Steven Amato, Founder, CEO and Chief Content Officer of Contend, announced today expansion of his company’s senior ranks with the hiring of Jon Sneider as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)/Executive Vice President, Client Partnerships and Kate Shepherd as Executive Vice President (EVP) of Content. Both additions are indicative of the growth of the company since its inception last spring and the continued resources placed in the development and production of premium content for brands as well as broadcast programming. Both Shepherd and Sneider will report directly to Amato.
“With the marketing and entertainment industries transforming before us, having world-class talent like Kate and Jon are real game changers for Contend. Their strategic, creative, production and thought leadership within the television and marketing industries are unrivaled. Now having offices in Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles, Contend is excited to continue to grow into the expanding opportunities that lay ahead,” said Amato.
In his new position as CMO/EVP Client Partnerships, Sneider will be responsible for marketing Contend, leading all verticals of new business development and overseeing all aspects of client services within the company. He will also head Contend’s expansion in the Pacific Northwest and will oversee operations in their Seattle based office. He joins Contend having led advertising, digital and social media for various companies, including startup Redfin and various Fortune ranked companies, including Microsoft, LL Bean and Fidelity Investments. He is well regarded as an interactive marketing leader having held positions at Mullen and Digitas and working with such noted clients as Time-Warner, AT&T and GM.
“I have known the Contend team over various stages of our careers and when I was approached to join the team in LA, I could not turn down the challenge or the opportunity,’ stated Sneider. I look forward to helping Steven and the entire company grow and to lead in a way that fosters creativity, maximizing technology as a creative tool and involves developing an environment of partnership and trust with staff and clients,’ Sneider concludes.
Kate Shepherd is best known as a leader in developing, creating and producing unscripted content for some of the globe’s most noted production and distribution entities including; Shine, Endemol, BBC & Simon Fuller’s 19/XIX Entertainment. She recently joined Contend from Shine America as VP of Development, where she oversaw global format development and acquisitions. Kate has produced, directed and developed landmark TV series for Fox, Univision, NBC, The CW, ABC, TNT/TBS, BBC, ITV, C4UK.
“Joining Contend was a natural progression in my career tract. I am extremely excited to be a part of making Contend’s content a mainstay in the global diet of broadcast consumers ” stated Shepherd. “I have found the team here to be innovative and ready to take creative risks in the development, production and distribution of programming. I look forward to elevating the future of Contend & working alongside Steven and the entire team as we all embrace change and innovation,” concludes Shepherd.
About Contend
Founded in the spring of 2014, Contend specializes in creating, producing and distributing data-driven content to deliver measurable business results. With offices in Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago, Contend is headquartered in downtown Los Angeles and recently completed long and short format content for Bud Light, LA Times, NBC, Facebook, Lexus and are currently in production on the talk show, ‘Rough Draft with Reza Aslan.’ Visit us at: www.contendco.com
