From her time growing up on a dairy farm in Kentucky and wrangling runaway cows, Brundige has long been prepared to tackle any adversity thrown her way. It’s the inspiration for her phrase “drive past the cows,” which is meant to encourage her and her colleagues at CNN to avoid distractions and focus on their core mission. It’s something that’s guided Brundige since her arrival at CNN in 2014 and was relevant when she stepped in as interim Chief Digital Officer in October 2022 amid sweeping changes at the leadership level. “Upon my arrival, it was clear that Wendy not only stepped up when the organization needed it most, but she gracefully guided the digital teams during a difficult and tumultuous time and served as a steady hand,” Chief Digital Officer Athan Stephanopoulos says. Brundige is responsible for CNN’s digital content strategy across all storytelling formats. Her knowledge of news, content and CNN’s audiences has been crucial to the network’s coverage of breaking news events like the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. For Brundige, that expertise is cultivated by putting herself in the shoes of someone who doesn’t work in the journalism industry. “I read, watch and listen to a variety of sources on a lot of different platforms to get a sense of what’s out there,” she says. “I also believe you really need to use a platform to understand it—for example, I intentionally spent more time on TikTok as we were developing our strategy there because that’s the only way to learn what users there expect.”
Champion: Athan Stephanopoulos
“Wendy has consistently remained a trusted advisor that I turn to for advice daily and a key and essential leader in the organization, impacting the future of CNN.”