Martha Stewart Living hires 2nd Yahoo executive

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia said on Monday that it has hired its second former Yahoo Inc executive to run a sales operation that is devoting more focus to its online operations.

The publisher of Martha Stewart Living, Blueprint and Everyday Food named Jacki Kelley executive vice president of media sales. She joins Wenda Harris Millard, the company's president of media, who came to Martha Stewart from Yahoo in June.

Martha Stewart also hired Lee Heffernan as senior vice president of integrated marketing, and former World Wrestling Entertainment Vice President Tom Barreca as senior vice president of digital and emerging media.

The executives will be part of an effort to help the company bring together its publishing, broadcasting and Internet teams to better attract advertising dollars, the company said.

"I've restructured and realigned the organization so we can really put the 'omni' back in 'Omnimedia,'" Millard said in an interview. "The various functions that were siloed are no longer siloed. Sales will all be under one leader."

Martha Stewart Living is best known for its television show featuring its namesake lifestyle expert, as well as its magazines, but Millard said that the Web site is attracting plenty of fans and people interested in lifestyle tips as well.

"If you look at usage among mothers, it's huge; certainly usage among people who are looking for ideas of any sort, whether that is something as simple as what to make for dinner tonight of if you want to make beautiful homes."

Millard declined to say what the financial goals of the site are because the company is reporting its quarterly earnings on Friday.

Martha Stewart shares rose 25 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $13.34 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Robert MacMillan)