Ellen Johnson has been appointed to the board of directors of Irving-based Nexstar Media Group Inc., effective October 1, and will serve as an independent director.

She will stand for election at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, the company said. Following her appointment, Nexstar will have 10 board members, nine of whom are independent and three of whom are women.

“We are pleased to welcome Ellen to the Nexstar board,” Perry Sook, Nexstar Media Group’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “She’s an integral member of IPG’s executive team with an established record of success in the advertising and marketing services industries. Her extensive leadership experience in accounting, corporate finance, and information technology, combined with her expertise in all areas of ESG, will be invaluable to Nexstar as we continue to advance our business and execute the company’s goals to enhance shareholder value.”

Johnson is EVP and CFO of the Interpublic Group of Companies

Johnson serves as EVP and CFO of the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG), one of the world’s leading providers of marketing and advertising solutions. In this role, she has direct management responsibility for all areas of global finance, information technology, and investor relations, and is the executive sponsor of ESG programs related to climate action, social programs, and governance across IPG.

She also oversees the mergers and acquisitions and financial planning functions.
“I’m delighted to be joining Nexstar’s Board,” Johnson said in a statement. “Today Nexstar is a scaled media and entertainment business with a unique portfolio of local and national assets, including NewsNation, The CW and The Hill. I look forward to sharing my experience with the board and management team as the company pursues its continued growth.”

Before becoming CFO in 2020, Johnson was IPG’s senior vice president of finance and treasurer, with direct responsibility for treasury, corporate development, and financial planning and analysis, managing the company’s liquidity, capital structure, and its relationships with banks and rating agencies.
Under her leadership, IPG has transformed its balance sheet and increased the strength of its financial position, Nexstar said. Johnson helped initiate IPG’s return of capital programs in 2011.

Since that time, IPG has returned $7.2 billion to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases. Johnson also has significantly strengthened the company’s approach to mergers and acquisitions, including the integration and review process. In 2018, she played a key role in IPG’s strategic acquisition and successful financing of Acxiom for $2.3 billion, enabling IPG to expand profitability during a period of significant investment, while maintaining its strong balance sheet and investment-grade credit ratings, Nexstar said.

Nexstar is a diversified media company that produces and distributes local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms, including more than 310,000 hours of programming produced annually by its business units.

Nexstar owns the nation’s largest local television broadcasting group comprised of top network affiliates, with 200 owned or partner stations in 116 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people. Nexstar’s national television properties include The CW, America’s fifth major broadcast network; NewsNation, its national news network providing “News for All America;” popular entertainment multicast networks Antenna TV and Rewind TV; and a 31.3% ownership stake in TV Food Network.

Its portfolio of digital assets, including its local TV station websites, The Hill, and NewsNationNow.com, are collectively a Top 10 U.S. digital news and information property.

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