From The Bachelor to #BuiltbyGirls: The Many Lives of Susan Lyne
A 2011 Fortune feature described Lyne this way: “She’s worked with Rupert Murdoch, Martha Stewart, Jane Fonda, and Michael Eisner. She helped put Patty Hearst in jail and Desperate Housewives on the air.”
At that time, Lyne was chairman of Gilt Groupe. Since then, she’s gone on to serve as CEO of AOL’s Brand Group—where she oversaw AOL.com, TechCrunch, Engadget, Makers, StyleList, Moviefone, MapQuest, and more—and is currently the founder and President of BBG Ventures where she launched #BuiltByGirls. BBG Ventures is an early-stage investment fund for women-led startups, focusing on consumer-facing companies. Investments include GlamSquad, a provider of on-demand beauty services aimed at professional women.
Before that, she held various positions at Disney and ABC, including President of ABC Entertainment. Lyne gave the green-light to shows like Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Bachelor, but was fired from ABC before any of those huge hits made it to air.
Media Revolutionaries: Susan Lyne on Consumer Behavior, Women in Business, & Magazines