The Philadelphia Eagles announced today that Anne Gordon – the former Managing Editor and Vice President of The Philadelphia Inquirer – will assume the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Media and Communications.
"This hire launches a new approach on our part toward communications by not only hiring a proven leader with deep local roots, but by organizing multiple media platforms and content responsibilities under one mission: providing fans with the most complete report on the team, its players and the organization's community work," said team president Don Smolenski. "We have a tremendous fan base and so much content to share with them over so many platforms. We want to be able to communicate and engage with them consistently and broadly access all those outlets."
In her role, Gordon will have oversight of the organization's various communications groups including football media services, community relations and all mobile, social media, internet and other new digital media platforms. She will begin active, daily management of the new department January 2nd.
"I am delighted with the opportunity to work with the Philadelphia Eagles," said Gordon. "Bringing all the considerable media assets together will ensure fans have even more entertaining and informative reports and insight into the Eagles' organization. By meeting the highest standard of accuracy, accountability, creativity and execution Eagles fans will have unprecedented access to the team across multiple platforms."
Gordon worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1999 until May of 2007. During that time she was vice president and managing editor from 2002 until 2007. Prior to that, she was deputy managing editor/arts and features. She began her career at the Inquirer in 1999. She has a 25-year career in leadership in newspapers and TV.
In 2007, Gordon became a partner in the boutique private investment firm of Dubilier & Co. to pursue her interest in developing digital media firms. With her partners, she invested in and took board roles in firms dedicated to SEO technology and advertising; daily news and intelligence briefings for clients including the White House; newsletters dedicated to global water issues. She also invested in and served as a board member - until 2010 - of Verve Mobile, a leader in location-based mobile advertising whose technology is used by premier publishers across the country to deliver the platforms and services they need to power and monetize their mobile properties.
"Anne is someone who understands the connection the Eagles have with the region both as a fan herself and as an astute media observer. By focusing so completely on the fan experience with our media assets, we will ensure our fans have multiple ways to follow the team, its leaders and its coaches, to talk to us and to be heard," added Smolenski.
Gordon is a Philadelphia Eisenhower Global Fellow (2001) and the chairman of the board of the Cadence Cycling Foundation, a tri-state youth development organization that teaches competitive cycling to student athletes ages 12 to 18 as a means of teaching life skills such as decision making, leadership and resiliency.
