Susan Grant is executive vice president of CNN News Services, a division of CNN Worldwide, which encompasses the company's digital and affiliate businesses. Based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, Grant is a member of the CNN Executive Committee and reports to Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide.
Under Grant's stewardship, CNN.com has emerged as the No. 1 news and information site according to Nielsen Online. This success followed the unveiling of an intuitive, integrated Web site that puts users within a click of the global, national and local news and information they find most relevant to them. In addition, CNNMoney.com – a partnership with Time Inc.'s Fortune & Money Group that harnessed the branding powers of CNN, FORTUNE, MONEY and FSB: FORTUNE – continues its growth as the world's largest business Web site with the unveiling of an aggressive and robust video offering catered to financial news junkies.
Also during Grant's tenure, CNN developed new and stronger collaborations with its affiliate partners. CNN Newsource Sales, CNN's newsgathering and affiliate distribution arm, grew from 250 local news stations to more than 800 today, securing critical access to breaking news footage no matter where it breaks across North America. CNN Radio, the company's 24/7 live news radio network, adds to the reach with about 2,000 affiliates worldwide.
Grant also oversees CNN ImageSource, CNN Worldwide's content and stock footage licensing business, and CNN Student News, CNN’s cost-and-commercial-free, 10-minute educational program for middle and high school students. With more than 480,000 items in its online catalog, CNN ImageSource is one of the leading news archives available on the Internet. CNN Student News gives CNN the distinction as the only news organization to integrate its vast on-air and online resources to create news and information content specifically for the classroom.
From 1994 to 1996, Grant was president of Turner Program Services (TPS), responsible for the domestic syndication sales and marketing for the company's television programming.
Before joining TPS in June 1994, Grant spent eight years with Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, where she was responsible for marketing and selling such syndication hits as Who’s the Boss?, Married . . . With Children, Seinfeld and Ricki Lake. Grant joined Columbia TriStar, then Embassy Communications, in 1986 as an account executive before becoming vice president in 1988.
Previously, Grant worked seven years with Turner Broadcasting, serving in various capacities throughout the organization. A CNN original, she was the first director of public relations in 1980, helping to launch the global news network and later became CNN marketing manager. In 1981, Grant moved into sales as a regional manager for Turner Cable Network Sales (TCNS) for the Southeast region. She was later promoted to national accounts manager and ultimately to director of regional sales for TCNS, a position she held until 1985.
Grant serves on the board of directors for Internet Broadcasting, the nation's largest publisher of TV station Web sites. A graduate of Leadership Atlanta's Class of 2006, she served on the board of directors of Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, holding the position of chairman of the board for two years. Grant also served as chairman of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of the International Women's Forum. Women in Technology, the leading association committed to the development of Georgia's businesswomen in the technology industry, named her one of its Women of the Year in Technology for 2006.
Grant holds a bachelor of arts degree from Vassar College.
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