Editorial leader. Internet pioneer. Brand steward. Business developer. Deal maker. Reporter. Blogger. Event programmer. Strategic planner. Ken Schlager has worn many hats in his career as a media professional.

Since April 2008, Ken Schlager has served as Editor of New Jersey Monthly, the most widely read regional publication in the Garden State.

Proir to joining NJM, Ken spent 20 years  at Billboard magazine, serving as Managing Editor, Vice President of Business Development and Executive Editor. He joined Billboard in 1985 and made his mark as a creative and caring editor, strong recruiter of editorial talent and frequent speaker at industry events and conferences. Ten years later, at the dawn of the digital age, he moved into a business development role and led the magazine’s transition to the Internet.

Ken Schlager helmed the launches of Billboard.com (originally Billboard Online), a robust website that successfully targets a consumer audience, and Billboard Bulletin, a premium news service for the music trade. To support these initiatives, Schlager created the first daily-news operation in Billboard’s 100-year history, recruiting staffers in New York, London and Los Angeles and driving cultural change throughout the Billboard editorial team.

With Ken Schlager as Editorial Director, Billboard.com quickly surpassed more than 2.5 million unique visitors per month. Other successful brand extensions under Schlager’s editorial direction included Billboard’s first Spanish- and Portuguese-language websites (in partnership with Star Media) and Billboard Radio (a streamed online “countdown” program). More recently, Schlager created a professional training program to prepare Billboard’s editorial staff for webcasting.

Prior to joining Billboard, Schlager was Associate Features Editor of The New York Post. He also served as Features Copy Chief at Gannett Westchester (N.Y.) Newspapers and as pop music critic for The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) News.