Hallmark Media on Monday elevated John Matts to president and named sixteen-year company veteran Jessica Tasler Noble chief culture officer, moves disclosed in a company memo and press release issued before the market opened. The reshuffle also transfers outgoing CCO Sabrina Wiewel to executive vice-president of Crayola Studios, the children’s content arm Hallmark acquired in 2022.
Matts joined Hallmark in October 2022 as chief financial officer and was promoted to chief operating officer last January, taking charge of ad sales, distribution and the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service. As president he inherits those businesses plus finance, research and strategic insights, reporting directly to Hallmark Cards chief executive Mike Perry, who praised his “strategic insights and deep understanding of our brand.”
Tasler Noble, previously senior vice-president of employee experience, has steered internal communications and retention strategy since 2019; she will now report to Matts and “shape a culture that keeps creativity at the center,” according to Perry’s statement.
The appointments extend a leadership re-alignment that began after former president and CEO Wonya Lucas departed in 2023 and has already seen a new chief financial officer and programming heads installed. Broadcasting & Cable noted that Matts used his COO tenure to shore up linear advertising while accelerating digital revenue streams, experience analysts say will be critical as cord-cutting continues.
Hallmark is simultaneously courting Madison Avenue with a 2025-26 slate that widens the brand’s footprint beyond holiday romances into procedural dramas, culinary competitions and unscripted travel formats previewed at last month’s upfront. Lafayette of NextTV argues Matts’ finance pedigree “gives Hallmark a steady hand at a time when every media dollar counts,” while Kansas City HR leaders highlight Tasler Noble’s focus on “purpose-driven engagement” amid a tight talent market.
A search has begun for a new senior vice-president of employee experience; no additional structural changes were announced.
