white" tips; and invaluable lessons about ambition, self- confidence, and risk, illustrated by candid, funny personal stories and with insights into media and business giants like Rupert Murdoch, Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, Francis Ford Coppola, Harvey Weinstein, and Al Neuharth.Having begun her career in advertising sales with several magazines, including Holiday and Ms., she made publishing history in 1979 when she became the first woman publisher of a weekly consumer magazine: New York.
Black is widely credited for the success of USA Today, where for eight years starting in 1983, she was first president, then publisher, as well as a board member and executive vice president/marketing of Gannett, its parent company. In 1991 she became president and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America, the industry's largest trade group, where she served for five years before joining Hearst.She serves as a member of the boards of IBM and the Coca-Cola Company, and held a two-year term (1999-2001) as chairman of the Magazine Publishers of America. She is also a board member of the Advertising Council, a trustee of The University of Notre Dame and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.Black is included on Forbes magazine's list of "The World's100 Most Powerful Women." She has also been included on Fortune magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list and Crain's list of New York City's "100 Most Influential Women in Business."Black is a graduate of Trinity College, Washington, D.C., and holds nine honorary degrees.