The appointment signifies the platform's bold vision as it celebrates 20 years of storytelling
NEW YORK, June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) proudly announces today the appointment of Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli as Refinery29's Chief Content Officer. This strategic leadership move underscores SMTG's commitment to empowering authentic voices of creators and communities shaping culture in the New General Market, while honoring Refinery29's two-decade legacy reflecting its audience, their stories and the authentic curation of retail products.
A pioneering voice at the intersection of beauty, identity, and digital storytelling, DeVard Ozaydinli brings over a decade of experience in media, technology, and brand building. Her dedication to surfacing diverse beauty perspectives and empowering individuals to embrace their authentic selves aligns seamlessly with Refinery29's mission to foster self-expression. As the creator and host of the award-winning Naked Beauty podcast, she has cultivated one of the most thoughtful and trusted platforms in beauty and wellness media, most recently winning the 2025 iHeart Podcast Award for Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast.
In her new role as CCO, DeVard Ozaydinli will lead Refinery29's editorial and content strategy across platforms, shaping the brand's creative direction and overseeing partnerships, original series, and global storytelling initiatives. She will also relaunch the platform's podcast network, bringing her critically acclaimed show Naked Beauty as part of the slate. In addition, she will support the evolution of Beautycon into a reimagined experience that reflects today's culture of beauty — one that is inclusive, multidimensional, and driven by community. Her appointment signals a bold new chapter for Refinery29, with a focus on cultural authority, authentic storytelling, and evolving how women's stories are told.
"Refinery29 has always been a force — a platform that made space for fearless, brilliant, inclusive storytelling," said DeVard Ozaydinli. "I'm thrilled to build on that legacy and help lead the next generation of women's media. We have a unique opportunity to redefine culture in ways no one else is doing, and I'm ready to make that vision real."
Prior to joining Refinery29, DeVard Ozaydinli held strategic roles at Instagram and led Naked Beauty into its current success as both an independent podcast and community. Her work has earned widespread recognition for its depth, warmth, and cultural impact. With her diverse experience, Refinery29 will continue to explore new formats and platforms that resonate with the evolving digital landscape, introducing dynamic, engaging, and new content strategies that maintain Refinery29's position at the forefront of media innovation.
"As Refinery29 celebrates two decades of influence, Brooke's leadership symbolizes a new chapter of growth and innovation," said Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media & Technology Group. "Her appointment reaffirms our commitment to fostering a platform that champions authenticity and meaningful storytelling."
SMTG acquired Refinery29 in April 2024 from Vice Media Group, expanding the reach of SMTG's media properties. Refinery29 has evolved to become an authority in lifestyle journalism, now boasting a network of niches across its insights agency, publishing strategy group, talent network, e-commerce platform, and events business, including the return of 29rooms. The platform reaches over 60 million globally each month and over 18 million across social media.
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About Sundial Media & Technology Group
Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections company — the signal powered by culture, scaled by technology, and built for community. SMTG connects, elevates, and empowers the most influential consumer segment in the market: HER, the Chief Influence Officer. With over 100 years of community knowledge and insights, SMTG is redefining the media model into a next-generation platform. Powered by proprietary intelligence and AI technology, it activates an ecosystem that scales HER influence and economic power. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences shaping culture today—ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture®), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™ (including NaturallyCurly), the Global Black Economic Forum, the Academy for Advancing Excellence, and the New Voices Fund. Through storytelling, products, and platforms, SMTG delivers the tools and technology to shape the future of media, commerce, and community—on HER terms.
About Refinery29
For 20 years, Refinery29 has changed the way content speaks to and represents women and underrepresented communities. As a global platform that celebrates and challenges the world, R29, inclusive of namesake Refinery29, Unbothered and Somos brands, truly reflect audiences today, while identifying the shifts of tomorrow. Across its global team of journalists and creators, insight chasers and trend forecasters, Refinery29 engages, telling stories across the platforms where their audiences gather most.
About Naked Beauty
Naked Beauty is a podcast and platform at the forefront of the beauty conversation — celebrating self-expression, wellness, and personal transformation through the lens of beauty. Launched in 2016 by Brooke DeVard and distributed by Acast, the show has released over 350 episodes and features honest, intimate conversations with culture-shaping guests — from founders and creatives to industry insiders and thought leaders. In 2025, Naked Beauty won the iHeart Media Award for Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast, a testament to its impact and loyal audience. What began as a podcast has evolved into a multi-platform brand, expanding beyond audio and video with the launch of the award-winning Naked Beauty fragrance in September 2024. With vulnerability, curiosity, and cultural insight at its core, Naked Beauty is redefining what it means to look and feel good — on your own terms.
SOURCE Sundial Media & Technology Group
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