Say Media’s Matt Sanchez appointed CEO of Hearst’s Autos Group

Hearst Magazines has tapped its third ex-Say Media executive for a big job.

Say Media founder Matt Sanchez was quietly appointed CEO of Hearst’s Autos Group, which includes Road & Track, Car and Drive and the Jumpstart auto group that is an ad network for outside titles such as Autoweek, J. D. Power, US News & World Report auto ads, and NADAguides.

Media Ink reported months ago that Hearst Magazines President Troy Young had put his pal and former boss Sanchez on the payroll as a consultant. Both were top executives at Say Media.

Sanchez is the third former Say executive in the upper tier at Hearst. Kate Lewis, the chief content officer, had a stop as editorial director at Say before landing at Hearst in 2016.

She was promoted to her current job by Young earlier this year, succeeding Joanna Coles, who resigned suddenly after Young’s appointment.

Nick Matarazzo, who after decades in the business knows just about everyone in Detroit, was not bounced in the shuffle that handed the CEO job to technologist Sanchez. Matarazzo is still there as the president and chief revenue officer and “will focus on revenue,” said Young. “Matt will lead all aspects of the car business with a focus on product.”