CHRISTINE CASTRO NAMED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, FOR CBS INTERACTIVE

CHRISTINE CASTRO NAMED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, FOR CBS INTERACTIVE Published on: 01/14/2014 | All 2014 Press Releases

Christine Castro has been named Senior Vice President, Communications, for CBS Interactive, it was announced today by Jim Lanzone, President and CEO of CBS Interactive, and Gil Schwartz, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of CBS Corporation. Castro will hold the top communications post at CBS Interactive, reporting directly to Lanzone and Schwartz. She begins in February.

In this position, Castro will oversee all global external and internal communications and public relations efforts for CBS Interactive and its portfolio of digital brands, including CBS.com, CBSNews.com, CBSSports.com, CNET, GameSpot, TV.com, among many others. She will work closely with the general managers of each property to plan public relations and communications strategies in support of their business objectives. At the same time, Castro will work with CBS Interactive management and CBS Communications leadership across the Corporation to communicate the division's ongoing initiatives and build the value of the brand across its many constituencies in the public, the media and the investment community.

It's hard to find a communications executive in our industry as universally respected and well-liked as Chris Castro, said Lanzone. Chris possesses a rare combination of technology and media experience, making her a perfect fit for CBS Interactive. She's a fantastic addition to our team.

CBS Interactive is a fast-growing part of our Company, and its operations have a great deal of importance to all of CBS's divisions, said Schwartz. I know that Chris' wealth of experience in a variety of different disciplines will be of great help not only to the division in which she works, but to our communications department as a whole.

Castro brings to the position more than 15 years of executive-level communications experience, having worked in tech, finance and media.

Castro most recently served as Vice President, Communications at 23andMe, the leading direct-to-consumer personal genetics company. There, she managed all external and internal communications initiatives and was responsible for media relations, employee communications, social media, investor relations, crisis management and executive communications. Before that, Castro was Managing Director of Kekst and Company, a leading strategic communications firm. At Kekst, Castro was responsible for managing public relations for a multitude of corporate clients in a range of industries, including tech, biotech, media and transportation.

Castro also served as Vice President, Corporate Communications for Adobe Systems, Inc., the leader in digital marketing and digital media solutions, where she was responsible for all external and internal communications for the company, including product PR, corporate communications, social media, public affairs and executive and employee communications. She was also responsible for managing the company's corporate giving program. Before that, Castro was Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations for Genentech, one of the world's leading biotechnology firms. There, she directed all corporate communications initiatives, as well as public affairs, patient advocacy programs, product PR, executive communications and the Genentech Foundation. Castro was a member of the company's Executive Committee. Castro also served as Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer at Yahoo! Inc., and as Vice President, Corporate Communications for The Walt Disney Company. She got her start as a Director of Corporate Communications with SunAmerica, Inc.

Castro is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Master's degree in Communications Management.

About CBS Corporation

CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world's largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand the Eye one of the most recognized in business. The Company's operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment, including cable, publishing, radio, local TV, film, outdoor advertising, and interactive and socially responsible media. CBS's businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, TVGN (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Lionsgate), Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television Stations, CBS Radio, CBS Outdoor, CBS Television Studios, CBS Global Distribution Group (CBS Studios International and CBS Television Distribution), CBS Interactive, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Films and CBS EcoMedia. For more information, go to www.cbscorporation.com.

About CBS Interactive

CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation, is the premier online content network for information and entertainment. With more than 280 million people visiting its properties each month, CBS Interactive is a top Web property globally. Its portfolio of leading brands, which include CNET, CBS.com, CBSNews.com, CBSSports.com, GameSpot, TV.com and Last.fm, span popular categories like technology, entertainment, sports, news and gaming.

Follow CBS Interactive on Twitter: twitter.com/cbsi and on Facebook.

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LINK:	http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=1017...
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