What’s Happening
Pinterest has announced two major C‑suite appointments as part of a broader strategy to scale its AI‑powered commerce, expand advertising, and grow internationally:
- Lee Brown — Appointed Chief Business Officer (CBO) (the first person in this newly created role).
- Claudine Cheever — Appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). (LinkedIn)
These hires are key to Pinterest’s push to evolve from a visual inspiration platform into an AI‑driven shopping and performance advertising destination that resonates with both users and brands. (Axios)
Lee Brown — First‑Ever Chief Business Officer
Role & Responsibilities
- Brown will unify and lead customer‑facing operations, including global sales, content, advertising product marketing, and business development.
- He reports directly to CEO Bill Ready and is tasked with accelerating Pinterest’s evolution into a performance‑driven ad platform and global commerce ecosystem. (LinkedIn)
Background
- Brown joins from DoorDash, where he was Chief Revenue Officer.
- He also held leadership roles at Spotify, BuzzFeed, Tumblr, Groupon and Yahoo, with deep experience in scaling advertising, content and revenue businesses. (Tiger Brokers)
Strategic Impact
- The new CBO role consolidates sales and monetisation functions under one leader, which Pinterest believes will help it capture international ad spend and support deeper advertiser partnerships.
- Pinterest has reported record user growth (about 600 million monthly active users) and increasing engagement from younger audiences like Gen Z, making monetisation expertise critical. (LinkedIn)
Lee Brown’s View
Brown has described Pinterest as a place where user taste meets real intent, powered by AI and performance advertising — a formula he plans to scale globally. (lbbonline.com)
Claudine Cheever — Chief Marketing Officer
Role & Focus
- Cheever will lead global marketing, creative and communications efforts, strengthening Pinterest’s brand positioning as it pushes into international commerce and AI‑enhanced experiences.
- She takes over from longtime CMO Andréa Mallard, who recently departed to lead marketing at Microsoft AI. (PitchOnnet)
Experience
- Claudine Cheever was previously Vice President, Global Brand and Marketing at Amazon, where she led major campaigns, including high‑visibility efforts like Super Bowl ads, and helped launch AI‑powered products such as Alexa. (Net Influencer)
Strategic Role
- With Pinterest aiming to turn inspiration into actionable shopping and discovery experiences, Cheever’s background in global brand building and AI product marketing is seen as a strong fit for driving awareness, differentiation and user growth.
- She has emphasized the platform’s ability to offer personalized and helpful AI experiences that feel useful rather than intrusive. (businesschief.com)
Why These Hires Matter
Supporting a Broader AI‑Commerce Strategy
CEO Bill Ready has publicly positioned Pinterest as evolving into an AI‑driven shopping destination and performance advertising platform, blending inspiration, discovery and commerce — particularly for Gen Z and global audiences. (LinkedIn)
- The CBO role strengthens Pinterest’s commercial engine, uniting revenue streams and advertiser relationships under one executive.
- The CMO role reinforces the company’s story and brand identity as it competes with larger digital advertising ecosystems. Â
Responding to Competitive Advertising Markets
Pinterest’s ad tools — including visual search, AI‑powered recommendations and performance ads — are central to its growth. Critics and marketers alike note that expanding Pinterest’s advertising offerings helps it differentiate from platforms such as Meta or Amazon by leveraging visual discovery tied to user intent. (Reddit)
Leadership Transition and Continuity
- Longtime Chief Revenue Officer Bill Watkins will depart later in 2026 after helping scale Pinterest’s revenue engine, transitioning responsibilities to Brown’s leadership. (Axios)
Industry & Expert Commentary
CEO Bill Ready:
In announcing the appointments, Pinterest’s CEO highlighted that the company has recorded strong international growth, grown its user base, and built out AI‑powered commerce and ads tools. He expressed confidence that Brown and Cheever will help Pinterest “reach new heights” and continue winning market share globally. (Pulse)
Claudine Cheever:
Cheever said her focus will be on helping marketers understand Pinterest’s unique proposition — where AI enhances relevance and commerce in a way that feels helpful and supportive to users. (businesschief.com)
Observers:
Industry observers interpret these hires as part of a larger shift in Pinterest’s identity — from a passive content and mood‑board platform to an intent‑driven advertising and shopping ecosystem that leverages AI to connect inspiration with purchase behavior. (LinkedIn)
Strategic Positioning: Pinterest’s Evolving Business
| Priority | Executive Focus |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | CBO Lee Brown — unify ads, sales, customer‑facing ops |
| Brand & Global Marketing | CMO Claudine Cheever — define story, differentiate experience |
| AI & Commerce Integration | Continued investment in AI tools for shopping and discovery |
| Positive User Experience | Emphasis on relevance without intrusive engagement |
Bottom Line
Pinterest’s appointments of Lee Brown as Chief Business Officer and Claudine Cheever as Chief Marketing Officer underscore a significant strategic pivot toward global AI‑enhanced commerce and performance advertising. These leadership changes aim to unify commercial operations, boost international monetisation, and clarify the platform’s brand story as it evolves beyond inspiration into intent‑driven shopping and ad experiences. (Axios)
Here’s a case‑study‑style overview of Pinterest’s recent executive appointments — and how these leadership moves are expected to accelerate its global AI commerce strategy — with examples of what’s changing, why it matters, and reactions from industry voices and the executives themselves. (LinkedIn)
What’s Happening — New Leadership to Drive Growth
In January 2026 Pinterest announced two major C‑suite appointments as part of a strategic shift to scale its AI‑powered commerce and advertising business globally:
- Lee Brown — Named the company’s first Chief Business Officer (CBO)
- Claudine Cheever — Appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
These hires are part of CEO Bill Ready’s broader strategy to evolve Pinterest from a visual inspiration platform into an AI‑driven shopping and performance ad ecosystem that better serves brands and users alike. (LinkedIn)
Case Study #1 — Lee Brown’s Role in Commercial Acceleration
Situation
Pinterest sought to consolidate and strengthen its commercial operations — including sales, advertising product marketing, content monetization, and customer‑facing business functions — under a unified leader.
Action
The company created the Chief Business Officer role and appointed Lee Brown to lead it. Brown joins from leadership roles at DoorDash and Spotify, where he was responsible for revenue and global advertising expansion. (Little Black Book)
Execution
- Brown now leads global sales, content partnerships, advertising strategy, and related product marketing under one umbrella, aiming to streamline Pinterest’s monetisation engine.
- His remit reflects a shift toward outcome‑focused advertising and supporting small/medium business advertisers with AI‑enhanced tools. (LinkedIn)
Outcome & Impact
Pinterest is positioning itself as a performance‑driven platform — where visual discovery connects directly to commerce — rather than just a passive inspiration site. Consolidating these functions is intended to accelerate global revenue growth, especially in international markets where Pinterest has a large user base but historically lower ad monetisation. (LinkedIn)
Brown’s Comment (LinkedIn):
Lee highlighted that Pinterest is where “user taste meets real intent”, underscoring how personalized discovery — powered by AI — can become a commercial advantage. (Little Black Book)
Case Study #2 — Claudine Cheever’s Brand & Market Narrative Shift
Situation
Pinterest aimed to strengthen its brand positioning and communications as it expanded its AI‑enhanced commerce and ad offerings globally.
Action
The company brought in Claudine Cheever as CMO from Amazon, where she led global brand and marketing, including high‑visibility Super Bowl campaigns and AI product launches. (Net Influencer)
Execution
- Cheever now oversees global marketing, creative direction, and communications strategy to clarify Pinterest’s identity as an AI commerce platform.
- One priority is to build a consumer and advertiser narrative that emphasizes positive, personalized AI experiences that feel helpful rather than intrusive. (Business Chief)
Outcome & Impact
Marketers and brand observers see this as a signal that Pinterest is aiming for strategic differentiation: rather than just competing on reach like Meta or TikTok, it wants to offer positive, intent‑driven discovery and commerce experiences. Her background at Amazon — especially with AI‑powered products — strengthens Pinterest’s credibility as an AI commerce player. (Net Influencer)
Cheever’s View:
She said Pinterest’s platform stands out because it’s rooted in “intention, not reaction,” reflecting the idea that users come to Pinterest to curate, evolve interests, and shop — which aligns with AI‑powered personalized discovery. (LinkedIn)
Commentary & Broader Reactions
CEO Perspective (Bill Ready)
Bill Ready has framed these hires as part of Pinterest’s move into AI‑driven shopping and performance advertising while maintaining a focus on positive experiences and user well‑being. He noted that Pinterest has seen record growth in users, with a younger and more international audience, and that new leadership will help “continue to win market share” globally. (LinkedIn)
Industry Observations
Marketing and ad technology analysts interpret these leadership changes as a strategic pivot — Pinterest is building out not just features but organizational muscle to compete in areas like:
- AI‑enhanced commerce and visual search
- Performance ads and ROI‑focused monetisation
- Global expansion with regional marketing and sales execution
Observers note that consolidating commercial functions under Brown and sharpening marketing with Cheever shows Pinterest wants both product execution strength and brand clarity — two pillars crucial for scaling AI commerce worldwide. (EMARKETER)
Key Takeaways
| Focus Area | Strategic Shift | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Leadership | First‑ever CBO role with Lee Brown | Unified sales & advertising ops for global monetisation expansion. (LinkedIn) |
| Brand & Marketing Narrative | New CMO from Amazon, Claudine Cheever | Sharper positioning around AI commerce & positive user experience. (Net Influencer) |
| AI‑Powered Commerce | Emphasis on performance ads, visual discovery & intent | Stronger connection between inspiration and purchase behavior. (EMARKETER) |
| User Base Reach | 600 million monthly active users (Gen Z heavy) | Opportunity to grow ad revenue beyond current markets. (LinkedIn) |
Summary
Pinterest’s appointments of Lee Brown as Chief Business Officer and Claudine Cheever as Chief Marketing Officer represent a strategic investment in leadership to scale global monetisation, sharpen its brand narrative, and accelerate its evolution into an AI‑driven commerce platform. These moves bring deep experience from Amazon, DoorDash, and Spotify to Pinterest’s executive ranks, and industry reactions suggest they reflect a broader pivot toward intent‑driven advertising, personalized AI experiences, and performance‑focused growth. (LinkedIn)