The holding company Sundial Media & Technology Group, which houses the media brands Essence, Refinery29, and Afropunk, among others, named marketing veteran Amanda Butler as its first chief marketing officer on Thursday, the company shared with ADWEEK exclusively.
Butler, who started in the role in mid-January, will oversee consumer marketing, communications, creative strategy, and insights across SMTG’s portfolio of brands, which also includes the influential experiential franchises 29Rooms and Essence Fest.
The hire represents a significant structural shift for the company. Rather than marketing functioning as a support operation, SMTG CEO Kirk McDonald is positioning it as a central growth driver, one that spans the company’s expanding ambitions in media, live experiences, commerce, and technology.
