Press Release: Blurb Announces CEO Transition to Position Company for Next Phase of Growth
SAN FRANCISCO—January 12, 2016—Blurb, Inc., the leading creative book and magazine self-publishing platform, announced today the appointment of Todd Larsen as Chief Executive Officer. Larsen succeeds Founder and CEO Eileen Gittins, who becomes executive chairman of the board of directors and an advisor to the company.
Larsen has almost 20 years of operating experience and strong digital marketing experience at multi-billion dollar companies. Immediately prior to joining Blurb, Larsen served as Executive Vice President of Time, Inc. where he oversaw global operations of some of the world’s best-known media brands, including Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated and Fortune. Larsen earlier served as President of Dow Jones & Co. where he oversaw The Wall Street Journal and the company’s other brands including MarketWatch, Factiva and Dow Jones Newswires.
At Time, Inc., Larsen was instrumental in jump-starting growth in digital audiences as well as driving a successful launch into video. At Dow Jones, Larsen directly led the growth of the Wall Street Journal’s digital business for more than a decade.
Todd Larson, CEO, Blurb
“Todd is an exceptional leader and strategist, passionate about our mission, committed to our principles and values, and knows how to build a large, successful business,” said John Balen, board member and a general partner of Canaan Partners, the company’s largest investor.
Ms. Gittins said, “I look forward to remaining actively engaged with Blurb, its partners and its customers, and supporting Todd in his new role as CEO.”
“I am honored and excited to lead Blurb into its next phase of growth, expanding the company’s leadership position,” said Larsen. “Blurb will become an increasingly disruptive force in the publishing industry by continuing to empower individuals and businesses alike to express themselves through books and magazines, in print and digitally.”
As founder of Blurb, Gittins has been the creative force behind the company’s leadership in the rapidly growing field of self-publishing.
With almost 2 million authors worldwide, producing nearly four million titles, Blurb is the largest privately held self-publishing platform, globally. “The company will be forever grateful for Eileen’s long-sighted vision and leadership,” said Larsen. “She has left an indelible legacy and will continue to be an invaluable resource as a board member and advisor.”
About Blurb
Blurb is a self-publishing platform and creative community that enables individuals to design, publish, share, sell, and distribute photo books, trade books, and magazines in both print and digital formats across the globe using its free, innovative book creation and layout tools. Founded in 2005 by Executive Chairman, Eileen Gittins, Blurb has nearly 2 million independent book authors worldwide, resulting in 3.9 million unique book titles, with more than 14 million units shipped to 80 countries around the world. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and can be found online at www.blurb.com.
