Cox Enterprises Makes Upper Management Changes

• Jimmy Hayes to Retire After 33 Years of Service
• John Dyer Appointed COO of Cox Enterprises -- To Succeed Hayes as President and CEO
• Doug Franklin Named Executive Vice President and CFO of Cox Enterprises
• Bill Hoffman Tapped as President of Cox Media Group

Cox Enterprises, Inc. announced Tuesday that after 33 years of dedicated service to the company, Jimmy W. Hayes will retire from Cox in April, 2014 as part of the company's long-term, succession plan.

Jimmy W. Hayes

Hayes has served as president and chief executive officer since 2008, leading the company's four major subsidiaries: Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader Group, as well as corporate headquarters groups including financial operations, human resources and administration.

"Jimmy has led an impressive career at Cox, and I consider it a privilege having worked alongside him for so many years," said Jim Kennedy , chairman of Cox Enterprises. "I thank Jimmy for his loyalty and service to Cox, and am delighted to work with him over the next 12 months to carefully and thoughtfully transition Cox's next senior leadership team."

Hayes will continue serving as a member of the Cox Enterprises board of directors.

Effective May 1, John M. Dyer will be named chief operating officer of Cox Enterprises and will succeed Hayes as president and chief executive officer upon Hayes' retirement next year.

John M. Dyer

"John is a seasoned Cox leader with deep and rich experience in both finance and operations," said Kennedy. "His commitment to the Cox culture, coupled with his pursuit of excellence makes him the perfect choice to succeed Jimmy. I look forward to working closely with John as we continue to invest in opportunities to grow our portfolio of businesses."

A 36-year Cox veteran, Dyer currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises, a position he has held since 2008. Dyer began his career at Cox in 1977 as internal auditor and in 1980, joined the company's broadband communications and entertainment subsidiary, Cox Communications, as a financial analyst. He later served as manager of capital asset planning and director of operations before joining Times Mirror Cable, where he was regional vice president of operations and vice president of operations. Dyer returned to Cox Communications as vice president of financial planning and analysis when Cox acquired Times Mirror in 1995.

In 1998, Dyer was named Cox Communications' senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions, where he helped acquire more than two million subscribers. He also served as senior vice president of operations for Cox Communications' Western Division, which includes operations in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. Dyer served as Cox Communications' chief financial officer before assuming the role of Cox Enterprises' executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2008. He is a member of the Cox Enterprises board of directors and serves on the board of trustees for the Marcus Autism Center.

Douglas E. Franklin

Douglas E. Franklin will succeed Dyer to become executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises, effective May 1.  Franklin currently serves as president of Cox Media Group, a position he has held since 2011.

In his new role, Franklin will be responsible for the company's treasury, financial reporting and control, as well as tax and audit functions. He also has responsibility for public policy, supply chain services, information technology, risk management and legal.

"Doug has spent his entire career with Cox and will make a great addition to the Cox Enterprises senior leadership team," continued Kennedy. "His extensive experience in both finance and operations is the ideal background for this role, and the skills he's honed for the past three decades will serve him well as he makes his transition."

As President of Cox Media Group, Franklin is responsible for leading Cox Enterprises' integrated broadcasting, publishing and digital media subsidiary. Cox Media Group operates 19 broadcast television stations; 88 radio stations; eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, more than 100 digital services and Cox Reps. Additionally, Cox Media Group owns and operates Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America.

Previously serving as Executive Vice President of Newspapers for Cox Media Group, Franklin also has served as publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, publisher of The Palm Beach Post, president and chief executive officer of Cox Ohio Publishing, publisher of the Dayton Daily News and executive vice president, general manager and business manager of Dayton Newspapers. Franklin joined the company more than 30 years ago as a door-to-door circulation solicitor.

Succeeding Franklin as president of Cox Media Group will be Bill Hoffman , who currently serves as an executive vice president at Cox Media Group. In this role, Hoffman oversees the majority of the company's radio and television operations, as well as its corporate revenue efforts.

Bill Hoffman

"Bill is a talented, senior executive who will provide strong leadership, continuity and direction at Cox Media Group," Kennedy added. "His innate understanding of the integration of broadcast, print and digital media will help ensure Cox outlets maintain their enviable rankings in a highly-competitive media landscape."

Prior to serving as Executive Vice President, Hoffman was vice president and general manager of the company's WSB-TV in Atlanta. He joined Cox in 1979 as an account representative at TeleRep and has held a number of roles within the company. Those include vice president and general manager of WFTV 9 in Orlando, local sales manager at WSB-TV, office manager at Atlanta's TeleRep office and national sales manager at WPXI in Pittsburgh. He also served as local and national sales manager of WCCO in Minneapolis, Minn.

Hoffman serves on the ABC board of governors as its current chairman, on the board of directors of the Anti-Defamation League, Southeast Region and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.