ABOUT US
DDM was founded in 2009 with a mission to be trusted voices of light and truth, influencing hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Fast forward 20(ish) years. Are we really achieving what we set out to do?
To find out, we asked our employees to identify the aspects and accomplishments of their jobs that mattered most to them. The questions related to our initial mission, as well as to our company’s current culture, customers and competition. (We later asked them to weigh in on the overuse of alliteration. But that’s a different discussion entirely.)
It quickly became clear there was a consistent set of principles and standards shaping our employees’ ethos, albeit informally. Working in a collaborative environment with other people who are passionate about products that connect our community was at the top of the list. Words like integrity, culture, learning and quality popped up more frequently than a mole in an arcade.
We used this feedback to create a vision and values statement for DDM so we never lose sight of what is important.
OUR VISION & VALUES
TO CONNECT AND INFORM COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE, EVERY DAY.
Courage: We turn bold ideas into brave actions.
Ingenuity: We imagine better ways to do things.
Reciprocity: We give and receive feedback well.
Change: We learn and grow again and again.
Unity: We work hard. We play hard. We do it together.
Integrity: We always do what’s right.
Trust: We build our community because we care.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Nate Hatch is the President of Deseret Digital Media. He moved into this role after a stint as DDM’s Chief Technology Officer. Nate has decades of executive-level technology and business experience.
NATE
HATCH
Prior to joining DDM, Nate led Brigham Young University’s Office of Information Technology as Assistant Vice President. He has also held leadership positions at several companies including C7 Data Centers, Times Mirror, Novell and WordPerfect Corporations. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business and organizational management.
Ryan Jonson is the Chief Financial Officer of Deseret Digital Media with responsibility for all financial and business planning activities. He is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting, with broad experience in startups and large multinational companies. Ryan has worked in senior positions with various high-growth technology companies, including iBAHN Corporation, Center 7 and Franklin Covey. Ryan has an MBA and is a licensed CPA.
RYAN
JONSON
TOM YATES
Tom Yates is the Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Deseret Digital Media. He joined DDM in 2014 to lead the sales efforts for KSL Cars. Tom has 20+ years of experience in the auto industry. He started his career on the retail side of the auto industry selling cars, and later was promoted to Internet Manager, Floor Manager and eventually General Sales Manager. He left the retail side of the auto industry in 2004 to join Autotrader.com where he was an Account Executive and later promoted to District Sales Manager...
MARK
JUDGE
Mark Judge is the Director of Human Resources at Deseret Digital Media. He has more than 20 years of HR expertise, having worked for and consulted with Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. Mark also possesses specialized senior executive human resource leadership experience in the technology, media, publishing and broadcasting industries.
From employee relations to right-sizing and legal compliance, Mark’s executive acumen is proven to achieve workforce and organizational alignment. Without such alignment, he believes ineffectiveness and dysfunction emerge and...
Brett Atkinson is the Vice President of Data Analytics and is responsible for Deseret Digital Media's data strategy to organize, operationalize and evangelize information to accelerate performance. Brett has 15+ years of experience in eCommerce and digital media industries and currently leads the data analysis, data engineering and machine learning teams.
BRETT ATKINSON
Brett developed an analytical, evidence-based mentality as a collegiate speech and debate competitor and still carries a competitive disposition. Outside of his profession, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. In his free time, he can be found attending soccer games, playing board games and listening to tunes.
Steve Fidel leads the news division of KSL.com as General Manager. He took on this role after teaching journalism and directing the Daily Universe news lab for nine years in the School of Communications at his alma mater, Brigham Young University. Steve's time in academia followed a 30-year career as a reporter and editor for Deseret News and KSL, where his mentors included Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Bob Mullins and John Hughes. Steve has worked on assignments in Europe, Asia and Africa, and earned national awards for his investigative reporting and coverage of the Gulf War.
STEVE FIDEL
As the Head of Product at Deseret Digital Media, Samantha Pero drives the strategic vision for DDM’s portfolio of mildly addictive products. She leads a team of talented product managers who are focused on driving innovation, creating delightful experiences and generating significant revenue. Sam has 15 years of experience in e-commerce and SaaS. She earned her bachelor’s of science degree at Weber State University.
SAMANTHA
PERO
Sam’s favorite activities involve her family and friends. She’s been in a bowling...
Brady Mortensen is the Chief Technology Officer at Deseret Digital Media and is responsible for the software engineering and infrastructure teams that power DDM’s market-dominating products.
BRADY
MORTENSEN
A University of Utah graduate, Brady has built a resume that includes years spent in the news, software engineering, IT and product disciplines. He has more than 30 years of combined experience in the media and technology industries.
Brady enjoys spending lots of time with his wife, daughters and huge dogs...
Brian Hoopes is the Head of Cyber Security and Fraud Prevention for Deseret Digital Media. He has worked in a variety of technical roles across Deseret Management Corporation companies throughout his many years with the company.
BRIAN
HOOPES
When not working, Brian enjoys spending time with his family. He can also be found wandering around the great outdoors or tinkering with something that caught his eye.
