Jenny Connelly replaces ousted longtime head Hugh Forrest
By Richard Whittaker, 5:36PM, Tue. Apr. 29, 2025
Jenny Connelly, EVP of Product & Technology at Penske Media Corporation, who is taking over as director in charge of SXSW. She replaces President and Head of Programming Hugh Forrest, who was ousted on Friday. (Image Courtesy of Penske Media)
After the surprise ousting of South by Southwest President and Head of Programming Hugh Forrest, the owners have announced that Jenny Connelly, a SXSW board member and Penske Media’s executive vice president of product and technology, will be taking over as head of the festival.
Connelly, whose background is in tech and who currently oversees Penske’s engineering, data, IT, product, project & SEO teams, announced publicly via LinkedIn that she will be leading the festival in the new role of director in charge. She will not be based out of SXSW’s Austin office, but wrote that she will be traveling here from Los Angeles on a weekly basis.
Penske Media became a shareholder in SXSW in 2021 when it partnered with MRC Media & Info to form P-MRC and take a 50% ownership stake. This rose to 51% in 2021, giving the two companies a majority holding and therefore control over staffing decisions at this level.
While she assumes the new position of director in chief, Connelly will not replacing as Forrest as head of programming. That position will now be filled by Greg Rosenbaum, who joined the company in 2010 to launch the inaugural SXSW EDU. He became vice-president of the education festival last July on the retirement of founder Ron Reed.
Forrest, who joined SXSW in 1989 as its first employee, was one of several senior and veteran employees who were exited from the company last Friday, April 25. The New York Times – citing statements released by Penske Media – reports that his departure came after a board decision to place Connelly in charge and that Forrest decided to leave the company he had spent 37 years building. However, Forrest has already stated that his departure was “definitely not my decision.”
Forrest is not alone in having to hand in his keys. The Chronicle has been informed that around 10 employees have left the company, including VP of communications Lillian Park. She confirmed via LinkedIn that she was let go on Friday after 36 years with the company.
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