Nicholas LehmanNicholas Lehman

TEGNA Inc., the broadcast and digital company consisting of media properties formerly owned by Gannett Co., has hired Nicholas Lehman as chief strategy officer.

As a member of TEGNA’s leadership team, Lehman will identify and develop new business opportunities for the company’s line of media properties. He’ll also be responsible for cultivating strategic partnerships, implementing innovation initiatives and guiding the company’s overall vision and strategy. He’ll report to TEGNA president and CEO Gracia Martore.

Lehman was previously digital president for NBCUniversal, where he oversaw digital M&A strategies and was responsible for that company’s portfolio of native digital businesses. Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Lehman was CEO of Plum TV and programming COO for IAC, and held executive roles at MTV Networks. In 2009 he also founded email newsletter Uncommon Media.

Martore called Lehman “a multi-platform leader with a proven track record of building innovative media and technology businesses.”

TEGNA, whose media properties include 46 television stations in 38 markets, reaches more than 90 million U.S. residents nationwide. The McLean, VA-based company, which also owns digital properties such as Cars.com and CareerBuilder.com, was created earlier this year when newspaper giant Gannett Co. spun off its digital and broadcast properties into an independent division separate from its newspaper and publishing division.