Maryam Banikarim has resigned from her post as chief marketing officer of Univision Communications Inc., the company confirmed. Her position will not be filled.
Banikarim, whose last day at Univision was Feb. 11, confirmed her exit, although she declined to give out specifics. "It is true that I resigned from Univision and that yesterday was my last day," she wrote in an email to Multichannel News.
Banikarim joined Univision in 2002, where she oversaw marketing activities across Univision's areas of operation, including TV, radio and online.
The news of her departure came on the heels of more grim news for the television market, as the largest spender Procter & Gamble announced earlier this month that it was moving more money from the medium into other marketing vehicles such as coupon programs.
Univision is the largest Spanish-language media property in the nation, but it has been hit by the slowing ad market and a heavy debt load, For the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2008, Univision posted a $2.9 billion net loss, resulting from a $3.7 billion write-down to reflect the shrinking value of its core television, radio and online assets.
Banikarim was recently named by the editors of Multichannel News as a 2009 "Woman to Watch" for her work at the Spanish-language outlet, as well as her previous marketing experience, consulting with clients. including Time Warner, Deutsche Bank and Bacardi Ltd.
