NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) announced today the launch of AOL Industry, a new trade media unit covering three sectors, energy, government, and defense, with AOL Energy launching today. AOL Industry will offer subject-specific news, information, tools, video and analysis, and foster niche communities that enable professionals, experts and government employees to engage each other. The sites are integrating leading edge LinkedIn features which enable users to see their personal connections to the people and companies making news in the industry. Jay Kirsch leads the unit as VP and General Manager, AOL Industry. Peter Gardett has been named Editor, AOL Energy; Wyatt Kash has been named Editor, AOL Government; and Colin Clark has been named Editor, AOL Defense.
"Launching AOL Industry allows us to bring to specific business sectors the same sense of community for which AOL Huffington Post Media Group consumer sites are well-known," said Arianna Huffington, President of AOL Huffington Post Media Group. "We're applying a blend of news, opinion and engagement to industries that have their own unique audiences, and creating a forum for influencers to connect and communicate with one another. We're excited to launch AOL Energy today and see the site as an original offering for decision-makers and experts looking to keep up with a fascinating, fast-moving and complex field."
AOL Energy (www.aolenergy.com) offers industry and sector experts original reporting, aggregation, data, opinion, and video. The refined content mix is specifically targeted towards influencers in the sector. The site is an interactive community platform, and includes LinkedIn functionality allowing users to connect directly with other industry leaders – the first such social engagement offering in this arena. The site welcomes accomplished contributors including launch day blogger Siemens President and CEO Peter Loescher; Jonathan Silver, Executive Director of the Loan Guarantee Program at the Department of Energy; Nancy Hartosch, Vice President of SolFocus; Thomas Kuhn, President of the Edison Electric Institute; and Katherine Hamilton, author of Clean Grid View will also be early contributors to the site along with members of The U.S. Association for Energy Economics, The American Council on Renewable Energy, and The American Coal Council are also expected to be early contributors to the site.
Jay Kirsch joined AOL Ventures in November 2010 to create AOL Industry. Kirsch has 20 years of experience in the media business across a range of disciplines, from marketing to advising on media M&A deals. Prior to joining AOL, he was CEO of Imaginova where he managed businesses including Space.com, Space News, Orion Telescopes and others.
"We believe there's a great opportunity in creating targeted platforms by and for influencers in distinct industries and government," said Jay Kirsch, VP & General Manager of AOL Industry. "These sites will combine the best of news and information with the social, visual and personal aspects of today's web. In fast-moving, specialized industries, decision-makers need an easy to use, authoritative source to stay on top of the news and to connect with one another. We're thrilled to announce our editorial leadership team, Peter Gardett, Wyatt Kash, and Colin Clark -- all of whom bring years of expertise and a keen sense of what matters most to their discerning audiences."
Peter Gardett, Editor of AOL Energy, has spent over a decade covering all areas of the energy industry, including coal, electricity and renewable fuels. As Bureau Chief for Argus Media, he led teams in developing new editorial products for the energy and commodities industries and also covered financial news. Gardett is based in New York.
"The electricity sector is undergoing a once-in-a-generation upheaval that many have compared in scale to the shift from fixed-line telephones to cell phones," said Gardett. "Competition, new technology, and massive infrastructure upgrade requirements will impact every American's life over the next few years, and sectors ranging from oil to solar to cloud computing will all be effected and all play a role in the transition. AOL Energy will bring those efforts to light, creating a community for a huge and multifaceted industry engaged in this shift."
Wyatt Kash, Editor, AOL Government, has an extensive background in business-to-business media management, content and business development. For the past decade he has covered the federal government marketplace, most recently serving as Editor-in-Chief of Government Computer News and Defense Systems, and as Content Director for 1105 Media's government technology events. Kash was recently honored by American Business Media for his outstanding career contributions, and his editorial teams have won numerous awards for journalism excellence. He is based in Dulles, VA.
Colin Clark, Editor, AOL Defense, is an award-winning journalist with expertise in defense, intelligence, and aerospace, as well as Capitol Hill. He was the founding editor of DoDBuzz.com, a Military.com website and the first exclusively online defense news outlet. Previously, he covered Congress, intelligence and regulatory affairs for Space News; he founded and edited the Washington Aerospace Briefing, a newsletter for space industry professionals; he covered national security issues for Congressional Quarterly; and he was editor of Defense News. Clark is based in Washington, D.C.
AOL Defense and AOL Government are launching soon.
AOL has assigned a sales team to this new initiative. Said Jeff Levick, President, AOL Advertising: "This is not only an incredible opportunity for industry experts and thought-leaders to take advantage of a unique platform, but it's also a new way for advertisers to connect directly with executives and influencers in these sectors."
About AOL
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a premier global media company with a suite of brands and products serving consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide. The AOL Huffington Post Media Group is a leading source of news, opinion, entertainment, community and digital information comprised of a wide range of destination websites, including AOL.com, The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Moviefone, Engadget, Patch, AOL Music, StyleList and MapQuest. The AOL Advertising.com Group includes Advertising.com, ADTECH, goviral, Pictela, Video, Content Solutions and Sponsored Listings and serves a combined content and advertising market at scale through video, brand advertising, content and ad serving. AOL is focused on engaging consumers and providing online advertising services and solutions on both AOL Huffington Post Media Group destination websites and third party websites, in addition to serving consumer platforms including AOL Mail, AIM, about.me, and mobile experiences. AOL also operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services that serves as another distribution channel for its consumer offerings.