David Atkins named Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales and Business Development for Freedom Interactive

David Atkins, a former vice president and general manager at InterActive Corp’s Interval International and a founder of its LiveItUp.com division, recently joined the Interactive Division of Freedom Communications to serve as Senior Vice President for Advertising Sales and Business Development.

In his new role, Atkins is responsible for recruiting and managing the ad sales and operation teams to serve Freedom Interactive’s 36 websites as well as develop new partnerships and distribution channels for Freedom Interactive.

“Freedom Interactive is embarking on a long-range strategic initiative to reinvent the user experience on all our news and information web sites, as well as the kind of impact that advertisers can expect on content-rich sites like ours,” said Michael Mathieu, President of Freedom Interactive. “David will be a key contributor to setting a new standard for excellence in the online news and information space. We are excited about the mission in front of us, and we know that he will be an important asset in making our vision a reality.”

In addition, Atkins helped launch Expedia, Inc., a leading online travel service, serving in a variety of capacities including Vice President of Business Development. At Expedia, Atkins oversaw cross company initiatives, distribution relationships, new non-traditional marketing efforts, and helped lead research and competitive tracking efforts at Expedia. David also developed lines of business including new models for revenue and profit.

As an executive board member, Atkins holds the Vice Chairman and Treasurer position at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), a leading travel and tourism organization. He is also a frequent speaker or panelist at many travel and advertising industry events.