Snap Taps 21st Century Fox’s Julie Henderson as Communications Chief

By Todd Spangler

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Fox PR veteran Julie Henderson has been named chief communications officer of Snap, parent company of social-messaging and media app Snapchat.

Henderson, who is currently EVP and chief communications officer for 21st Century Fox, will report to CEO Evan Spiegel. Henderson is set to start at Snap immediately after the completion of the sale of certain 21st Century Fox assets to the Walt Disney Company, a deal expected to close in the first half of 2019.

“New Fox,” the entity remaining after 21CF sells 20th Century Fox and other pieces of its media biz to Disney, has recruited President Trump’s former communications director Hope Hicks as head of corporate communications .

Henderson will assume the responsibilities of Mary Ritti, Snap’s VP of communications, who joined the company in 2013 and announced her decision to leave the company over the summer.

“Julie will be an outstanding addition to our team,” Spiegel said in a statement. “She brings incredible experience, talent, and integrity, as well as the respect of the tech, media and finance communities. We are excited to have Julie play a key leadership role in the next chapter of the Snap story.”

Henderson commented, “The Snap team’s deep connection with its global community and their passion for creating innovative products made this an irresistible opportunity. As the company enters its next phase of development, its creativity and vision set the stage to grow Snap’s business and impact. I’m excited to work with Evan and my new colleagues to further their vision and belief in the power of visual communications.”

Henderson was appointed chief communications officer of News Corp in 2012, before the company split its media business off as 21st Century Fox. Prior to that, she was News Corp’s senior VP of communications and corporate strategy, where she helped develop companywide marketing and distribution strategies. She first joined News Corp in 2006 as senior VP of corporate communications for Fox Interactive Media and Myspace. Before that, Henderson was an SVP at public-relations firm MPRM from 1994-2006.