New York Public Radio Names Ayesha Ahmad As Chief Marketing Officer
A 20-year marketing veteran, Ahmad will lead efforts to grow the media organization’s audience, build brand loyalty and drive membership
(New York, NY — May 27, 2020) – New York Public Radio (NYPR), home of WNYC, WQXR, Gothamist, WNYC Studios, and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, announced today that Ayesha Ahmad has been named Chief Marketing Officer. Her appointment will take effect on June 15.
Ahmad brings to NYPR two decades of experience leading marketing and digital transformation efforts for consumer brands, most recently as Chief Digital Officer and General Manager of E-Commerce for Chilewich, a direct-to-consumer textiles and home decor brand. In her new role, Ahmad will be charged with leading strategies to build brand affinity and drive membership, strengthening relationships with existing NYPR audiences and members, and expanding reach with new audiences. She will oversee the membership, audience development, marketing, communications, and data intelligence teams, helping each NYPR brand transform how it engages with the organization’s diverse audiences. Ahmad will report directly to NYPR President and CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and work in close collaboration with the entire NYPR management team.
“I am thrilled to welcome Ayesha to New York Public Radio at a critical time for our city, our democracy, and for the broader global community,” said Sheikholeslami. “The relationship public radio shares with its audience — who choose to support us as members for content we offer for free — is unique in the media landscape. We are confident that she will help us advance our goals of fostering this relationship, reaching new and diverse audiences, and converting audiences into members by championing our essential brand promises of trusted news and information, civic conversation, and joyful classical music programming.”
“I am ecstatic to be joining New York Public Radio, which provides an unparalleled service to people in New York and across the globe,” said Ahmad. “I must admit that I consider myself a bit of an NYPR ‘superfan’ — I rely on the information and entertainment I get from programs like The Brian Lehrer Show and The Takeaway every day. The chance to be a part of NYPR and to elevate the voices that define the organization, and to grow its one-of-a-kind community is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
In her three years at Chilewich, Ahmad successfully led the company’s transition from primarily distributing their products through traditional retail to selling directly to consumers via their own website and retail stores. Prior to Chilewich, Ahmad led marketing and e-commerce operations at Mouth.com and Fiverr, and was a senior marketing executive at J.Crew and Gilt Groupe. She was also the founder of Trunkt, a wholesale marketplace for independent artisans, that was acquired by Etsy.
Originally from Pakistan, Ahmad emigrated as a child to the United Arab Emirates with her family and then moved to the United States for college. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a B.A. in politics from Mount Holyoke College where she was a Sarah Williston Scholar and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
About New York Public Radio
With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, New York Public Radio (NYPR) produces innovative public radio programs, podcasts, and live events that touch a passionate community of 23.4 million people monthly on air, online and in person. From its state-of-the-art studios in New York City, NYPR is reshaping radio for a new generation of listeners with groundbreaking, award-winning programs including Radiolab, On the Media, The Takeaway, Carnegie Hall Live, and Aria Code, among many others. New York Public Radio includes WNYC, WQXR, WNYC Studios, Gothamist, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio. Further information about programs, podcasts, and stations may be found at www.nypublicradio.org.