Based in NYC, sophia is Executive Director, digital for Hearst Magazines International (HMI), a unit of Hearst Magazines, which publishes almost 300 editions for distribution in nearly 100 countries including Cosmopolitan, Harper’s BAZAAR, Esquire and, under license, ELLE magazine in several countries, including China, Russia and Italy.
Digital awards won by the HMI group since ‘09 include: EPPY (Editor & Publisher) | Best National Magazine-Affiliated Website | Spain Media Magazines/Harper’s BAZAAR Espana, Asian Publishing Award (APA) | Best Use of Screen Tablet Platform- Cosmopolitan China, Marketing Mix Digital Media Publishers Award | Best Content Offering: Woman | Cosmopolitan South Africa and Advertising Age | Media Vanguard Award | Cosmopolitan International Digital Strategy.
Sophia was promoted to the international unit from the USA digital division after almost three years heading up the mobile business where Cosmo Mobile won a Webby and the group was nominated for a global MMA award. In ’09, sophia was voted one of the “Top 21 Social Media Superstars” by Min Online and is a non-executive director for the UK Trade & Investment’s USA Council.
Starting initially as a journalist in the UK, Sophia wrote about art, fashion, media and technology for The Independent newspaper (UK), The Guardian (UK), Time Out (London), Black + White (Studio Magazines in Australia), Out (NYC), International Broadcast and Screen International.
Before joining Hearst Magazines Digital Media in ’06, sophia spent five years in Los Angeles directing a range of digital projects, including online, 3-D animation, motion capture and mobile applications for clients including New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox and Neven Vision (now part of Google’s mobile operations). Prior to that, she led digital media ventures for Hearst’s U.K. operations from ’99 to ’01.