Washington Post Taps Alex Wallace as COO in Profitability Push

The Washington Post has appointed Alex Wallace as its new chief operating officer, aiming to steer the newspaper's business operations towards profitability after years of financial struggles and significant job cuts. Wallace, who officially begins her role on October 19th, will report directly to CEO and publisher Jeff D’Onofrio. Her responsibilities will include executing the Post’s business strategy, coordinating operations across departments, and monitoring performance against set goals.

D’Onofrio announced the appointment on Thursday, following Wallace’s arrival at the company on the same day. He praised her career, stating that it reflects the ability to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving news landscape. "Her keen business acumen and digital media fluency will help The Post lead more decisively in our next chapter," D’Onofrio said in a statement.

Wallace is no stranger to the company. Since launching Wallace Advisory in June 2022, she has provided strategic guidance and growth advice to media businesses, including RedBird IMI and The Washington Post itself. In an internal memo to staff, D’Onofrio emphasized that this appointment is part of the newspaper’s efforts to improve financial performance without compromising its commitment to journalistic independence and editorial integrity.

Prior to her current role, Wallace served as executive vice president and head of media and content at Yahoo, overseeing various properties like Yahoo News, Sports, Finance, and Entertainment, as well as TechCrunch. She also held senior leadership positions at Verizon Media. At NBC News, she held multiple executive roles, ultimately overseeing programming and newsgathering as a senior vice president. Her career in journalism began on CBS News programs such as "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" and "CBS This Morning."

The appointment of Wallace comes amid a challenging period for the Post. In February, former CEO and publisher Will Lewis resigned after the newspaper laid off over 300 journalists, eliminated its sports and books sections, and reduced coverage of foreign and local news. Despite these cuts, the Post reported in September that it was on track to become profitable by 2026, its closest approach to profitability in five years.

The company also announced that it sold more than 300,000 subscriptions and increased programmatic advertising revenue by 53% year over year.

Wallace’s appointment provides D’Onofrio with an experienced operator as the Post attempts to turn its improving financial outlook into a sustainable long-term business.