Atlas Obscura Promotes Doug Baldinger to Chief Strategy Officer

Louise Story, the company’s CEO, sent out this note to the AO team today:

I’m excited to share that Doug Baldinger is now our Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, he is my top strategic partner and a key partner with Deputy Publisher Sara Ewell, our administration, finance, product and engineering leaders as we navigate where we need to go. He also leads our large partnership discussions – ranging from books to podcasts to forthcoming data and technology deals – and ensures that our work in those deals is world-class. This is an expansion of Doug’s role to reflect the broader set of deals he is pursuing and leading and his key role in helping me determine our priorities.

We’ve had a lot of change over the past year, and there is more change ahead. What Doug brings is constant practicality — let’s get it done, let’s solve this problem, realistic but optimistic. We’ve been in the trenches together a lot this year, and I’m grateful for his smarts and his persistence. The company, and all of us, have benefitted.

Over the past year, we as a team have developed a deeper understanding of the mission of wonder. That has come from debates, refinements, questions, and I appreciate that Doug pushes for the best at every turn. He’s also become a true thought partner to me on the page as well as in the work; we co-edited America Obscura together (out from Penguin Random House this October), and that collaboration has only deepened my appreciation for why what we do matters. Doug cares deeply about this company and the people in it — and he cares about our audience, our raison d’être, our legacy, our future, our business, our ethos, and our brand. It shows in everything he touches.

You all know Doug, but I want to make sure you know about his remarkable track record:

Doug is an award-winning executive, producer, and strategist who has created and grown critically acclaimed, chart-topping franchises at AO, including SiriusXM’s The Atlas Obscura Podcast, Pushkin’s Charlie’s Place, GoUSA TV’s Small Town, Big Story, and PBS’s Untold Earth. He has driven the expansion of our New York Times best-selling book program and built multi-platform partnerships with industry leaders including Warner Bros. Discovery, Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, Penguin Random House, Lionsgate, and the History Channel, among many others.

Doug also leads creative for Studio Obscura, where he has developed multi-platform, multi-million dollar content programs for global brands like Apple, Delta, Starbucks, YouTube, Toyota, and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as Destination Marketing Organizations around the world. He joined AO in 2018 to launch our digital video unit, which earned National Magazine Award and Emmy recognition in its very first year.

Before AO, Doug was Senior Vice President and Head of Creative at Blue Man Group, where he oversaw content strategy and executive-produced new work for their global theatrical business along with their recorded music, digital video, and television initiatives. Earlier, he was a Creative Producer and content strategist at Mindshare Entertainment (Mindshare/GroupM), developing television and digital projects for brands including NBC, Pepsi, Nestlé, Unilever, Royal Caribbean, and Kimberly-Clark. He got his start in television developing screenplays and IP for Denis Leary and Jim Serpico’s Apostle Pictures.

Doug’s documentary work has been featured by National Geographic, The Atlantic, BBC, CNN, The Today Show, Rolling Stone, Vimeo Staff Picks, and Time, and his work for the stage has been performed in over 25 countries across six continents.

About Atlas Obscura

Atlas Obscura is the leading community-focused travel platform inspiring wonder and curiosity about the world’s most remarkable places. Through its award-winning content, unique experiences, and community-driven platform featuring more than 30,000 wondrous places, Atlas Obscura serves millions of passionate travelers seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path discoveries. The company publishes bestselling books including the No. 1 New York Times bestseller “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders,” and operates digital products that help people find amazing things to do when they are traveling.

For more information about Atlas Obscura, visit http://www.atlasobscura.com.

For questions or media requests, please contact Rebecca Cruz at rebecca@atlasobscura.com.