Six months after taking the reins from Bill Wackermann at Glamour, Connie Anne Phillips has raided her old employer, Time Inc.'s InStyle.
The vp, publisher of Glamour returned in July to Condé Nast (where she previously had a long career at Vogue) from Time Inc. rival title InStyle, and three of four big hires are from her old stomping grounds.
Talk in the industry was that Phillips had a non-compete that prevented her from poaching people from her old job for six months, so it may be no coincidence that the new hires are starting just shy of seven months after her start date. (Phillips wouldn’t comment on Time Inc.)
Coming from InStyle are David Posegay, who’s joining Glamour as Midwest director; Nancy Cooper, who was named executive beauty director; and Dawn Reese, who will be luxury director. Phillips also hired Deena Schacter as ad director from the same position at Hearst’s O, the Oprah Magazine. All four are filling open positions and are slated to start between Jan. 13 and 17.
InStyle has replaced two of the three people leaving. Rachel Ahrenhold was named to fill Reese's position, from Condé Nast's Lucky; and Cindy Mata Gross replaces Cooper, from Time Inc.'s People.
Glamour has historically been Condé Nast’s most profitable book, but has been under the microscope of late after some unevenness in its performance. In addition to the publisher change, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and now artistic director for all of Condé Nast, has reportedly made Glamour one of her projects.
Single-copy sales fell 28.8 percent in the first half of 2013 versus the year-ago period, per the Alliance for Audited Media. As for advertising, Glamour finished 2013 up 2.8 percent to 1,482 ad pages versus the year prior, but trailed several of its rivals in terms of absolute numbers. InStyle, for example, was up 4.7 percent to 2,811. Vogue was up 3.5 percent to 2,691 and Elle, 1.9 percent to 2,501. Ad figures are from Publishers Information Bureau.
"With the talent now in place, Glamour is poised for a strong and successful future,” Phillips emailed via a spokeswoman.