Rodale Inc. has hired its first dedicated chief technology officer. Bobby Chowdhury has been hired to fill the role effective immediately. He is the first dedicated CTO at Rodale. Chowdhury will oversee all IT assets and strategy for the company, which is headquartered in Emmaus.

"As we begin an important year for the company, Bobby's valuable expertise and management background will help us turn our IT infrastructure into a strategic asset," said Anthony Astarita, GM/SVP digital and new brand development. "His entrepreneurial spirit coupled with his deep knowledge of software development and back-end systems management for media companies and VC-backed startups make him a key partner for our business."

His oversight will include expansion of Rodale's web and software development teams to maximize efficient resource management and allocation. Chowdhury will also have a strategic role in the development of the company's recently announced e-Commerce platform, Rodale's, slated to launch this spring.

Chowdhury will report to Astarita and will divide his time between the company's Emmaus, Pennsylvania, headquarters and its New York offices.

Chowdhury joins Rodale after four years at Condé Nast, where he held the position of vice president of engineering, digital technology, and was responsible for all software development, quality assurance, systems management, and hosting infrastructure operations.