Vox Media + Group Nine Merger
Challenge — As the technology operations lead for the merger of Group Nine Media (900 full-time employees) and Vox Media (1,300 full-time employees), I faced the complex task of integrating disparate technology systems and onboarding hundreds of employees within an extremely compressed timeline. I was the sole person handling this transition on the Group Nine IT side, as most colleagues had been let go. The initial onboarding, from deal close to Day One, was less than a month.
Approach — I developed a comprehensive integration strategy that included:
Rapidly learning Vox Media's systems and technical landscape
Collaborating with cross-functional teams (People, Communications, Legal, IT) to create an execution plan
Developing near-term and short-term project plans that addressed both technical requirements and user needs
Working with IT colleagues to identify technical limitations and contract renewal considerations
Partnering with communications leadership to create a clear onboarding strategy
Conducting virtual presentations to all 900 new employees over three days
Establishing a dedicated Slack channel for ongoing change communications over six months
Results —
Successfully integrated technology systems with zero downtime
Onboarded 900 employees smoothly to new systems
Consolidated six offices into three across New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
Integrated approximately 40 SaaS applications within six months
Created clear communication channels that minimized confusion and anxiety
Business Impact — This illustrates my ability to execute complex technology transitions while maintaining business continuity. My approach not only prevented costly downtime and productivity loss but also established a foundation for successful organizational integration. By focusing on both systems and people, I facilitated a merger that could have easily derailed without structured change management and clear communication. This also established me as a trusted leader in my new organization.
