Stagwell Expands Owned Media Leadership with Two Senior Hires

Drew Schutte named Chief Revenue Officer, Owned Media and David Olesnevich as Chief Growth Officer, Owned Media

Apr. 18, 2026 at 12:09am

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A minimalist studio still life photograph featuring a stack of business documents, a pen, and a laptop computer on a clean, white background, conceptually representing Stagwell's strategic focus on its owned media portfolio.Stagwell's strategic investment in its owned media division aims to unlock new opportunities for data-driven, audience-focused growth.NYC Today

Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing through AI, has named two senior hires to its owned media portfolio - Drew Schutte as Chief Revenue Officer, Owned Media, and David Olesnevich as Chief Growth Officer, Owned Media. These appointments reflect Stagwell's continued investment in building scaled, differentiated media assets that drive growth for its clients and network.

Why it matters

Stagwell's owned media portfolio includes properties like Ink, ReachTV, and RealClearPolitics, and the new hires are expected to help unlock the full potential of these assets by building integrated, cross-property sales strategies and driving audience growth, product innovation, and revenue generation.

The details

Drew Schutte is a veteran media and revenue executive with deep experience scaling global publishing and technology businesses, previously serving in senior leadership roles at Condé Nast. David Olesnevich is a seasoned growth and product leader with a proven track record of building digital media businesses, most recently at The Weather Company. Both will report to Ben Berentson, CEO of Owned Media, and are tasked with accelerating Stagwell's portfolio of owned media properties.

  • Stagwell announced the new hires on April 17, 2026.

The players

Drew Schutte

Schutte is the new Chief Revenue Officer, Owned Media at Stagwell. He is a veteran media and revenue executive with deep experience scaling global publishing and technology businesses, previously serving in senior leadership roles at Condé Nast.

David Olesnevich

Olesnevich is the new Chief Growth Officer, Owned Media at Stagwell. He is a seasoned growth and product leader with a proven track record of building digital media businesses, most recently holding a senior role at The Weather Company.

Ben Berentson

Berentson is the CEO of Owned Media at Stagwell. He will oversee the new hires of Schutte and Olesnevich.

Stagwell

Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. It delivers scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology.

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What they’re saying

“I'm excited to join Stagwell's growing owned media portfolio. Our goal is to unlock the full potential of Stagwell's owned media portfolio by building integrated, cross-property sales strategies and strengthening revenue capabilities. I look forward to working closely with our agency partners to deliver innovative, results-driven solutions that help brands connect more meaningfully with their audiences.”

— Drew Schutte, Chief Revenue Officer, Owned Media

“I'm looking forward to leading the next era of growth for Stagwell's owned media portfolio. I'm eager to help shape a more connected, innovative ecosystem that deepens audience engagement, unlocks new opportunities, and positions our portfolio for long-term, sustainable growth.”

— David Olesnevich, Chief Growth Officer, Owned Media

“Drew and David are leaders in their respective fields, and will bring the vision, discipline, and commercial focus needed to accelerate our portfolio. Their appointments reflect Stagwell's continued investment in building scaled, differentiated media assets that drive growth for our clients and our network.”

— Ben Berentson, CEO, Owned Media

What’s next

Stagwell will look to leverage the expertise of Schutte and Olesnevich to drive growth and innovation across its owned media portfolio, which includes properties like Ink, ReachTV, and RealClearPolitics.

The takeaway

Stagwell's investment in senior leadership for its owned media division signals the company's commitment to building a differentiated portfolio of media assets that can drive value for its clients and the broader network through data-driven, audience-focused strategies.