Thomas Rhiel
About Thomas Rhiel
Thomas Rhiel serves as the Executive Director of Product at The New York Times, a position he has held since 2022. With a diverse background in design, engineering, and editorial, he has significantly contributed to product development and user engagement at the organization.
Current Role at The New York Times
Thomas Rhiel serves as the Executive Director of Product at The New York Times, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he oversees teams responsible for personalization workflows and content tagging, focusing on enhancing user engagement and editorial efficiency. His leadership in product development is informed by his extensive background in design, engineering, and editorial.
Previous Positions at The New York Times
Rhiel has held multiple roles at The New York Times, including Product Director from 2020 to 2022 and Senior Product Manager from 2019 to 2020. He initially joined the organization as a Product Designer for a brief period in 2016. During his tenure, he led the development of a modern story-editing CMS tool, which improved the editorial workflow, and revamped the home screen to enhance user engagement.
Experience at Atavist
Before his time at The New York Times, Rhiel worked at Atavist as the Director of Reader Experience from 2013 to 2016. In this role, he focused on improving user interactions and overall reader engagement with the platform, leveraging his expertise in product development.
Background in Technology and Education
Rhiel's career includes experience at Google, where he worked as a Content and User Education Specialist and a Technical Account Manager from 2011 to 2013. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science from Columbia University, which he completed from 2007 to 2011.
Early Career Experience
Rhiel began his career in media as an Editorial Fellow at TPM Media LLC in 2010 and later as an Intern in 2009. These early roles contributed to his foundational knowledge in editorial processes and media production.