Hensleigh Joins Ion as Chief Marketer

Ion Media Networks Wednesday named The Walt Disney Co. veteran Eleo Hensleigh chief marketing officer.

Hensleigh, who will be based in New York, willdevelop, manage and implement all marketing and branding activities across the company in support of its network and digital multiplatform portfolio.  She reports to Ion Media chairman and CEO Brando Burgess.

She will lead all consumer-facing and business-to-business branding and marketing activities company-wide, and is also charged with leading the expansion of Ion's research organization, providing qualitative and quantitative audience, consumer, sales and media planning insights for all divisions.

Hensleigh joins Ion from Disney-ABC, where, over her tenure, she oversaw the marketing and branding functions of both the television and cable groups.

At the TV group, she served as CMO and executive vice president, marketing and  brand strategy, and was involved in the marketing, advertising, research, media planning, synergy, creative services and promotion divisions, which includes the ABC Television Network (encompassing ABC Daytime, ABC News, ABC Entertainment and ABC Affiliate Marketing), Disney Channel Worldwide, Toon Disney, ABC Family and SOAPnet.

Prior to that, Hensleigh served as executive vice president of  worldwide brand strategy for Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group, where she was responsible for developing and managing the brand strategy for the company’s domestic and international cable channels, plus the Saturday morning ABC Television Network daypart, ABC Kids.

She joined Disney Channel in 1996 as senior vice president of marketing.  Previously, she was creative director and senior vice president of marketing and promotions for FX Networks, and also served as vice president and creative director of on-air promotion at Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite.