Leading Through Mergers and Uncertainty: Paramount’s Erin Rich on Reinvention and Influence
Description
In this episode of Clover, I sit down with the incredible Erin Rich, VP of Trade Marketing & Communications at Paramount, for a conversation that feels like a time capsule of the tech, media, and entertainment worlds over the last three decades — and a masterclass in reinvention.
Erin takes us through her journey from the early Bay Area startup scene and the heyday of Yahoo and CNET, through mergers at CBS Interactive and ViacomCBS, to her current leadership role at Paramount. She shares how putting the user at the center has been her guiding thread, what it really means to “reinvent yourself” through industry shifts, and how she’s built influence in rooms where authority isn’t always guaranteed.
We also talk about:
- The iconic Yahoo billboard and what it symbolized for an entire era of innovation
- The early debates about mobile adoption (and why we were all wrong!)
- How Erin helped her teams “zag” during reorganizations by identifying unmet needs
- What it takes to lead through influence, not hierarchy
- Why mentoring across multi-generational teams matters more than ever
- Three myths women in leadership should stop believing
- The importance of learning to get comfortable being uncomfortable
Erin’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and purpose — and her advice for women navigating leadership, change, and growth is refreshingly real.
You can connect with Erin on LinkedIn.
United States
