Posted by chicagomedia.org on July 24, 2008 at 18:22:56:
Carolyn Gilbert, the founder and former president of Clear Channel's research and marketing company, Critical Mass Media, has been named executive vice president of the Multi-Media Sales Group (MSG), Tribune's recruitment classifieds tele-sales division. Gilbert started her new job on July 7 and is now based in Chicago.
In her new role with Tribune, she will be responsible for revamping and retooling MSG, as well as developing and executing plans for division expansion beyond recruitment advertising.
"Work ethic, intelligence and the ability to get things done quickly and efficiently make Carolyn a great fit for the new Tribune culture," says Randy Michaels, Tribune's chief operating officer. "I worked with her for 17 years at Jacor and have absolutely no idea why she'd want to do it again -- she knows what she's getting into, and I'm glad she's chosen to do it anyway."
"I'm incredibly optimistic about the future, and I'm thrilled to be here," Gilbert tells R&R. "I've won with these guys before, and if anyone can do this, I know they can. When you work with winners, you get to win. And that feels great."
As previously reported, Gilbert was fired from Critical Mass Media in June after 27 years. Although she negotiated an amicable separation agreement with Clear Channel and agreed to a severance package, Clear Channel's legal department added a lot of "restrictive language" to the final deal, which barred Gilbert from taking a job with Tribune immediately.
"In short," Gilbert said in June, "they were not the mutually agreed-upon and previously accepted terms. I was presented this paperwork on Wednesday, June 4, and I refused to sign it." Clear Channel sent Gilbert a letter on June 12 threatening to sue her if she did not sign the agreement. She responded by filing her own lawsuit against the San Antonio-based broadcaster on June 13.
On Thursday (July 23), Clear Channel announced that lawsuits it filed against several former employees who allegedly violated their contracts had been settled. Clear Channel claimed that Tribune unlawfully induced the contractual violations.
(R&R)