Dive Brief:

• AccuWeather Global Weather Center has named media executive Shannon O'Neill its new CFO. 

• O'Neill arrives from Ernst & Young, where he most recently served as a managing director in the global consulting business for the Broadcast, Cable & OTT Networks vertical.

• "Shannon brings a unique blend of cross-functional and cross-platform experience and vision to AccuWeather," CEO Joel Myers said in the release. "Shannon's reputation speaks for itself, having been involved in complex business strategy at major television networks and successfully spearheading multimillion-dollar brand expansions."

Dive Insight:

O'Neill has spent the bulk of his career in broadcast media leadership. He led finance and operations at mass media company Scripps Networks Interactive, managed digital media for Comcast and Golf Channel, and led programming for Travel Channel.

"I've spent my career at the intersection of traditional and digital media," O'Neill wrote in an email. "But during my last four years at EY, the emphasis on building out digital really intensified."

As a consultant, O'Neill said he supported several media clients with their digital transformation. "The experience of observing multiple approaches and identifying best practices will be very helpful to me in my new role at AccuWeather," he wrote.

Based at AccuWeather headquarters in State College, Pennsylvania, O'Neill will oversee all aspects of AccuWeather's financial and strategic planning, and will report directly to Myers.

AccuWeather's forecasts and warnings reach more than 1.5 billion people globally through its array of digital and media platforms. It also serves more than 1,600 radio, television and media clients and viewers via its 24/7 AccuWeather Network channel. 

AccuWeather For Business, its B2B unit, currently serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other international businesses and government agencies.

"Weather impacts just about everything we do, and has a significant impact on the global economy each year," O'Neill said in the release. "There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth, expansion and new innovative partnerships and applications."

O'Neill, who began work on Tuesday, replaced AccuWeather board director Ed Arditte, who had been serving as interim CFO since 2018. Arditte will transition to a part-time position within AccuWeather in October.

"As CFO for AccuWeather, I bring a unique blend of experience," O'Neill wrote. "I often describe my background as ‘CFO-Plus.' At a fast-growing, innovative company like AccuWeather, all executives need to wear many hats."

To his finance peers, O'Neill recommends to "always look for opportunities to better understand the operating side of the business."

Across industries, the most effective CFOs bring "an equal balance of financial acumen and operational expertise" to the role, he added.