Hannah Poferl is Chief Data Officer at Universal Music Group, where she leads data strategy to support audience growth, commercial performance, and digital innovation. Based in Santa Monica, she brings deep experience at the intersection of media, analytics, and newsroom strategy.
Prior to joining Universal Music Group, Hannah spent nearly 12 years at The New York Times, where she held a series of senior leadership roles. Most recently, she served as Chief Data Officer, Head of Audience, and Assistant Managing Editor, overseeing data, analytics, and audience strategy across the organization. In this role, Hannah played a central part in shaping how data informed editorial decisions, product development, and subscriber growth.
Earlier at The New York Times, Hannah held positions including Associate Managing Editor, Deputy Editor, and Director of Newsroom Strategy, as well as leading newsroom analytics. Across these roles, she helped embed data into editorial workflows and decision-making, contributing to the organization’s digital transformation.
Before joining The New York Times, Hannah held analytics and digital strategy roles at organizations including HUGE and Threespot, where she focused on digital analytics, SEO, and business development.
Hannah’s career reflects a consistent focus on applying data to drive audience engagement and business outcomes. She is known for bridging editorial, product, and commercial priorities, ensuring that data is embedded into how organizations operate and grow.