Web video production house Next New Networks is looking for a new CEO. Founder and current CEO Herb Scannell, who will remain as chairman, announced it on the company’s blog. Previously, Scannell was vice chairman of MTV Networks and president of Nickelodeon, where he launched the career of SpongeBob SquarePants. (Not that he’s looking for a SpongeBob type to fill his shoes, necessarily). Next New Networks runs 16 different video Websites, including Barely Political and Channel Frederator, all creating original online video.
So what kind of candidate is Scannell and his investors (Goldman Sachs, Spark Capital, Velocity Interactive) looking for? Scannell writes in his post:
Thus far, we’ve been video-centric, built our network model, and got distribution and advertising up and running. Now, I want to see us go beyond video by building up our web capabilities in key categories, and move the company to make our sites and new offerings even more robust for communities to gather and interact. Hence, I plan on bringing in someone as CEO who has “been there, done that” in building a web business, and who will work with me as Executive Chairman.
Blogs are becoming an executive recruiting tool for startups. Last year, SocialText founder Ross Mayfield used his blog to similarly announce that he wanted to find a CEO to take his company to “thenext level.” Four months later, he found his replacement. (He remains chairman and president)
How long will it take Next New Networks to find a new CEO? If you’ve been there, done that, and want to do it again, send Herb your resume.