Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Appoints Dillon McDonald CEO of Jumpstart Automotive Group

November 5, 2009

McDonald to Take Helm of HFM U.S.'s Automotive Group in January 2010

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Alain Lemarchand, President & CEO, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM U.S.) today announced that Dillon McDonald has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Jumpstart Automotive Group, the recently announced combination of HFM U.S.'s automotive media assets. Previously the company's Chief Operating Officer, McDonald will assume CEO responsibilities for Jumpstart as of January 1, 2010, replacing current CEO and automotive industry veteran Steve Wilhite, who will remain as an advisor and on the Board of Directors.

"As we focus on brand-centric approaches around key categories, the ongoing growth and momentum of Jumpstart Automotive Group is a top priority for HFM U.S.," said Lemarchand. "We're thrilled to see Dillon McDonald take the helm of the pioneering Jumpstart organization, where he will put his experience to work in defining 360-degree marketing solutions that drive success for both automotive publishers and advertisers alike."

As CEO of Jumpstart, McDonald will be responsible for creating the leading integrated marketing solutions company for the automotive industry. Jumpstart has amassed the largest reach and the best brands in the industry through partnerships with premier in-market automotive publishing partners Consumer Guide Automotive, Vehix, JD Power Autos, Shopping.com, CarSoup.com, HybridCars, CarGurus, TrueCar, US News Rankings and Reviews, and the wholly owned brands of Road & Track and Car and Driver.

Joining Jumpstart in 2001, McDonald was one of Jumpstart's first employees and a pioneer in bridging the divide between the automotive industry and the Internet. Before becoming COO, McDonald served in various positions at Jumpstart, responsible for sales, operations, and marketing. Prior to joining Jumpstart, McDonald focused on selling cars both from a retail seat and at several vendors serving automotive dealers.

"Jumpstart is a thought leader in the automotive marketing industry, and we will continue to help our advertisers reach a car-buying audience through media, creative, and insights into their buyers," said McDonald. "I'm proud of our team and excited to see how we can help sell cars by improving the conversation between automotive marketers and our car shopping audience as well as our influential group of auto enthusiasts."

About Jumpstart Automotive Group

The Jumpstart Automotive Group brings together the most diverse audience of in-market automotive shoppers with the industry's most influential auto enthusiast brands to dramatically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of automotive marketing across digital, print, and mobile platforms. Fueled by a passion for performance, the Jumpstart Automotive Group is committed to the development of quality content and services for consumers and to maximizing publisher revenue and advertiser results through innovative products and services. The portfolio of publishing partners include Vehix, Consumer Guide Automotive, JD Power Autos, Shopping.com Autos, Car and Driver, Road & Track, CarSoup.com, U.S.News.com, HybridCars, CarGurus, and TrueCar. Additionally, Jumpstart has been on the forefront of behavioral targeting and is now developing leading research and strategic insight products.

About Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM U.S.) (www.hfmus.com)

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM U.S.) serves consumers' passions and lifestyles through trusted, expert content that entertains and inspires on all media platforms. Illustrated with extraordinary images, these engaging editorial environments combine with highly-targeted demographics and scale to create rich opportunities for our advertisers. Our prestigious brands fall into six sectors: Fashion & Beauty (ELLE, ELLEgirl); The Luxury Design Group (ELLE DECOR, Metropolitan Home and PointClickHome); Women & Wellness (Woman's Day, Woman's Day Special Interest Publications); Automotive (Jumpstart Automotive Group, which includes Car and Driver and Road & Track), Motorcycling (Cycle World) and Entertainment (Premiere). HFM U.S. is part of Lagardere's (www.lagardere.com) media division Lagardere Active, a producer of special-interest content in more than 40 countries.

SOURCE Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.