Ladies and Maer Roshan, meet the new hottie who will be running the ad game at Elle Decor. He's Dan Ragone and, as WWD first reported this morning, Ragone is hopping from his associate publisher gig at Elle to the publisher's chair at Hachette's shelter title. Now the only question that remains: Who will be the first to hop in his new chair with him .. after hours .. and on his lap? We hear there's an editorial assistant with an insatiable libido. (Hachette chief Jack Kliger's memo, after the jump.)

October 12, 2006, New York, N.Y. – Jack Kliger, President and CEO, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., announced today that Carol Smith, SVP, ELLE Group Publishing Director, will be responsible for the advertising sales of ELLE Decor. Smith, who reports to Philippe Guelton, EVP, COO, Hachette, named Dan Ragone, associate publisher at ELLE, as the new vice president/publisher of ELLE Decor, and Samantha M. Fennell, ad director Vogue, as the new associate publisher of ELLE. Ragone will assume the new position immediately and will work in partnership with ELLE Decor Editor-in-Chief Margaret Russell.

Smith said: “Dan will be an exceptional publisher of ELLE Decor. Over the past three years, I’ve seen first-hand how his relationships with fashion and luxury goods marketers have helped drive our record-breaking growth at ELLE. I’m delighted that Samantha is taking Dan’s place, and I know that he’ll be just as effective at ELLE’s sister publication, helping me to take the brand to the next level across all our media properties.”

Smith continued: “We are thrilled that Samantha is joining the ELLE team. She has excellent experience and a terrific reputation in the industry. It is clear that she will be an asset to our group.”

Dan Ragone, VP/Publisher, ELLE Decor
Ragone joined ELLE in 2003 as associate publisher responsible for fashion and luxury goods and worked closely on the successful launch of ELLE Accessories and ELLE 21, the magazines’ 21st birthday celebration. Prior to ELLE, he was executive fashion director at Allure magazine and fashion director at Interview magazine. He started his career at ad agencies including DDB Needham, Kirshenbaum & Bond and McKinney & Silver, all in account management.

Samantha M. Fennell, Associate Publisher, ELLE
Fennell has served as advertising director, Vogue, since April 2005. Previously, she held positions as corporate fashion director for the Conde Nast Media Group (February 2002 – April 2005), advertising manager, Teen Vogue (December 2000 – February 2002), American fashion director, and Vogue (January 1999 – December 2000). Prior to that she worked in various positions at Rolling Stone, Vibe, Paper and Spy magazines.

About ELLE Magazine
ELLE is the largest fashion magazine in the world, with 39 editions on five continents. ELLE is accessible online at elle.com. It is also the foundation of numerous brand extensions, including ELLE Decor (25 editions), ELLE A Table (seven editions), ELLE Accessories (six editions), ELLE.com (20 websites), and licensed products, including books, footwear, eyewear, and other fashion accessories. Last year, ELLE-branded products generated $1 billion in retail sales worldwide. The U.S. edition reaches an audience of 4.8 million readers, who find in ELLE style and substance with an independent point of view.

About ELLE Decor
ELLE Decor, the international fashion magazine for the home, is the largest edition in a network of 23 ELLE Decors around the world, from Norway to China. The ELLE Deco international network is unsurpassed in scope, reaching nine million young, affluent, style-conscious readers in 30 countries on five continents.

About Hachette
Hachette reaches over 50 million consumers in the U.S. through its enthusiast brands which include American Photo, Boating, Car and Driver, Cycle World, ELLE, ELLE Decor, ELLEgirl, Flying, Home, Metropolitan Home, Popular Photography & Imaging, Premiere, Road & Track, Shock, Sound & Vision and Woman's Day. In addition to the print magazine, each brand has a digital edition and website. A number of Hachette brands have extensions in television, radio, mobile services and consumer branded events. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc., the New York-headquartered subsidiary of Hachette Filipacchi Médias S.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lagardère SCA, also includes book and custom publishing, integrated marketing, database and market research, as well as licensing. The Hachette website address is www.hfmus.com.