F+W Media Hires Amazon Exec to Fill VP Ecommerce Role

F+W has been one of the more aggressive media companies in its pursuit of ecommerce as a major line of business. And it has further organized that segment under a newly created vice president of ecommerce position and hired Lucas Hilbert to fill it. Hilbert was formerly senior product manager, marketing and merchandising at Amazon.

F+W's entire ecommerce division will be overseen by Hilbert, who will report to Chad Phelps, F+W's chief digital officer. Hilbert will also join the company's executive committee.

In the last four years, F+W has grown its ecommerce operation from one direct-to-consumer web store to more than 20, all aligned along the company's enthusiast verticals and communities, from woodworking to crafts.

A year ago, F+W bought The Writers Store, making it the company's 26th ecommerce store. At the time, CEO David Nussbaum predicted the segment would be one of F+W's largest by 2014.

And earlier this year, F+W bought the Martha Pullen Company from Hoffman Media, which gave it an established, in-house ecommerce product fulfillment operation.

For the first half of 2012, F+W says sales have grown 100 percent over the same period last year and is currently the fastest-growing group in the company.

"[Hilbert's] digital marketing strategies align clearly with the F+W strategy: To create the virtuous cycle of online customer experience through best-in-class discovery, price, selection, and availability that attracts and retains customers," said Phelps in a statement announcing the appointment.

Hilbert officially starts with F+W on August 6th.

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