Samantha Johnston

Samantha Johnston was the General Manager for Colorado Mountain News Media’s western Colorado mountain operations and Publisher of The Aspen Times. In her role at Swift Communications, she oversaw all day-to-day operations for a seven-day-a-week newspaper a

Samantha Johnston is an experienced media executive with a proven track record of building the kind of company culture and climate that drives business results. She has more than 20 years of media management experience with a specialty in sales management and talent development, organizational change, philanthropic fundraising and consumer revenue, leadership mentoring and development and strategic alignment.

Sam is the founder and CEO of Strategy Hound, LLC, a culture, communication and strategic media management company based in Colorado. She provides leadership development and coaching for high-level managers, guides leadership teams toward strategic alignment and creating North Star visions and assists businesses of all sizes in aligning talent, resources and culture to drive desired operational outcomes.

Prior to launching Strategy Hound, Samantha was the General Manager for Colorado Mountain News Media and publisher of The Aspen Times. In her role at Swift Communications, she oversaw all day-to-day operations for a seven-day-a-week newspaper and digital company, a shared copy and design desk serving five daily newspapers, membership and philanthropic journalism efforts, a resort market strategic operating team and was responsible for oversight of Colorado Mountain News Media’s Colorado properties including Aspen, Glenwood, Steamboat Springs, Craig and Summit County.

Sam’s career path includes media management, healthcare executive, political consultant, fire department lieutenant, and non-profit director, but local journalism has always had her heart.

Sam holds a B.A. degree in Journalism from Colorado State University and an M.B.A. from Regis University in Denver. She lives in Emma, Colorado with her fiancée and rescue hound, Ernie.