The digital media company Bustle Digital Group has named media executive Avi Zimak as its chief commercial officer and promoted Amber Estabrook to chief business officer of prestige revenue and partnerships, the company shared with ADWEEK. Both executives will report to founder and chief executive Bryan Goldberg.
Zimak brings more than 25 years of experience across digital media, advertising technology, and premium publishing. In his new role, he will oversee BDG’s global commercial strategy, spanning sales, branded and video partnerships, events, and revenue operations, across a portfolio that includes Nylon, Bustle, and Elite Daily.
He joins from Perion, where he served as chief growth officer. Before that, Zimak served as the chief revenue and strategy officer at The Arena Group and chief revenue officer and publisher at New York Magazine.
Estabrook, who has spent six years building W’s prestige advertising business, will step into an expanded role overseeing high-end partnership revenue across BDG’s broader portfolio. She will continue to lead W as publisher and maintain oversight of the brand’s European offices in Milan and Paris. W, which is operated in partnership with BDG, has posted double-digit year-over-year print growth, according to the company.
The moves come as BDG enters what Goldberg has described as a new commercial chapter.
After years of restructuring, including shuttering brands like Gawker and Mic and significantly scaling back written editorial, the company has repositioned itself around live events and influencer marketing. Last year, its first-half revenue was up 25% year over year, with the company targeting a 10% profit margin on nine-figure revenue for the full year.
Given their backgrounds, Zimak and Estabrook appear poised to serve that strategy. Zimak’s experience scaling multi-platform revenue organizations suits BDG’s diversified monetization model, while Estabrook’s luxury relationships position the company to capture higher-end ad dollars as it expands its events footprint.
