Christine Travaglini has been the President of Katz Radio Group since March of 2018. When promoted, Katz Media Group CEO Mark Gray called Travaglini an incredible leader that has the respect of the Katz team and senior leadership with a reputation for inspiring innovation and building winning teams. We couldn’t agree more.
The daughter of a United States Army Green Beret, Travaglini was raised to be a strong leader. And, lucky for us, she chose our industry to apply those skills.
Travaglini has served as President of Christal Radio, a division within Katz, since 2008. She was the first person to rise from an assistant to president within the organization. In 2013, she was also named President of Katz Partnerships, the business development team focused on deepening relationships with agencies and developing innovative campaigns for today’s big brands. Under her leadership, the Katz Partnerships team has developed and influenced millions of dollars for Katz broadcast clients providing first-to-market ideas and advertiser-focused audio solutions.
Today Travaglini oversees all of the Katz Radio Group’s radio sales operation across the nation. Katz Radio Group has 14 regional offices and is the national sales partner to more than 3,300 stations.
Travaglini has been on Radio Ink’s “Most Influential Women in Radio” list since 2005. She is also the chair of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Women in Media (which announced the 2019 Gracie winners Tuesday) In 2019 Travaglini was named one of Radio Ink’s Top 20 Leaders in Radio.
Here is our interview with one of radio’s strongest leaders, Katz Radio Group President Christine Travaglini
Radio Ink: What has made you a great leader throughout your career?
Christine Travaglini: My father was a Green Beret for the US Army. He raised me to understand the value and importance in setting a strong mission and leading the charge to see it through. He also instilled that the mission can only be accomplished if you trust and empower your team to create and execute a plan that will work for them. It’s one of the many life lessons that shape how I approach leading our company today.
Almost 30 years ago, I began my career with Katz as an Assistant in Atlanta. Since then, I have held every sales position from Account Executive, to Director of Sales, General Sales Manager and now President. The experience has given me a deep understanding of everyone’s role in our company and how they contribute to our mission as well as a broad perspective that helps drive innovation and performance.
I place great emphasis on having a positive attitude and leading by example. I believe in the importance of being transparent and direct. I challenge every Katz employee to continue to build stronger relationships with our clients and customers to deliver positive results. I’m also a perpetual student and take advantage of all my time on trains, planes and automobiles to read about what’s happening in and around our industry.
Katz is a people-first company and being surrounded by a team that is passionate, loyal, hardworking and engaged continues to motivate me every single day. I have benefitted from many mentors throughout my career and believe in paying it forward. We focus on recruiting great talent and helping them grow both professionally and personally.
Radio Ink: Are you happy with the current leadership in the industry? Why or why not?
Christine Travaglini: I believe — today, more than ever — our industry has come together for the greater good. Audio is hot, and that is in great part due to our industry leaders’ focus on relentlessly telling radio’s story and embracing new technology to evolve our offerings. I’m also thankful to our broadcast clients that consistently support Katz’s leadership role in advocacy and business development among America’s brands.
Radio Ink: What are the top three characteristics needed to lead people during these times in radio?
Christine Travaglini:
-Passion and vision for radio and all things audio. This is a fun business with a bright future!
-Embrace change and disruption as a positive force.
-Ability to create a clear plan to ensure your team is aligned and able to accelerate growth.
Radio Ink: Is the radio industry in a good place, and what would put it in a better place?
Christine Travaglini: Audio is exploding, and radio is at the core. From smart speakers boosting at home listening to streaming and podcasts — there is a massive proliferation of content and an abundance of ways to access it. The radio industry is in a solid leadership position from a consumer consumption standpoint. It’s critical we help advertisers find new, creative and targeted ways to leverage the power of radio and drive growth. We need to continue to raise the bar and develop a stronger toolbox with attribution, data and insights to compete for more share of advertiser budgets.
Reach out to congratulate Christine on her years of great leadership at [email protected]
