WASHINGTON: MSNBC.com which claims to be a leader in breaking news and original journalism on the Internet, has hired two senior marketing experts to expand the company's cross media advertising efforts.

Former director of business development at NBC Mary Paris joins MSNBC.com as director of cross media sales. Paris will oversee MSNBC.com's media ad sales and branding across MSNBC and NBC, in cooperation with MSN.

MSNBC.com also has hired ad sales veteran and entrepreneur Thomas Bosco as regional sales director for the East and Midwest. Bosco, founder of personal finance site Compare Credit Cards Online, has nearly 10 years of cross media ad sales experience.

Paris has been involved with NBC and its strategic partners, including MSNBC, since 1993. Before directing business development at NBC, she served as a member of NBC's Digital media group, producing the original websites for NBC stations and properties across the company. Paris also worked with NBC Entertainment and NBCi, managing day-to-day creative relationships between the two.

MSNBC.com recently hired Holly Heritage as a regional sales manager based in Chicago. Holly has several years of experience in advertising; most recently as sales director for the Economist Group; before that she was a director in interactive sales for Turner International based in Hong Kong.