AARP Names Award-Winning Editor-in-Chief and Media Executive Michael Caruso as SVP

Jul. 15, 2026

AARP, the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age, has named Michael Caruso its SVP and Chief Content Officer, unifying the organization's expansive portfolio of media, live events, and digital platforms under a single editorial vision.

Named a Creative Visionary by Editor & Publisher magazine, Caruso has served as editor-in-chief five times and held senior positions at Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, and The Hill. Most recently, he served as Chief Strategy Officer of Sourcebase, a company that specializes in AI for media, and as CEO and Publisher of The New Republic, where he grew digital audience by more than 500 percent, increased advertising 90 percent, and fundraising 122 percent. He helped relaunch WSJ Magazine as a highly successful brand and helped develop the first annual Innovators of the Year issue, as well as the gala at the Museum of Modern Art.

Anna Banks, AARP EVP and Chief Marketing Officer said:

“Michael brings a rare combination of editorial vision and business acumen, making him the ideal leader to elevate and unify our storytelling across platforms. Across our print, digital platforms and video, his focus will be on strengthening our editorial voice and ensuring our content resonates deeply with our audiences—delivering relevant, high-quality stories that meet members where they are and enrich their lives.”

 

Caruso said:

"AARP reaches millions of older Americans through a wide range of channels, and I'm excited to build on what is already one of the most powerful content operations in the country. I look forward to further developing and unifying our storytelling to connect with audiences in more meaningful ways."

 

In his new role, Caruso will oversee AARP's full content portfolio, including the two largest circulation magazines in the U.S., AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin; content on AARP.org; the organization's books division; the Movies for Grownups franchise and annual awards program; and AARP Studios, which produces award-winning content across social media platforms.

Earlier in his career, Caruso served as senior articles editor at Vanity Fair, and is credited with coining the term "elevator pitch." As Editor in Chief of Smithsonian and VP of Live Events, he earned the magazine its first National Magazine Award nominations in decades and created the American Ingenuity Awards, an annual franchise that grew into a festival spanning more than 50 events across a dozen Smithsonian museums. As Editorial Director of The Hill, he conceived and launched a new channel called Changing America, which reached 12 million monthly unique visitors in less than two years.