Our Leadership

John M Cappelletti

Chief Executive Officer

John joined Putman in 1981, and has successfully brought the company through several recessions, launched new brands.... He has been involved in the launch of Control, Control Design, Processing and Smart Industry. His aggressive move into digital media has resulted in this area of the business accounting for 50% of sales in 2018.

John's greatest success is bringing together an exceptional team of talented and dedicated people who love media and are continually getting results for Putman’s audiences and clients. He has created a unique culture at Putman. Employees often describe him as charismatic, innovative, futuristic, and engaging. The average employee tenure is about eight years, a testament to good leadership and our culture in tumultuous and uncertain times.

Keith Larson

Vice President of Content, Group Publisher

Keith has anchored Putman’s publishing initiatives in the industrial automation space since joining the company in 1989. As group publisher, he is responsible for our manufacturing automation titles Control and Control Design. Currently serving as editor-in-chief of Control, Keith has also spent more than twenty years as VP of Content, developing our content strategy, leading our editorial team, and writing and producing content that engages and attracts our targeted audience in the manufacturing space. He drove the launch and editorial positioning of our Pharma Manufacturing and Smart Industry brands and plays a pivotal role in delivering thought leadership and driving future growth. He holds a BS degree in chemical engineering and worked as a research engineer for Amoco Chemicals before joining Putman Media.

Steve Herner

Vice President, Creative and Operations

Steve, a long time veteran of Putman, leads and inspires the creative and production team to deliver print and digital assets that are strategic, innovative, creative, and results-driven in all forms and across all media channels. These assets drive both revenue growth and long-term client engagement.

Steve is a champion of the creative expression of Putman's brands. He is both big-picture and hands-on, excelling as a leader in strategic thinking, creativity, and instilling a sense of purpose. He also provides guidance on digital and technology platforms to improve processes across the company. He has been awarded numerous design awards, and under his leadership, Putman has won design awards from ASBPE, APEX, Communicator and Folio, just to name a few. Steve joined Putman in 1996 after spending four years as an editorial cartoonist and graphic designer in the newspaper and commercial printing industries.

Hillary Freeley

Vice President, Advanced Digital Solutions

Hillary has been helping Putman grow its digital business and product offerings from an impression based ad model to today’s advanced lead and content marketing services for over a decade. She is an established digital and marketing professional, understands the objectives of her peers, and works to develop solutions to enable marketing successes with Putman’s digital brands.

Hillary brings 25+ years of experience in corporate marketing, audience development and digital product development to furthering Putman’s digital programs. Her prior experience includes executive management at IDG’s Network World business unit and senior management at ON Technology, a Boston based software company.

Jeff Mylin

Publisher, Plant Services and Smart Industry

Jeff launched his publishing career with Penton Media in 1988—he benefits from three decades in the manufacturing space as a sales leader and director of sales. He joined Putman in early 2017 with a vision for embracing new, digital approaches to engage with audiences. He quickly expanded his role to publisher for both Smart Industry and Plant Services, providing thought-leadership, passion and successful, progressive strategies to both brands.