Monday, May 19, 2014

How Many Sulzberger Women Wield Power at the NY Times?

As someone who holds one share in the Gray Lady, I read the annual proxy statements for many reasons including seeing who's on the paper's payroll from the extended Ochs-Sulzberger families. Rarely does a woman's name appear and if it does, it's on the business side of the New York Times and the 2014 proxy statement shows there are no Sulzberger women working on the editorial side.

(Michael Golden with his daughter Rachel at her September 2009, wedding in Vail, Colorado. Credit: Kent Meireis Photography.)

From the "Members of the Ochs-Sulzberger Family Employed by the Company During 2013" section, bolding added:

Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. was employed as Chairman of the Company and Publisher of The New York Times. Michael Golden was employed as Vice Chairman. [...] 

Samuel Dolnick was employed as a staff reporter and deputy sports editor for The New York Times and was paid $122,761. James Dryfoos was employed as a program director in business intelligence and advertising systems and was paid $175,503. Michael Greenspon, who was employed as general manager, news services division and general manager, news services and international, was paid $360,933 and received time-vested restricted stock units with a grant date fair value of $34,827. 

Rachel G. Kirscht was employed as a manager in marketing and was paid $79,635. David Perpich, who was employed as vice president, product management and general manager, new digital products, was paid $287,926 and received time-vested restricted stock units with a grant date fair value of $23,950. Arthur Gregg Sulzberger was employed as an assistant editor for The New York Times and was paid $118,285. 

I count eight family members, seven of whom are men and one woman. Interesting that the sole women here, Rachel G. Kirscht, was the lowest paid of the relatives. So how are all these folks related?

Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., Michael Golden and Carolyn D. Greenspon’s mother are cousins. Samuel Dolnick is the son of Michael Golden’s sister. James Dryfoos and Michael Greenspon are each the son of a cousin of Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. and Michael Golden, and Michael Greenspon is Carolyn D. Greenspon’s brother. Rachel G. Kirscht is Michael Golden’s daughter. David Perpich is the son of Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.’s sister and Arthur Gregg Sulzberger is Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.’s son. 

The New York Times Company's board directors includes one female member of the Sulzberger family, Carolyn D. Greenspon, who's been on the board since 2010.

With so much controversy swirling over the sacking last Wednesday of former executive editor Jill Abramson and a tremendous amount of scrutiny focused on this venerable institution, now is a good time to look at the number of Sulzberger women in positions of power at the paper and it's one.

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