Allrecipes President Lisa Sharples Stepping Down a Year After Sale

Allrecipes President Lisa Sharples Stepping Down a Year After Sale

Allrecipes, one of the world’s biggest food websites, is losing its president a year after it was acquired by Meredith Corp., AllThingsD has learned.

Lisa Sharples told employees at Allrecipes’ Seattle headquarters on Thursday that she would be leaving at the end of March to spend more time with her children. No replacement was named, but I’m hearing that a search is under way for a new leader.

A company spokesperson did not respond immediately to emails seeking comment.

It has been a year since Meredith Corp., which is best known for its old-line magazine business, acquired Allrecipes from Reader’s Digest Association for $ 175 million. The website is now one of Meredith Corp.’s largest online properties, and as such, may be standing out as Meredith looks to combine its company with Time Warner’s publishing assets, including Time Inc.

In 2007, Sharples joined Allrecipes from Classmates.com, where she was VP of marketing. Since joining Allrecipes, the brand has expanded internationally and today is in 23 countries and a dozen languages. Prior to Classmates.com, Sharples co-founded Garden.com, where she was chief marketing and merchandising officer.

A source familiar with the situation says Sharples will be missed, and credited her with keeping the company’s “culture fun, young and not corporate.”