Investigative Reporter

Audrey Cooper – Editor-in-Chief - Audrey Cooper is the editor in chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, the first woman to fill the role in the company’s 151-year history. She is also the youngest woman ever named as the top editor of a major U.S newspaper-based company. San Francisco magazine has declared her one of the city’s most powerful women. Editor and Publisher magazine named her one of the world’s "Top 10 Women to Watch" and Advertising Age named her one of their "Top 40 under 40."

Mick Cohen – SVP of Consumer Sales for Hearst Newspapers - Mick Cohen is SVP of Consumer Sales for Hearst Newspapers. Mick oversees the management of a consumer strategy that helps ensure the group achieve its digital revenue and volume goals. Mick is also responsible for the execution of consumer sales and engagement initiatives for Hearst Newspapers. Mick joined The Chronicle in 1997 as a market research analyst and quickly worked his way up through a series of promotions to circulation director and then to vice president of circulation. In 2003, he won the Hearst Marketing Excellence award. He left The Chronicle from 2004 to 2007 to serve as director of acquisition and retention for the Dallas Morning News. Mick earned a Master’s Degree in International Trade and Diplomacy from the University of Kentucky.

Renee Peterson – VP of Human Resources - In her role, Peterson designs and implements relevant, business-driven human resources practices for Hearst’s growing stable of 22 dailies and 64 weeklies reaching more than 42 million unique visitors across the U.S. with related mobile websites and digital products. With more than 4,000 employees across the nations, Hearst Newspapers also operates digital marketing services and directories businesses under the LocalEdge brand. Before joining Hearst in 2013, Peterson was director of human resources for Hargrove, Inc., a general contractor for trade shows, events and custom exhibits, from 2011 to 2013, and director of the HR business partners group at Electronics for Imaging from 2010 to 2011. From 1996 to 2009, Peterson held various HR leadership positions at McAfee, Inc./Secure Computing Corporation.

Brandon Mercer – Executive Producer SFGATE - Brandon M. Mercer runs SFGATE.com, the fifth largest newspaper website in the U.S. reaching 30-35 million people monthly. As overall manager of site content and operations, he guides a digital-only team in daily production of dozens of buzzy, trending stories, capturing the conversations in the Bay Area. He also oversees the operation of the site, from section layouts to video partners, utility tools for readers, to programmatic and passive revenue drivers. He made the career shift to digital after two decades in local and network television news as an executive producer, assignment manager, and large market newsroom director. He's known as a constant innovator, creating synergistic partnerships and finding creative ways to produce and deliver content in always-on, breaking news environments.

Christina Howell – Vice President, Finance - Christina joined the San Francisco Chronicle in April 2016 where she is responsible for financial planning, analysis and accounting. Prior she was head of global FP&A for StubHub, the global ticket marketplace. Previously she was VP Finance, Transformation at Levis Strauss & Co where she also held numerous finance positions over a decade in corporate, brand and supply chain finance. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy and has a Bachelor’s degree in politics from Bristol University.

Ginger Neal – Senior Vice President, Advertising - Ginger Neal joined the San Francisco Chronicle July 2015 and is responsible for driving revenue through new strategies, business models and modern sales tactics. Previously, she served as Chief Revenue Officer of the Post Bulletin; headed the turnaround as President of Lion Heart Digital, a digital advertising agency; oversaw digital for Impremedia corporation as Senior Vice President, a Hispanic newspaper, and as Chief Executive Officer launched and funded a startup Modestyle, a backend ecommerce solution for clothing manufacturers. Her media career started at the Orange County Register where she oversaw new business and launched a variety of new revenue streams including ocregister.com in 1995.

Sarah Morse Cooney – Vice President, Marketing - Sarah Morse Cooney is the VP of Marketing for the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGATE. She is responsible for developing strategic multi-platform programs that drive sales revenue, implementing and managing in-house marketing objectives and tactics that shape the brand, drive circulation acquisition and retention goals, and identify strategic partnerships that enhance local community relations and grow incremental ad spend. Prior to joining the Chronicle/Hearst, Sarah oversaw Marketing for Dwell, a media company devoted to modern architecture and design, from 2012 to 2014. From 2007 to 20012, she held various Marketing positions at Veranda/Hearst Magazines. Sarah has served on the board of the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund for the past two years. Sarah holds a bachelors degree from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.