It’s a disruptive time in the TV industry as shifting business models are leading to sea changes in how video content is watched, distributed and monetized. Fortunately, there’s also no shortage of rising industry stars who are up to the challenge of being creative and innovative enough to keep things moving forward. 

For over a decade, Broadcasting+Cable, Multichannel News and Next TV have honored a select group of industry pros under 40 — both established veterans and up-and-comers — as part of the 40 Under 40 New York awards program.  

The 40 Under 40 awards are designed to honor those at the forefront of a changing industry. Through a nomination and judging process, B+C Multichannel News has selected a group of creative, tech-savvy visionaries helping to lead media in new directions, wherever the viewers are. 

The 2024 New York 40 Under 40 class will be honored at a gala party September 12, capping off Future B2B’s NYC TV Week of events, which also includes Advanced Advertising, the Hispanic Television Summit and the Next TV Summit. The 40 Under 40 awards party will take place at the 230 Fifth Rooftop at 230 5th Ave. in Manhattan. 

For more information and to register, visit tvweek40under40.com. 

Below, read more about the 2024 40 Under 40 New York, listed alphabetically. 

Greg Barnard
Senior Director, Content Acquisitions and Strategy, Vizio
Barnard has elevated Vizio’s WatchFree Plus streaming service to the next level. With a portfolio boasting more than 300 channels and 15,000 on-demand titles, he has led negotiations with numerous media partners. He has secured exclusive content deals for acclaimed shows such as @Home with Tori, featuring Tori Spelling, and The Pantry, hosted by chef Tom Colicchio. He oversees the team responsible for negotiating and closing content, service and tech agreements for WatchFree Plus, all while unifying processes, implementing efficient project management strategies and strengthening relationships. With more than 17 years of industry experience, Barnard’s influence extends far beyond Vizio. This is evident in his roles as a founding board member for HRTS Associates NYC, adviser for Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) and mentor with the T. Howard Foundation and Ghetto Film School. Barnard’s relentless dedication and visionary approach continue to shape the future of entertainment.

Kevin Belbey
Sports Media Agent, Creative Artists Agency
Belbey represents many top sports broadcasters, including Noah Eagle (NBC Sports), Fabrizio Romano (an Italian sports journalist) and Kevin Brown (Baltimore Orioles/ESPN). He also signed former NFL stars Devin and Jason McCourty, negotiating a multiyear, seven-figure-per-year deal for Devin to join NBC Sports as an analyst for Football Night in America, and a deal for Jason to join CBS Sports as an NFL and college football game analyst, in addition to co-host of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. Belbey also hustled to sign Ian Eagle in 2022, who recently succeeded Jim Nantz as the play-by-play person for the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four for CBS Sports and TNT Sports. Upon NBC Sports’ acquisition of Big Ten media rights, Kevin orchestrated several prominent moves that would see CAA clients define NBC’s coverage, including Noah Eagle as the featured voice of NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night football package. He also represented Drew Carter in his contract to join the Boston Celtics as a play-by-play announcer.

Noella Charles
VP, Development & Original Production, Unscripted, WE tv/AllBlk
Charles has helped revitalize WE tv’s offerings, executive-producing brand-defining, celebrity-driven ensemble docuseries, including Keke Wyatt’s World, chronicling the journey of R&B/gospel artist Wyatt; Toya & Reginae, following Atlanta’s dynamic mother-daughter duo; Bold & Bougie, featuring five women determined to live unapologetically on their own terms; The Barnes Bunch, following NBA champion Matt Barnes, his fiancée, model Anansa Sims, and their blended family of six children; and Love During Lockup, about couples fighting to keep their love alive while one partner is incarcerated. While at Viacom, Charles helped lead BET’s music series 106 & Park to its highest ratings with various segments and larger awards-show initiatives and worked as a coordinating producer on MTV’s Wild ’N Out. At Fuse TV, she launched shows such as Trending 10, and was a producer for The People’s Choice Awards on E!

Beau Decker
VP, Growth Marketing, Endeavor Streaming 
Decker leads a team of marketing strategists, analysts and data scientists who operate as an extension of Endeavor Streaming’s clients to help them scale their businesses through marketing, analytics, data and technology, and to drive efficiencies across acquisition, retention and monetization of direct-to-consumer businesses. He has established himself as an effective leader who is highly proficient in implementing unified business strategies that embrace the complexities of the modern media ecosystem. His unique mix of business expertise, understanding of advanced technological marketing and data capabilities and his customer-centric approach directly impacts clients’ ability to maximize the value of their direct-to-consumer streaming businesses. Decker developed the Endeavor Streaming Audience Development team as a direct result of a market challenge: Regardless of an organization’s size, OTT teams often lack the resources to run and scale a streaming service efficiently. Since its inception in 2022, the team has successfully supported a substantial number of high-profile clients, including UEFA.tv and UFC Fight Pass.

Kirby Dixon
Director, Publicity, History 
Dixon has spearheaded the communications campaigns for tentpole History series including Alone, which The New Yorker recently called “the best reality series ever made;” The Harlem Hellfighters, executive produced by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts; 761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers from Morgan Freeman; and The Curse of Oak Island, among others. She stands out for her thoughtful, creative and nuanced approach to every project, her co-workers said, mining each story for the significant and often untold aspects. Her never-give-up attitude has led to key placements for programming with New York Magazine, The New Yorker, MSNBC, GMA, CNN and other key media outlets. In the past year alone, Kirby has worked to gain access to some of the most high-profile U.S. government locations and officials for key press events. She facilitated a conversation between the nation’s first Black secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, and Morgan Freeman at the Pentagon to discuss 761st Tank Battalion. She’s also a tireless champion for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at History and parent A+E.

Tori Fernandes
VP, Corporate Communications, The Walt Disney Co. 
Fernandes has unified Disney’s narrative across its streaming, digital and linear properties as one authoritative entity, and the integrated strategy has reinvented the way the company comes to market. In January, her corporate communications team spearheaded all press for Disney’s Global Tech & Data Showcase, which took place in person for the first time at CES. The team created an intentional campaign that cascaded throughout the week. This strategic plan included a press preview with key executives and journalists; exclusive stories with various publications aligned with the timing of the showcase; six separate executive interviews and panels during the week that led up to the event; and live social media coverage that extensively followed the excitement on stage. Amid an incredibly competitive CES news cycle, Disney Advertising clinched over 50 unique headlines for exclusive feature stories and organic placements. Also helping cut through the noise was a video message from CEO Bob Iger that Fernandes helped produce. 

Joe Fitzpatrick
Director, Programmatic Partnerships, NBCUniversal
Sitting at the crossroads of technology and addressable advertising, Fitzpatrick has rare knowledge of the industry landscape. Whether engaging with clients and understanding their challenges or seeing opportunities in the content provider world, his multifaceted approach to solutions has been a boon for the companies he has worked for and with. Fitzpatrick joined NBCU in June, following stints at Minute Media, USA Today Network, AP and Fox News Channel. He drives the continued adoption of automated, data-driven and programmatic media buying across NBCU’s portfolio of digital and streaming assets. Colleagues said his commitment and versatility are key character traits in establishing him as a pioneer in the programmatic world, and his personality makes for a warm presence at conferences, industry think tanks and group lunch meetings. 

Chris Giliberti
Co-Founder and CEO, Avail
Giliberti launched Avail in July 2021, after he had been global head of TV and film at Spotify. Avail offers studios and talent agencies a script summarization tool and is increasingly focused on the content/intellectual property licensing and AI search space. In July, Avail launched Corpus, which enables creators and media rightsholders to license their work to AI model developers. Corpus leverages collective scale to get smaller publishers and creators in on the licensing action. Giliberti’s background in TV and film has made him well-versed in the painstaking process of producing successful series and movies and the so-called “pain points” that can be addressed to make production faster and better. He has emerged as a key figure at the intersection of Silicon Valley and Hollywood and an increasingly trusted voice in that relationship. 

Alexander Groysman
VP, Advertising Product Development, Spectrum Reach
Groysman has been instrumental in bringing innovative products to the advanced advertising space. He oversees 20 diverse product managers and analysts emerging as leaders, and has authored two patents related to the converging linear and digital TV ecosystems and enablement of transparent marketplaces for premium TV media. He has been a key leader in transforming Spectrum Reach, the ad-sales business of Charter Communications, to adopt programmatic technologies and expand the availability of addressable targeting solutions in a privacy-compliant manner to better service customert. Groysman also leads several initiatives around measuring and optimizing supply quality and performance attribution, ensuring that every campaign is executed and optimized against the best media possible. In a remarkable step forward for linear addressable advertising and the industry, Groysman and his team found a way to expand linear addressable multicast ad inventory, where many people view the same network feed. 

Shannon Guarascio
Senior Manager, CBS Affiliate Relations
Guarascio’s resilience in navigating challenges in an ever-evolving television landscape, whether it’s broadcast rights or pivoting strategies to keep original programming at its peak during the writers and actors strikes of 2023, proves she can thrive amid any obstacles. She has spent 15 years at CBS. Due to her efforts to ramp up promotion with affiliates for February’s Super Bowl, it was the highest-viewed network broadcast of all time, with more than 120 million viewers tuning in. Guarascio is now working in a hybrid role of overseeing and managing affiliates in addition to communications and operations for CBS Affiliate Relations. As a member of the Paramount Veterans Network, she has also supported and influenced the work between military veterans and CBS programming. 

Walid Hamri
AVP, Media Systems Engineering, Sinclair
Hamri’s leadership in engineering next-generation media systems creates substantial opportunities for content creators, producers and broadcasters, encouraging them to move away from legacy operating models. His work to create more adaptable media ecosystems allows media organizations such as broadcast giant Sinclair to innovate by leveraging the latest technologies. He has designed and
helped architect massively scaled distribution systems, capitalized on emerging cloud capabilities to drive media supply-chain optimization, and harnessed the latest in
media signaling to streamline media operations. Prior to joining Sinclair, Hamri was chief product officer at SeaChange International, where he led the product and solution team in promoting the multiscreen Video Delivery Platform. Before that, he was VP of solutions & business development at Ateme, a specialist in video compression and delivery solutions. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Grenoble Institute of Technology in France.

Christina Haubrock
Senior VP, Advertising Strategy, NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships

Haubrock conceptualizes and develops new ad products for NBCUniversal’s Peacock and its additional streaming assets. Regularly reimagining the advertising experience to maximize effectiveness, she acts on behalf of two customers: the viewer and the advertiser. By creating custom ad experiences for different types of content and introducing innovative ad formats, she plays a critical role in rewriting the advertising playbook, driving ultimate engagement for consumers and meaningful impact for marketers. Prior to Peacock launching in 2020, she was an integral voice in architecting NBCU’s AVOD vision and has evolved the go-to-market strategy as the streamer has scaled. In 2022, Haubrock
helped bring NBCU’s streaming portfolio to market with Peacock Premier, leveraging Peacock’s premium AVOD platform to deliver maximum impact for clients; and Peacock “AX” (Audience Extension), leveraging the entire footprint of NBCU’s streaming assets to deliver maximum reach. 

Alix Hoberman
Managing Director, Sales, LG Ad Solutions 
Hoberman joined LG Ad Solutions in 2021 and has become integral to the company’s business, helping to build and develop LG’s Media & Entertainment East Coast sales efforts.  When she joined LG, Hoberman was a senior account executive coordinating and managing advertising campaigns for smart-TV ad inventory — and she quickly proved to be a rising star, developing positive relationships throughout the organization, and with clients such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, BET, Fubo, Pluto, A&E and the NBA. She also fostered several key agency relationships, including with Horizon Media and Hearts & Science. Hoberman now takes the lead on many go-to-market sales packages, collaborating with marketing and sales and contributing to the development of LG Ad Solutions’ measurement strategies. She oversees a team of sellers responsible for more than $30 million in revenue — a 200% increase compared to her first year with the company. 

Isaac Holub
Co-Founder and Head of Development, Lucky 8
Holub has played a crucial role in establishing Lucky 8, one of the unscripted industry’s most successful fully-independent production shops. Lucky 8 shows include Unlocked: A Jail Experiment, which premiered on Netflix in the spring and highlights a daring approach to the challenges of incarceration. Holub is an executive producer on the show and is also behind two of History’s That Built America franchises: He launched Season 5 of The Food That Built America in early 2024 and will launch Season 2 of The Mega-Brands That Built America later this year. In 2023, Holub was integral to the creation, development and sale of Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper for Disney Plus and Booked: First Day In for A&E. Holub also executive produces Nat Geo’s long-running hit To Catch a Smuggler. He was a producer at National Geographic prior to co-founding Lucky 8, where he produced Brain Games, Border Wars and American Weed, among other shows.

Annmarie Hordern
Anchor/Chief Political Correspondent, Bloomberg
Hordern is a co-anchor on the Bloomberg Television morning show Surveillance, where the anchors’ “daily conversations with leaders and decision-makers from Wall Street to Washington and beyond cover the latest in business, investment and geopolitics,” the network said. She conducts interviews with world leaders and newsmakers, including the energy ministers from Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Russian Federation. She also serves as chief political correspondent. In addition to her work with Bloomberg Television, Hordern has contributed to Bloomberg.com, Quicktake and Bloomberg Businessweek, among other platforms. In 2022, she wrote a Bloomberg Businessweek piece sharing a personal story on efforts to evacuate a colleague’s family following the collapse of Afghanistan. Prior to her work on Surveillance, Hordern co-anchored the politics and policies program Balance of Power. Before that, she was the executive producer for Bloomberg TV’s EMEA newsroom, managing a team of more than a dozen producers from Dubai to London. 

Lawrence Jones
Co-Host, Fox & Friends, Fox News Channel 
Jones was the youngest Black man to helm a solo program in cable news history when Lawrence Jones Cross Country launched on Fox News Channel. The program saw him talk to people across the country who often feel like their voices are not heard. He spotlighted local stories that spoke to larger issues, such as gun violence and the fentanyl crisis plaguing the United States. During his time as an enterprise reporter, Lawrence traveled to 49 of the 50 states for network reports. In fall 2023, he moved up to morning program Fox & Friends, where he continues to tackle the big stories of the day and break them down in a digestible way. He has also brought a younger perspective to the program. Born the son of a teen mother in Texas, as a child Jones dreamed not of working in television, but of being a police officer. 

Sean Kelly
Senior Director, Ad Sales, Vizio
Kelly joined Vizio in 2019 as a founding member of the Vizio Ads organization, tasked with establishing an East Coast ad sales presence. At the time, the region had generated zero in revenue. Since then, revenue has grown to over $135 million annually, and Kelly oversees about $110 million. His team’s clients include a diverse roster of general-market advertisers across verticals such as auto, pharma, telco, insurance and travel. Promoted to his current role in 2023, Kelly’s responsibilities include negotiating long-term commitments with several large agency holding companies based on spend volume, unique offerings and partnership benefits. During his tenure at Vizio, he was instrumental in the creation of the associate director program, which provides junior employees with professional development opportunities and management skill training. He also continues to mentor both account executives and new employees, fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusivity. 

Madeline Kissel
VP, Business Development and Affiliate Relations, Viamedia 
With her unique blend of rapid adaptability, innate sales skills that have closed major deals, marketing acumen that has led to successful innovative advertising campaigns and a network of cable TV industry relationships, Kissel is a visionary transforming media advertising in North America. She cultivates and manages partnerships with video service providers and advertisers, including over 60 sales partnerships across 70 cities. Viamedia’s managed services business line has seen a staggering 300% increase, evolving into one of the company’s highest profit-margin segments. Her exceptional sales insight has not only signed 20 new partners and renewed over 50, but also significantly boosted revenue while maintaining a 100% renewal rate. Kissel’s development and implementation of dynamic advertising educational content have propelled industry-wide advancement, demonstrating her exceptional ability to drive growth and foster innovation in a highly competitive industry. One of her key accomplishments has been securing a partnership with cable operator Sparklight that brought 300,000 subscribers to Viamedia.

Amanda Klecker
SVP, Marketing & Franchise, pocket.watch
Klecker is head of marketing and brand strategy for pocket.watch, the largest independent kids and family studio, working with the biggest children’s programming creators in the world to create global franchises. That includes engaging more than 1 billion subscribers and 661 billion views on YouTube alone, according to pocket.watch. She leads various teams, including marketing, franchise, press, social, e-commerce and creative, changing the way families connect with media. In the last year, Klecker paved new ground for both the creator economy and kids entertainment by driving first-of-their-kind collaborations and AI innovations with megabrands that had never before considered working with intellectual property hatched on YouTube. That includes her work with grocery brand Dole, personalized video outfit Cameo Kids and tech company Veritone. She also launched the first creator-only record label, pocket.watch Records, distributed by Universal Music Group. 

Andrew Longworth
VP of Advanced TV, Innovid
Colleagues describe Longworth as an innovator and a driver of action, both of which set Innovid up well for the future. Across measurement, optimization and creative, he works with major publishers to spearhead key initiatives. His accomplishments include bringing interactive ads to the Super Bowl; closing the measurement/optimization gap with Instant Optimization, which allows advertisers to immediately optimize ad performance in flight; and making granular, cross-platform measurement more accessible to local advertisers. Longworth’s ability to demystify complex technology and strategy has made him an invaluable asset within Innovid and the broader ad tech industry. In 2024, he continues to be laser-focused on sell-side innovation. He will be behind big news around new ad experiences during live events, real-time optimization initiatives at scale and the global expansion of Innovid’s measurement footprint. He also works to support sell-side players in their efforts to embrace AI initiatives.

Adam Lynch
Advanced Advertising Systems Engineer, Viamedia
Co-workers describe Lynch as someone with an innovative spirit to go with his unparalleled resilience and technical acumen. With more than 14 years of technical experience, he holds a remarkable eight patents. He has architected multiple one-of-a-kind advertising solutions that bridge linear and digital advertising, serving 70 pay TV providers in 27 states and placing over 1 million ads daily. Born with dyslexia and ADHD and being on the spectrum, Lynch has harnessed these conditions as unique strengths. His ability to break down complex problems into manageable tasks has led to innovative solutions and technological advancements that many deemed impossible. His knack for seeing processes amidst chaos drives unprecedented creativity and problem-solving, making him an invaluable asset to Viamedia. His projects include the creation, development and implementation of QTT, which integrates the digital ecosystem with premium linear cable TV ads; and innovations within dynamic ad insertion, with the development and implementation of Viamedia’s Parrot ADS. 

Zachary Malet
Senior Director, Sports Business Development & Innovation, ESPN
What his colleagues describe as Malet’s relentless pursuit of innovation comes from introducing groundbreaking ideas directly to sports fans. He has played a pivotal role in ESPN’s alternative broadcasts, spearheading the live, animated NHL Big City Greens Classic — the first telecast of its kind. His role also involves negotiating and overseeing ESPN’s extensive portfolio of third-party business agreements/partnerships, with a keen emphasis on driving strategic innovation, maximizing revenue and fostering crucial technology partnerships. Malet’s expertise has led to the successful negotiation of several multimillion-dollar deals for the sports giant. His tenure since 2012 has been marked by significant contributions across various divisions, including Disney Platform Distribution, where he managed distribution of Disney properties (including ABC, ESPN and Disney Plus) with cable and streaming partners, and in the content strategy and college sports groups at ESPN programming and acquisitions. 

Rachel Marcus Fawkes
Director of Content and Editorial, Amagi
Marcus Fawkes got her start at ESPN shooting and editing video. While at ESPN, she pushed for video tech beyond the realms of cable, making sure younger users could access video through their phones and tablets before that behavior was the norm. She covered the NBA Finals, College Football Playoff, NBA draft, College World Series and X Games while at ESPN, among other giant sports events. Marcus Fawkes shifted to Wynn Resorts, where she was director of content, and joined Amagi in July 2023. She is currently building and leading content marketing strategy for the company, a leader in unified cloud workflows for TV and OTT. She also spearheads Amagi’s Airtime webinar series and quarterly FAST industry report. A Syracuse grad, Marcus Fawkes worked at SNY earlier in her career, where her role included covering ’Cuse sports.

Sean Mathew
VP, Media Director Investments, Mediahub
After working to invigorate brands like Google/YouTube and Kohler, Mathew joined Mediahub as a supervisor on the video investments team in 2019 for a new challenge: going beyond “spots and dots” media buying to harness the power of data-driven storytelling to drive key business results. Since then, he’s been working with brands across a variety of sectors, including entertainment, retail and financial services. Focusing on Mediahub’s Navy Federal Credit Union and Netflix accounts, he negotiated a unique promotion for Netflix’s Your Place of Mine on ABC’s The Bachelor. Mathew takes an active role in both agency and personal team development. He meets weekly with his team, dedicating time to training and mentorship, and often shelling out any useful financial and investing tips that he learns outside of his industry expertise. A testament to his leadership is his team’s minimal turnover rate — 90% retention over the last three years.

Bill Melugin
Correspondent, Fox News
Melugin joined Fox News Channel in 2021 as a Los Angeles-based correspondent after a stint as an investigative reporter at Fox-owned KTTV Los Angeles. He has spent several hundred days reporting from the U.S.’s southern border, breaking a number of stories. In 2022, Melugin was one of the first national reporters on the scene at Robb Elementary School following the shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Some of his notable reporting included an interview with a grandfather of a missing child and dispelling rumors the suspect was being chased by U.S. Border Patrol prior to the shooting. During his time at KTTV, his reporting appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight and The Ingraham Angle, among other Fox News programs. Melugin always strives to bring the human element into the stories he covers. In 2023, he was profiled in the Los Angeles Times and described as a “rising star” for his well-sourced and dedicated coverage.

Heidi Meyers
Director of Marketing, AMC Networks
Meyers is a neuroscience researcher-turned-digital marketer who brings a unique perspective to strategy. She is a proven expert at cultivating the fandoms behind AMC’s shows, and her work on the launches of Mayfair Witches and Interview With the Vampire, as well as Season 2 of Dark Winds, drove critical praise and ratings. Meyers got her start in digital media at an online dating company, which offered her a unique look at consumer behavior. She moved to WebMD, where she led paid-media strategy for pharma clients, government agencies and household brands such as Johnson & Johnson. Shifting to HBO, where she was digital and social media coordinator, she worked on the content strategy for Game of Thrones, Westworld and Mosaic, among other series. She also founded a microcontent firm that specialized in branding strategy and content creation for live events, from local improv to national theater tours. She joined AMC Networks in 2021, where she pioneers e-commerce strategy, launching fan-centric campaigns such as “Best Fandom Ever.”

Ryan Murray
Senior Manager, Content Distribution, Roku 
Murray oversees the development and negotiation of app and channel partnerships across SVOD, AVOD and FAST business lines on the Roku platform. Whether he’s leading a multilayered distribution agreement with Tier 1 media partners or strategizing internally, he speaks with substance, confidence and an eye toward a solution, his co-workers said. Prior to joining Roku, he was director of U.S. Distribution at Paramount Global, where he led negotiations for MVPD and OTT deals across the company’s cable networks and CBS. His career began at Viacom, where he was a member of the content distribution rotational program. He transitioned to a role within the sales and business development team, focusing on content partnerships and distribution agreements. Murray is making his panel debut this year at the StreamTV Show in Denver, where he will speak on “Approaching a New Frontier of Sports, Weather, & News Broadcasting & Streaming.”

Joseph Nuñez
Director of Communications and Public Relations, Brightcove
Nuñez spearheads global corporate communications, public relations and social media functions for Brightcove, the streaming technology company that powers top media and TV organizations. Since he joined Brightcove early in 2023, his work leading the company’s thought leadership and executive communications efforts has resulted in more than 50 interviews and placements for the CEO among key national programs and publications, including CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business Network and Sirius XM. Prior to joining Brightcove, whose partners include AMC Networks, BBC Studios and The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Nuñez had a stint at Twitter and previously led consumer publicity efforts for NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language broadcast and cable networks. There, he led the publicity efforts to launch Telemundo morning show Hoy Dia. He also ran the PR efforts for more than a dozen show launches and new seasons, including Telemundo’s Exatlon and La Casa de los Famosos. 

Eric Ortega
Executive Producer, ABC News 
Eric Ortega, executive producer on ABC News Live With Linsey Davis, is a decisive newsroom leader who builds stronger newscasts and journalists wherever he works, according to colleagues. An innovator, he frequently proposes new ideas for presenting material that brings greater awareness to impactful stories. His efforts are paying off: ABC News Live With Linsey Davis was nominated for four News & Documentary Emmy Awards this year and became the first streaming newscast nominated for best live news program. He joined ABC News in late 2022 after a stint at Vice News, where he ran Vice News Tonight. Before that, Ortega worked at NBCUniversal, starting in the page program, then moving on to line producing at Early Today and MSNBC and producing on MTP Daily with Chuck Todd and The Briefing With Luke Russert, among other programs. Before his television career began, Ortega worked on Capitol Hill, including his time as legislative assistant to former Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). 

Reid Pakula
VP of Talent, IF Management
Across his six years at IF Management, Pakula has amassed a client list that includes many rising stars in news. He has helped his clients make the move from smaller markets to some of the nation’s largest, including Chicago and Philadelphia, while helping them think of different ways to improve their on-air delivery. Bringing high levels of energy and engagement to his role, Pakula has been able to create great relationships with news directors and executives at all levels. A University of Maryland graduate, he earned a degree in finance with a fellowship in sports management. He was a student manager for the men’s basketball team and interned with the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. Prior to joining IF, he worked for Octagon Sports & Entertainment. Paklula’s love for news goes back to boyhood, when he’d watch the 6 a.m. newscast before school.

John-Marcus Phillips
VP of Product, Effectv
Phillips manages a team of 35 product leaders at Effectv, the ad sales division of Comcast Cable. He leads the introduction of innovations to the ad platform that drive better outcomes across all stages of the marketing funnel. Phillips and his team played an instrumental role in  developing a new suite of ad solutions geared to political advertisers, aimed at helping marketers reach, engage and connect with voters in an election year. He has been involved in efforts to combine the best aspects of traditional linear advertising with the power of digital, most recently partnering with the Comcast and FreeWheel technology teams to introduce dynamic ad insertion capabilities across new live viewing platforms such as Xfinity Stream. He has also helped introduce new measurement capabilities for ad units on the Xfinity guide experience. Phillips addresses each challenge with curiosity and passion, co-workers said, describing him as a “transformational leader.”

Bijan Razzaghi
Director, Business & Legal Affairs, Brightcove
Razzaghi is a key asset for the streaming company in terms of motivating teams, leading projects and driving results while navigating complex legal issues specific to the intersection of software and streaming. A dynamic attorney with extensive experience in the cloud-based technology industry, he provides strategic counsel on a range of commercial matters spanning Brightcove’s corporate, business and legal affairs to drive growth. He has also negotiated groundbreaking deals for Brightcove’s partnerships with Google, Magnite, SpringServe and Pubmatic. He supports Brightcove’s largest and most strategic partnerships, vendor and commercial relationships, privacy program, mergers and acquisitions and new company initiatives. Before joining Brightcove, he was corporate counsel at Parallel Wireless for nearly five years, having started there as an intern. He joined Brightcove in early 2021 as commercial counsel and has moved up rapidly.

Gardner Reed
Senior VP of Development, Wheelhouse Entertainment 
Reed developed three series for the studio that launched last year, including King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch and Designing Miami for Netflix and Secret Restoration for History. He’s also behind the upcoming HGTV series Divided by Design, having found the talent, developed the concept and sold the show, as well as an unannounced dating series on OWN, a celebrity-driven pilot in production with Prime Video, an ensemble docuseries in development with Netflix and other projects for TLC, Max, Bravo, E! and National Geographic. Reed gets a true rush from finding unique characters with distinct points of view, developing viable concepts around them, and ultimately selling them through for the world to see. As an avid consumer of unscripted programming, his love for the type of content he develops fuels his initiative-driven approach, which has resulted in a growing track record of success. Colleagues said Reed is obsessed with what he does and that passion shines through in the content he creates.

Zack Rosenberg
Founder and CEO, Qortex
Rosenberg founded Qortex in 2020, setting out to connect video content with advertising outcomes by pioneering a unique in-video ad experience called On-Stream. This noninterruptive experience delivers overlay ads during editorial content for greatest viewability. To optimize for viewer engagement and sentiment, Qortex’s proprietary AI engine contextualizes each frame of a video to determine the highest moment of impact and serve a contextually relevant message. A few years before he launched Qortex, Zack founded WatchFantom, a sports media company that amplified independent sports leagues and sports radio shows. After acquiring the rights to multiple leagues and recruiting hosts from across the country, the company became a hub for local and national sports content with more than 600,000 daily viewers. Qortex is off to a promising start: In 2022, it was named Programmatic Power Player by AdExchanger. Last year, it closed a $10 million seed round of funding.

Bradley Singer
Partner, WME
A talent agent, Singer’s clients include journalists, thought leaders, production companies and publishers. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University, he joined WME’s mailroom training program in 2009. He was named partner at the agency in 2021. Over the years, Singer has been involved in the packaging and sale of such programs as Netflix’s Explained, CNN’s History of Comedy, Disney/ABC’s Tamron Hall, Apple TV Plus’ Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn and ESPN’s Skin in the Game. His long client list includes The View co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend, PBS NewsHour co-anchor Amna Nawaz, ABC News anchor Linsey Davis, actor LeVar Burton, author Ibram X. Kendi and academic Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. Working on behalf of his clients, he saw Collins moved into a primetime slot at CNN and Nawaz become anchor on PBS NewsHour, among other promotions. 

Gaëlle Smagghe
Director, Product Management, LG Ad Solutions 
Smagghe is a driving force behind LG Ad Solutions’ product and engineering team. As one of the earliest hires at the company, she has advanced over the past five years from business analyst to director. Smagghe collaborated with LG Electronics to introduce a dynamic rotating carousel ad unit on the LG smart TV home screen. The unit expanded ad space by 10 times and drove a remarkable increase in click-through rates while enhancing user experience and engagement on the TV home screen by over 10% by improving ad load time and seamlessly integrating auto installation of apps into the user workflow. Smagghe has also led the company’s participation in beta programs, including the introduction of video advertising on the home screen, as well as innovative ad offerings like the screensaver ad unit, which have diversified content offerings and boosted performance metrics.

Lydia Tefera
Director, Brand Marketing, AMC Networks 
Tefera joined AMC Networks over six years ago, coming on board as social media marketing coordinator and moving up to digital marketing and social media manager by the fall of 2021. A graduate of Loyola University (Maryland) with a master’s degree in emerging media, colleagues said Tefera brings relentless drive for innovation to the workplace, developing pioneering marketing strategies that propel brand growth and market differentiation. She was instrumental in the rebrand of Allblk, which rejuvenated the former Urban Movie Channel. She is campaign lead for original series Parish, conceptualizing and executing a comprehensive marketing campaign that effectively targeted key demographics and maximized engagement across various platforms. She is now spearheading the marketing strategy for the rebrand of WE tv. Prior to her current role, Lydia was social marketing Lead for Allblk. She is in touch with how younger viewers consume content, thanks in part to her background as a content creator on YouTube, where she shares beauty tips.

Camille Thelemaque-Bearden
Director, Marketing, Partnerships and Local Ad Sales, TV One
Thelemaque-Bearden is a seasoned marketing professional whose career spans dynamic roles where she has demonstrated expertise in integrated brand partnership strategy and executive-level activations. Her track record reflects her adeptness at relationship building, strategic planning and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Her proficiency in storytelling and cultural relevance underscores her ability to deliver impactful marketing solutions. She executes partnership marketing strategies across digital, retail and in-market platforms. That includes this year’s launch of UPLIFT, a multi-market digital equity partnership with Comcast that provides visibility and support resources to advance economic mobility in Comcast-identified communities; and last year’s “Black to School Campaign,” a cross-platform, multi-market retail partnership with Verizon in urban markets. She was also behind “Cocktails & Conversations: Bosses Don’t Code Switch (Bosses),” an in-market activation with distribution partner Spectrum; and Thank You Black Women and Hey Black America, short-form content series developed to support affiliate pro-social efforts at the height of the pandemic.

John Weinand
IT Supervisor, Mediacom Communications
What makes Weinand stand out is his ability to overcome obstacles. Born deaf, he has made steady progress in forging a career with cable operator Mediacom, joining his uncle Rocco B. Commisso, the company’s founder, and his mother, executive VP of programming and HR Italia Commisso Weinand, in moving the corporation into the 21st century. His involvement began with summer internships in high school, which grew to a full-time position after college. As an IT supervisor, Weinand focuses on Mediacom’s evolving technology needs as it adapts to meet the challenges of today’s digital landscape. He serves on the team developing 5G/0G community and business services that are expected to improve the vital health, economic and educational sectors in the underserved communities where Mediacom does business. His communication skills make Weinand a shining example to others that no matter your disability, dedication and commitment are the keys to success. 

Fethi Ziyadeoğlu
Senior Director, Programmatic Sales Development, Fubo
Ziyadeoğlu was one of Fubo’s first employees dedicated solely to ad operations. He built a team of talented ad ops and ad tech experts and under his oversight, the team was able to successfully fulfill nearly all of the campaigns they managed throughout the year. Ziyadeoğlu has also been instrumental in optimizing Fubo’s programmatic advertising technology, and has helped the MVPD to seamlessly integrate with a new ad server, enabling it to build ad-serving tech internally and to optimize demand and other KPIs. His improvements to Fubo’s ad tech stack also made the company’s ad inventory available to a greater number of advertisers simultaneously. Ziyadeoğlu is also responsible for overseeing many programmatic advertising partnerships across the industry. He launched with new partners in Canada, a growing region for Fubo. After two years of optimizing Fubo’s ad operations, he was promoted to a new role overseeing the company’s programmatic ad-sales efforts. 

Media and entertainment continues to attract some of the smartest, most creative men and women of any business category in the country. That’s once again evident here with the B+C Multichannel News 40 Under 40 list, this one with a West Coast focus ahead of an in-person reception on June 18 at The Ebell of Los Angeles. Based on nominations from companies and individuals, the 40 Under 40 list is a cross section of executives in a range of M&E organizations who’ve shown leadership, accomplishments and potential, all before reaching the age of 40. If you know someone who should be on this list but isn’t, the good news is that B+C MCN will be publishing another list in September, that one with more of an East Coast focus. To nominate an up-and-coming individual for that list, click here. For more information on the June 18 celebration, click here.  

Also Read: Wonder Women of Los Angeles 2024: Honoring the West’s Best

Amelia Amphonphong
Senior Technical Product Manager, Central Systems
Paramount Plus

With almost 10 years of media and entertainment experience, Amelia Amphonphong’s expertise is in streamlining the supply-chain management of content for seamless viewer consumption throughout TV’s ever-expanding platforms. A peer who nominated her said she has demonstrated unparalleled expertise in managing and optimizing technical processes crucial to the seamless functioning of the Paramount Plus platform. Amphonphong began her career in business operations at NBCUniversal, but discovered making foundational changes to the supply chain would require a career move into product management. “My experience in implementing software products for rights, metadata, asset and supply-chain management continues to shape and contribute to the downstream seamless viewer experience,” she said. “My ability to drive transformative changes are now at Paramount Plus, focused on consolidating and standardizing processes, which will in turn facilitate and scale our operational teams to support growth across our network umbrella of streaming services, including Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.”

Barry Buren
Television Talent Agent
Creative Artists Agency

Barry Buren, based in the Los Angeles office of CAA, represents many top actors including Eddie Redmayne, Hannah Waddingham, Pedro Pascal and Lena Headey. Within the past year, Buren helped sign new clients Matthew Rhys, Richard Madden, Anna Faris and Jason Clarke. Buren, who started out at The Gersh Agency, joined CAA in 2015 and was promoted to TV talent agent in 2019. Buren negotiated an eight-figure contract for Redmayne to executive produce and star in Peacock and Sky’s thriller series The Day of the Jackal. He also brokered deals for Headey to star in The Abandons for Netflix; Hugo Weaving to join the season four cast of Apple TV Plus’s Slow Horses; Clarke to executive produce and star in Apple TV Plus’s drama The Last Frontier; and Phil Dunster to star in the second season of Apple TV Plus’s Surface. He also brokered deals for Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Alden Ehrenreich, Alessandro Nivol and Ruth Wilson to star in FX’s The Retreat, Apple TV Plus’s The New Look, Disney Plus’s Ironheart, Apple TV Plus’s The Big Cigar and BBC/Amazon’s A Very Royal Scandal, respectively.

Jordan Cipala
VP, Strategy and Operations
Cox Media Group

Jordan Cipala operates as chief of staff to Daniel York, CEO of TV and radio station owner CMG, and leads in evaluating business development opportunities. He also plays a critical operational role in mergers and acquisitions, managing the company’s collection and presentation of due diligence and, post-closing, managing transition services arrangements. He was promoted from executive director of corporate operations and planning. Cipala is also the executive sponsor of CMG’s Young Professionals Network Business Resource Group. Prior to joining CMG, he was VP, strategic planning at SaaS software company Juvare; senior investment associate at Ascension Ventures; and an investment banking analyst in Raymond James & Associates’ Technology & Services group. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a double major in economics and engineering science.

Alison Dammann
SVP of Development
Good Caper Content

At Good Caper Content, the ITV America company devoted to crime and investigative programming, Alison Dammann has led the team debuting myriad projects across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms in 2023. Her credits include Escaping Twin Flames, a top Netflix show in the U.S. for a week straight; Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals for ID; Exposing Parchman for A&E, a co-production with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation; and second seasons of Oxygen’s New York Homicide and Final Moments, produced in partnership with Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment. Dammann picked up nominations in 2022 at the IDA Documentary Awards and the Cinema Eye Honors Awards as an executive producer on Netflix’s Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, developed with Participant Media and Ark Media prior to her joining Good Caper. Earlier, she was director of development at Vox Media Studios and at Mashable Studios. She was also previously on the development team at 44 Blue Productions. She began her career at Critical Content. 

Alex Dunn
Global Account Manager
Amazon Web Services

Alex Dunn serves AWS’s media and entertainment customers and in 2023 helped major media companies expand streaming services to millions of additional viewers. He’s tasked with combining efforts from AWS, industry partners and customer teams to deliver marquee global events, increase streaming audiences and chart new paths for monetization. He also is leading the transformation of a major media archive that dates back to the 1930s to build a bespoke asset-management tool. This new tool will bring next-level resiliency, scalability and efficiency to one of the largest content libraries in the world. He won the AWS Media and Entertainment Rising Star Award for his contributions to solving complex customer problems and piloting industry-leading solutions. Dunn leads other Amazonians in building partnerships across the media ecosystem to build solutions with AWS. He also is active with the San Diego State University Aztec Mentor Program, where he works with students on finding internships, interview prep, résumé workshops and professionalism.

Sophie Flay
Community Journalist
KABC Los Angeles (ABC7)

Reporter Sophie Flay was part of KABC’s inaugural Community Journalist team, focusing on Central Los Angeles. She officially joined in March 2019 after interning for the Southern California station. As a student at USC, she also worked for NBC’s Today and at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics and 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The daughter of chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay, she was nominated for a Los Angeles Press Club Award for one of her TikTok posts, and is part of the ABC7 team that won the RTNDA’s 2024 Golden Mike Award for Best Weekend Newscast. She also brings her skill set to USC as an adjunct professor, teaching storytelling for social platforms. Flay — who hosted last year’s 40 under 40 L.A. awards event — also is a mentor at Camp News, a two-day camp for young aspiring journalists. 

Weston Garret Gonzalez
Owner and Creative Director
westhaus

Weston Gonzalez is a Latinx and LGBTQ+ small-business owner who conquered the world of corporate events and transitioned into high-end event production. He spent more than a decade working in-house at studios, networks and streamers, rising to event executive positions at Sony Pictures Television, Starz and Apple TV Plus, all before age 30. At 30, he left the corporate side of entertainment events and in January 2020 launched his boutique company, westhaus, specializing in event production for television series. Gonzalez said he and his team produced the first post-lockdown, in-person, non-drive-in television premiere for Starz show Run the World in Los Angeles, creating a COVID-safe environment. Last summer, the company navigated the WGA and SAG strikes and worked with clients to curate events that respected the striking artists while still supporting the hard-working teams behind the content. Other credits include fan events in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, which included photo activations that remained up through opening weekend for the public to enjoy. 

Francesca Grea
Partner, Entertainment & Sports Law Department
Fox Rothschild

Elevated to partner in 2022 in her first year of eligibility, Francesca Grea is one of only three female partners in Fox Rothschild’s Entertainment & Sports Law Department. She is a dealmaker who works with the firm’s top entertainment talent, including Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Joe Pesci, Ludacris and Teyonah Parris. She negotiated Joe Pesci’s deal to return to television in Peacock’s comedy series Bupkis. She was similarly instrumental in negotiations for projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Parris’s deals for Disney Plus series WandaVision and The Marvels. She also represented Parris in her leading role for the Netflix movie They Cloned Tyrone. Grea is dedicated to mentoring junior associates within the firm’s entertainment group and the Los Angeles office in general. As a partner, she is involved in the firm’s formal mentorship program because she believes passing her knowledge along to the next generation of entertainment attorneys is another way to support continued industry diversification.

Ben Haigh
SVP, Scripted Programming & Co-Head of Scripted Series
AMC Networks

Ben Haigh is responsible for buying and developing original programming for AMC and AMC Plus, supervising projects from production to release and leading a team of creative executives. Since starting as director of scripted programming four years ago, he has climbed the ranks to SVP of scripted programming and is co-head of scripted series (with Josh Sizer, who also is on this list). Haigh has been instrumental in creating such popular shows on AMC as Kevin Can F**k Himself, Dark Winds, Tales of the Walking Dead and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. He is also overseeing new projects Parish and Orphan Black: Echoes. Earlier, Haigh was manager of development for David Shore at Shore Z, where he developed Sneaky Pete with Bryan Cranston and the first three seasons of The Good Doctor. He has worked at Columbia Pictures and Chernin Entertainment and was an agent trainee at Independent Talent, London. He also lectures at the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television. 

Rachel Horwitz Lewis
Principal, Creative Development
Amazon MGM Studios

Working under department head Lindsay Sloane, Rachel Horwitz Lewis oversees a slate of TV series including the multi-Emmy Award-winning Wednesday and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as Prime Video’s Desperately Seeking Soulmate, while working with her network counterparts to ensure development and production of each show runs on time and budget. She also develops and oversees new series for the studio. She manages multiple writer and producer deals, including for Bruce Miller (The Handmaid’s Tale, The 100), Eric Tuchman (The Handmaid’s Tale, Kyle XY), Yahlin Chang (The Handmaid’s Tale, Dirty Sexy Money) and Renee Zellweger’s Big Picture Co. She has been a part of the MGM Television development team since 2015. She joined MGM from Tom Rothman’s TriStar Productions, where she focused on scripted television development and worked on such projects as Paterno (HBO) and The Interestings (Prime Video). She began her career in the TV Lit Department at CAA. 

Scott Hunter
VP of Development
Intellectual Property Corp.

Scott Hunter manages all aspects of development for IPC, the Emmy-winning Sony Pictures Television company known for such hits as Max’s Selena + Chef and The Climb, Hulu’s The D’Amelio Show and Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking, Jewish Matchmaking and Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. Most recently, Hunter was instrumental to IPC’s Second Chance Stage, a talent competition offering contestants a second chance at their big break, set for Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Magnolia Network as well as Max. Prior to joining IPC, Hunter spearheaded development at Karga Seven Pictures, responsible for over 100 hours of programming across 15 platforms, including History’s The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer, National Geographic’s Atlas of Cursed Places, Netflix’s Shot in the Dark and Discovery’s Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch. He brings a broad and creative expertise to his role as a development executive, empowered by his previous successful forays into writing and production.After studying TV, radio & film and history at Syracuse University, he wrote and produced for titles including Joe Rogan Questions Everything on Syfy while serving as a development consultant for unscripted production companies in Los Angeles and New York.

Jessica Kastlunger
Senior Marketing Manager
Samsung TV Plus

Jessica Kastlunger is a dedicated and passionate marketing leader with over 10 years of experience working for media and technology giants such as Samsung Electronics America, NBCUniversal, Paramount and iHeartMedia. At Samsung TV Plus North America, she plays a pivotal role for one of the fastest-growing and largest free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services. She works closely with content and channel partners to identify needle-moving programming for promotion across Samsung TV Plus’s extensive marketing arsenal. As  an instrumental part of two rebrands in the FAST space over the past four years (at Pluto TV and then Samsung TV Plus), she is building the TV marketing experience of the future. She also leads the development of promotional videos that raise awareness for the Samsung TV Plus brand and its robust content offering, which spans 350-plus live channels and thousands of on-demand movies and shows.

Luke Kelly-Clyne
Co-Head, Hartbeat Independent
Hartbeat

Luke Kelly-Clyne is a producer, writer, director and co-head of Hartbeat’s independent TV and film studio, Hartbeat Independent, alongside co-head Kevin Healey and reporting to president and chief content officer Bryan Smiley. He oversees such film and TV projects as Roku’s Die Hart and E!’s Celebrity Prank Wars. Before joining Hartbeat, he was president of Propagate Content’s comedy studio Big Breakfast and executive producer of its slate of scripted and unscripted features, TV shows and digital projects, including MTV Films’s Out of Office and Cursed Friends (both of which he also produced), Discovery Plus’s Critics Choice Award-nominated Million Dollar Wheels, truTV’s Double Cross With Blake Griffin, Comedy Central’s Loafy, Facebook Watch’s Telly Award-winning I Want My Phone Back, NAACP Image Award-winning Daring Simone Biles, Discovery and MotorTrend’s Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew and Pop TV’s Hot Date, where he served as showrunner. From 2013 to 2016, he ran native content at CollegeHumor. He was also a freelance contributing writer to “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live. 

Rebecca Rolnick Knaack
SVP of Entertainment
Metro Public Relations

Rebecca Rolnick Knaack leads Metro Public Relations’s TV and film division with a focus on strategic communications services. Since joining Metro in 2017, she has been instrumental in expanding the division’s reach, overseeing a bicoastal team that drives campaigns for key clients including Disney, Prime Video, Lionsgate and World of Wonder. Her expertise extends to representing clients including media companies, producers, writers and directors, offering services in corporate communications, personal brand messaging, content strategy and influencer marketing. Notable clients under her leadership include the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, Hartbeat, Mortal Media and producers Dan Harmon, Marta Kauffman and Yeardley Smith’s Paperclip Ltd. Recent projects include the revival of the beloved Mighty Ducks franchise for Disney Plus; the launch of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, featuring Marvel’s first Black superheroine; and the international expansion of RuPaul’s Drag Race to over 15 territories. Prior to Metro, she honed her skills during four years in PMK*BNC’s television department and began her career as an assistant at Gersh.

Vivian Kwok
VP, Casting
20th Television

Vivian Kwok oversees casting on some of The Walt Disney Co.-owned 20th Television’s award-winning and critically acclaimed upcoming and returning comedies and dramas, including Disney Plus’s hit Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Last Thing He Told Me, starring Jennifer Garner, on Apple TV Plus; Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales, starring Kumail Nanjiani; the upcoming series Interior Chinatown; and the Disney Plus series American Born Chinese, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. and The Santa Clauses, starring Tim Allen. She moved over from head of the research department in 2019. Kwok takes a human approach to casting, always advocating for actors while keeping the studio’s best interests at hand. She is a leading member of Disney’s AAPI Women’s Talent Network program, opening up access to leaders throughout the company, along with the 20th Television Action Group (TAG), whih demonstrates the studio’s commitment to amplifying diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally. She also was selected to participate in a program with Disney leaders advocating for more industry representation.

Lady Learned
Senior Director, Content Programming & Strategy
Tubi

Lady Learned spearheads Fox-owned Tubi’s content strategy and global programming initiatives, encompassing third-party licensing, Tubi Originals, sports and FAST channels. She is crucial in guiding the editorial direction and content-centric merchandising tactics for Tubi’s library of more than 200,000 movies and TV episodes. Learned was instrumental in Tubi’s transition when it was acquired by Fox, seizing the new opportunities presented head-on. After overseeing the onboarding of key Fox Entertainment programming onto Tubi, she used performance insights to improve merchandising for Fox content. Two years ago, she oversaw a deal between Tubi and Lionsgate, adding 30 new premium feature films over three years and leveraging audience insights to include 200 high-engagement movies. In 2023, she helped drive a deal between Tubi and Warner Bros. Discovery, adding high-caliber content such as Westworld, The Nevers and FBoy Island. Before joining Tubi, Learned was instrumental in shaping the global content strategy and analysis at iflix, an ad-supported video-on-demand service and a subscription VOD service focused on emerging markets.

Tom Lerner
VP, Programming and Creative
A+E Studios

Tom Lerner is at the forefront of creative development for A+E Studios. This strategic creative affairs executive is passionate about his projects and well-regarded among producers and showrunners (in addition to studio and network partners). Shows Lerner oversees include the hit series The Lincoln Lawyer, from writer and executive producer David E. Kelley and based on the bestselling novels from Michael Connelly. Netflix renewed the series for season three. He also is responsible for high-profile development projects such as the Sue Grafton series Lazarus, starring Tom Hardy and Zazie Beetz, at Apple TV Plus and the as-yet-unamed Michael Bay/Joe Barton series at Prime Video. He has spoken on panels for the WGA and the A+E Studios Famila ERG, focused on Latino experiences in Hollywood. Prior to A+E, Lerner was head of television for Landscape Entertainment. A native Spanish and Hebrew speaker born in Israel to Argentine and Colombian parents, he started in the entertainment business at Myriad Pictures.  

Alona LeSchack
Executive Director, Commercial Product Planning
Sony Pictures Television

Alona LeSchack leads national product, lifecycle and promotional planning for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s iconic library of new-release and catalog films across U.S. transactional digital platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home and Google Play. She also creates revenue-maximizing strategies for transactional film sales in the dynamic home-entertainment window and on SVOD. Previously, LeSchack was manager of product development and brand management at Universal Pictures. There, she managed the new release calendar and created revenue-maximizing weekly strategies for new releases and catalog films. Prior to Universal, LeSchack held a marketing internship at SPE focused on the streaming business. She began her career as the head of the sponsorship department at Initiative Media in Moscow, Russia. 

Julian Malagon
VP, Development
Sony Pictures Television

Since joining SPT’s kids division in September 2022, Julian Malagon has been responsible for helping the studio develop new projects for the next generation of younger viewers based on iconic IP from its vast content library. He has been instrumental in growing SPT’s global footprint in the kids’ space and is currently developing a wide range of titles that span preschool, bridge and 6-plus audiences, as well as game shows and sports shows for children. Some of those titles include kids’ versions of Wheel of Fortune, Shark Tank, Bewitched and Charlie’s Angels. He came to SPT from Netflix, where he was a content executive, overseeing animated series for 6-plus audiences, including My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Daniel Spellbound and Sonic Prime. Prior to Netflix, he worked with Atomic Cartoons, where he helped develop series such as The Last Kids on Earth, Princess Power and Hello Ninja. He began his career in animation supporting some of the most renowned titles in the industry, including The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers. 

Cameron Miille
Chief Revenue Officer
Publica by IAS

Integral Ad Science, a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, last month tapped Cameron “Cam” Miille to lead the global Publica by IAS revenue team, reporting to IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider. Miille had been named to the “40 under 40” for his prior role at Comcast-owned advanced advertising firm FreeWheel, where he was head of revenue and growth, Americas. There, he oversaw $1 billion in revenue under management while running sales, account management and strategy for sell-side partners, agencies, trading desks and demand-side platform partnerships. In his six years at FreeWheel, he was integral to connecting buyers and sellers, optimizing campaigns, providing transparency and advancing the company’s products. When FreeWheel combined the sales  and revenue teams of its two core products in June 2023, Miille was the first choice to lead the newly defined business unit and a team of 80. Prior to FreeWheel, he led business development at OpenX, the independent supply-side platform for audience, data and identity targeting.

Julia Moonves
SVP, Advertising Sales and Brand Partnerships
pocket.watch

At pocket.watch, a studio building kids and family entertainment franchises with some of the most popular digital creators in the world, Julia Moonves oversees all media and branded content across the gaming division, advertising partnerships and content distribution. She plays an integral role in pocket.watch’s diversification and, by identifying the fundamental needs of both content creators and brands, she created a multidisciplinary brand partnerships division that ranges from custom video to gaming and metaverse integrations and to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act-compliant paid media. Her strategy has led to large programs with major brands, including Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, Netflix, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Nintendo, Kraft Heinz, 2K and Amazon. Working with large streaming services to develop and package YouTube-native content into curated 11- and 22-minute episodes and series, she works to bring content from kids’ favorite creators to OTT platforms across the world. Before joining pocket.watch in 2018, Moonves had her own digital media startup in New York. Earlier, she was director of audience strategy at Maker Studios through its acquisition by The Walt Disney Co.

Kelly Morshead
Head of Marketing
Willow

Kelly Morshead is marketing lead at Willow, the premier cricket broadcaster in the U.S. and Canada. She brings 14 years of global marketing and digital communications experience to bear in this senior strategic role. Her role is essential to propelling Willow through a current hyper-growth cycle at a turning point in its 20-year history. She introduced a direct-to-consumer marketing program, achieving a 60% open rate, a testament to her ability to tailor content to diverse demographic groups. Her initiatives have driven viewer engagement, increased subscriptions and attracted more advertisers. A former lacrosse player and women’s field hockey goalie, she has volunteered in sports since she was 15  and is a fierce advocate for volunteerism and youth and community engagement in sports. From leading volunteer teams in hospitality and athlete services for the London Youth Games to being an athlete transport volunteer for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, she’s seen it all.

Lauren Pancrazi
Senior Global Account Leader
Amazon Web Services

Lauren Pancrazi leads the U.S.-based Amazon Web Services team that supports Warner Bros. Discovery, one of media and entertainment’s largest brands. Since joining AWS in 2017, she has also supported such household M&E brands as Fox and Technicolor. In this role, she has helped customers make major transformations as they tap into AWS technologies to reshape their businesses to drive outcomes resulting in cost savings, efficiency gains and improved revenue streams. With strong product knowledge and deep customer relationships, she sets team strategy and drives cross-functional execution around customer goals. Pancrazi’s work has been recognized for its industry impact and her customers have showcased the cloud transformations supported by her and her team at numerous global industry events. At AWS, Pancrazi’s scope and responsibility has steadily increased. In her current role, she directly manages a team of seven account managers with responsibility for a cross-functional team of 21 solutions architects, customer solutions managers and technical account managers.

Ricardo Perez-Selsky
Senior Director, Digital Production Operations
Fox Sports

Ricardo Perez-Selsky oversees all original productions and the directing and producing of Fox Sports Digital’s large-scale livestreaming productions. Upon assuming his role in 2019, he has demonstrated the ability to foster innovation and push boundaries. At Fox, Perez-Selesky played an essential role in establishing a new cutting-edge digital studio dedicated to producing 20 shows per week. He was also part of the award-winning team behind digital original live-event series Ultimate College Football Road Trip, which earned a 2022 Emmy nomination. More recently, he made instrumental contributions to FIFA World Cup Now, which engaged millions of fans throughout Fox’s coverage of the Men’s World Cup in Qatar and Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Previously, he was part of the technical production team at NCompass International and served for over six years as a studio director at PopSugar. In his free time, he also produces, directs, and writes content for Silver Tongue Cinema and Cut to the Chase Films. 

Santini Reali
Nonfiction Television Agent
Creative Artists Agency

Based in CAA’s Los Angeles office, Santini Reali represents many of the world’s leading personalities, musicians, producers and production companies, including Jennifer Hudson, Stanley Tucci, Meghan Trainor, Adam Lambert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Viola Davis’s JuVee Productions, Sofia Vergara’s Latin World Entertainment, Dwyane Wade’s 59th and Prairie Productions and Russell Wilson and Ciara’s Why Not You Productions. Reali began his career at CAA in 2011. While a student at Georgetown University and later the University of Miami School of Law, his mission became clear: he would dedicate his career to amplifying the messages of people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Immediately upon graduating in 2011, Reali drove to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to CAA co-chairman Kevin Huvane, who hired him as an  assistant at the agency. He was promoted to agent in 2014. Reali’s clients span the worlds of television, motion pictures, music and fashion. He recently signed The Miss Universe Organization.

Alex Reardon
Senior Manager, Branded Content and Partnership Strategy
Fox Sports

Alex Reardon is senior manager of the Fox Sports Content Studio, where she works with client and agency partners to create multiplatform campaigns designed to reach audiences across linear and digital platforms. Day to day, she works with various teams across Sports Brand Partnerships, Sales and Sports Production to ensure all available resources are used to produce authentic partnerships between brands and Fox Sports. Joining Fox Sports in 2015, she brought a combination of dynamic experiences from previous roles in the company around marquee properties and tentpole events including Fox NFL Sunday, NASCAR, Fox Soccer and the Super Bowl. She also served in talent relations, providing her a unique perspective and deep understanding of Fox’s top-tier talent and personalities. For the third year of the “Fox Sports Dos Equis College Football Roadshow,” she led a seven-college, multi-city Friday night chalk-talk bar event series. A Philadelphia-area native, she graduated from Temple University.

Alex Rodriguez
Partner Marketing Lead, Content Distribution
TelevisaUnivision

Alex Rodriguez has over 15 years of experience working across multiple media business divisions in areas such as digital/social strategy, business development and content distribution. A sports enthusiast with an MBA, he combines strategic insights with a wealth of hands-on experience to drive successful marketing campaigns and business growth. At Televisa­Univision, he supports all aspects of partnership management, including subscriber acquisition, engagement/retention, technical cooperation and partner marketing initiatives. He plays a key role in evaluating potential content partnerships and multidisciplinary coordination across business lines. His achievements include developing multiplatform media planning strategies and evergreen campaigns such as “Soccer Never Ends,” along with media-buying activations for key U.S. distribution accounts. Additionally, he has led efforts to create new, cost-effective initiatives to grow revenue. He’s planned, directed and coordinated Hispanic marketing and advertising campaigns for YouTube TV, Charter Communications and Comcast. Previously he worked at Zubi Advertising, NBCUniversal Enterprises and Loud and Live. 

Tara Roy
Director of Original Programming
Starz

At Lionsgate-owned Starz, Tara Roy oversees the acquisition and creative development of original scripted television series. Those shows include the mighty Outlander, due to finish up its seventh season later this year; Serpent Queen; Hightown; The Couple Next Door; Blindspotting; the upcoming Three Women; and the in-production The Hunting Wives. Prior to Starz, she worked at Endeavor Content, overseeing series (Normal People, Nine Perfect Strangers) and scripted podcasts (Blackout, Ghostwriter), and at AGBO, Joe and Anthony Russo’s television studio. Originally from India, Roy has lived in South Africa and the U.K., and diverse, global story­telling is her priority. She is a 2020 alumni of the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacific Executives in Entertainment) Leaders Program and, at Starz, is a jury member of the Starz #TakeTheLead director’s program, which is designed to create more directing opportunities for women and people of color. She is a playwright and novelist, and has a novel set in Calcutta and Brooklyn titled The Magnificent Ruins, to be published by Hachette Books this fall. 

Sahand Sepehrnia
EVP, Digital Content Strategy and Business
CBS News, Stations, Entertainment and Sports

Sahand Sepehrnia, recently promoted from SVP of streaming for CBS Stations, leads content strategy and development and business operations across all CBS streaming platforms, where he is responsible for growing streaming audiences and revenue. He also oversees the incubation and development of new streaming channels, leveraging IP across the CBS portfolio. He joined CBS in February 2022 and continues to oversee the day-to-day and long-term strategic vision for the programming, production, editorial and operational functions of CBS Stations’ 14 local streaming channels and its digital business. Under his leadership, CBS Stations collectively grew to No. 1 in streaming in its markets from being ranked No. 4, cumulating more than 8 billion minutes streamed in 2023, per CBS. Sepehrnia launched Car Chase, the first streaming channel with 24/7 police chases, and CBS News Detroit. He joined CBS Stations from The Walt Disney Co., where was executive director of content strategy and analysis for ABC Owned Television Stations. Prior to that, Sepehrnia led digital strategy for Disney/ABC Television Group. 

James Shechet
Content Operations Manager
YouTube

James Shechet manages video-on-demand operations and quality for over 100 channels and more than 45 SVOD add-on services for YouTube across YouTubeTV, Primetime Channels and NFL Sunday Ticket. As a key member of the team behind the launch of YouTube’s Primetime Channels and NFL Sunday Ticket, he leads global efforts driving continuous efficiency, scalability and automation across the VOD ingestion pipeline in support of the business’s fast growth to over 8 million subscribers. Since he joined the company in 2019, YouTubeTV has grown from 1.7 million subscribers to more than 6.3 million, becoming the category leader in the vMVPD space and a Top 5 MVPD among legacy giants. Before joining YouTube, Shechet was an associate on the Fox Networks Group Distribution team supporting cable, satellite, and vMVPD deal negotiations across its network portfolio. At Fox, he also led transactional VOD business operations for hit shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers. He started his career as a TV ratings and multiplatform research analyst for Disney Channels Worldwide.

Paige Sherman
Director, Digital Video Programming
Shout! TV

Paige Sherman oversees programming strategy and operations for Shout’s 11 FAST channels: three branded channels (Shout! TV, TokuSHOUTsu and Scream Factory TV), six that are show-specific (Mystery Science Theater 3000, Johnny Carson TV, The Carol Burnett Show, ALF, Farscape and Trailer Park Boys) and two genre outlets (Non-Stop ’90s and Wild West TV). She was also the mastermind and conductor of several innovative programming stunts, such as “Piranhathon” and “Chopping Mall Black Friday.” Sherman joined Shout! as a graduate of Quinnipiac University and played a key role in the rollout of Shout! TV and MST3K on the Amagi platform in 2018. Since that time, she has developed overall programming strategy and scheduling for the two channels, and quickly increased her responsibilities to programming strategy and operations for Shout’s entire portfolio of channels and a team of four channel managers. Sherman is a pioneer in the burgeoning FAST space, conceiving and implementing revolutionary approaches to programming linear channels. While the roots of FAST were established in traditional television, she marries those practices with new digital capabilities and evolving viewing habits. 

Niara Simon-Hollis
Senior Marketing Director, Streaming
Tastemade

Niara Simon-Hollis leads marketing across Tastemade’s four streaming channels: Tastemade, Tastemade Travel, Tastemade Home and Tastemade en Español. During her first year at Tastemade, she launched its first-ever brand marketing campaign and on-air brand refresh (graphics, promos, and voice) for streaming and developed a breakthrough marketing campaign for FAST to enhance its status as a destination for aspiring food lovers and anyone looking to elevate their lifestyle through a carefully curated menu of enjoyable series. To promote the launch of series Worth the Hype, Simon-Hollis led a campaign that emphasized the mobility and travel nature of the show. She created a mobile food truck that traveled to three heavily-walked areas in Los Angeles. At each stop, hundreds of guests could enjoy foods from the series that were “worth the hype” — and walk away with to-go bags containing show-branded custom hoodies and trucker hats. Simon-Hollis has 10 years of experience leading marketing teams and executing campaigns across streaming, podcasts, sports, TV and e-commerce for household brands like Amazon Music, Fox Sports and Entertainment, FX, Nat Geo, Wondery and ShoeDazzle. 

Josh Sizer
SVP, Scripted Programming & Co-Head of Scripted Series
AMC Networks

At AMC Networks, Josh Sizer (with co-head Ben Haigh, also on this list) oversees the creative development of new series and the production of current series, including some of the most celebrated and acclaimed original content in television and film history. He joined AMC Networks in 2020, where his credits include developing and producing Silo for Apple TV Plus. He also successfully sold high-profile developments to Netflix, FX and the BBC. His leadership extends to managing the AMC network creative team, where he was instrumental in continuing the Walking Dead universe with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City. He also brought the Anne Rice universe to life with Mayfair Witches. Before joining AMC, Sizer worked at Drake and Adel “Future” Nur’s DreamCrew as a creative executive, producing HBO’s Euphoria, Netflix’s Top Boy and Hulu’s Saint X. Prior to that, he served in the drama department of original programming at HBO. He started out as a literary assistant at WME in New York.

Theo Slipko
Senior Manager, Content Programming
Samsung TV Plus

Theo Slipko is an accomplished content leader with a wealth of experience in curation, programming and editorial strategy across a wide range of television products. In his role at Samsung TV Plus, he has spearheaded the conceptualization and launch of owned-and-operated linear FAST Channels. With a sharp eye for cultural trends and user behavior, Slipko and his team manage day-to-day programming, execute creative editorial stunts and strategically plan content exhibitions to maximize title usage. He has overseen growth of Samsung’s O&O channels from the first two in 2019 to the current lineup of 2,500-plus channels, identifying key content of interest. He also led the rebrand and franchising of Samsung’s most successful O&O channel, the Movie Hub, creating genre-based channels such as Movie Hub Action, Movie Hub Holiday and Movie Hub Romance. Prior to Samsung, he was at MGM Studios as manager of TV programming and senior coordinator, library management. Early on, he was a key production assistant for American Idol during seasons 12 and 13.

Carissa Joy Smith
VP, Government Relations
Fox Corp.

Carissa Joy Smith is responsible for building valuable connections with stakeholders across diverse industries, effectively positioning Fox Corp.’s brands to cultivate key alliances for successful strategic outcomes. Her role fosters transformative policy and community engagement, a commitment she has consistently demonstrated throughout her career. Having moved to Los Angeles from the Washington, D.C., Fox office, she also advances the company’s intergovernmental relations strategy by engaging with federal, state and local officials. She has a background in government and political campaigns, which gave her a foundation in private and public-sector strategies. Before her tenure at Fox, she served as White House Senior Adviser of Public Engagement, Presidential Transition Team Engagement Adviser, Biden-Harris 2020 Presidential Campaign National Women’s Vote Director and Digital Director and press secretary for the House Congressional Oversight and Reform Committee Majority. She is an alumna of The Aspen Institute Rising Leaders in National Security Cohort, American University’s We Lead Institute and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Smith was awarded HBCU Buzz’s 2022 30 under 30 honor and was profiled in Essence, PopSugar and theGrio.

Kameron Tarlow
President, Development and Production
Two Shakes Entertainment

Kameron Tarlow was handpicked to launch Damon Wayans Jr.’s production company Two Shakes Entertainment in 2018 at CBS Studios, where it recently renewed its deal for a fourth term. He quickly established himself when the first pilot he championed, Glamorous, was the only non-IP pilot picked up to shoot that year. It starred Brooke Shields and was directed by Eva Longoria. While Glamorous didn’t move forward at The CW in 2019, Tarlow led the project’s move to Netflix, where it went to series in 2023 starring Kim Cattrall and Miss Benny. In addition to Glamorous, Tarlow is producing the company’s current series Raid The Cage and Poppa’s House, both for CBS. He also recently sold a feature, based on another busted CW pilot that he remained passionate about, that centers on LGBTQIA+ protagonists. Earlier, Tarlow was director of development at Hazy Mills Productions, overseeing scripted TV/film and theater divisions. There, he successfully oversaw multiple series, the feature Lazy Susan and was involved in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.

Anne Vander Kooy
VP, Current Programming
Universal Content Productions (UCP)

At UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, Anne Vander Kooy manages day-to-day current series produced by the studio for a variety of cable and streaming platforms. She’s been instrumental in the success of several critically acclaimed projects, including Based on a True Story, Dr. Death, A Friend of the Family, The Resort and Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Vander Kooy works closely with the studio’s development team on series pickups; offers feedback and notes on creative materials from pitch through production; and manages the hiring of producers, writers and directors with a focus on new and emerging voices. She partners with the studio’s roster of prolific producers — including Nick Antosca, Patrick Macmanus and more — and collaborates with platform partners to ensure the successful execution and longevity of each series. She reports to Kenny Tsai and Rebecca Franko, senior VPs and co-heads of current programming at UCP. Vander Kooy joined the UCP team as manager of current programming in 2018 and was quickly elevated to director and then VP. Previously, she was at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment after roles at 20th Century Fox Television and WME.

Adam Waltuch
EVP, Global Distribution and Partnerships
TelevisaUnivision

Adam Waltuch is responsible for global streaming and international linear distribution at TelevisaUnivision, where he co-leads distribution and partner marketing for domestic and international linear channels. He reports to CEO Randy Falco and ViX CEO Pierluigi Gazzolo. Waltuch supervises cross-functional international teams and directs business development for streaming service ViX and the company’s FAST channels. He joined TelevisaUnivision as senior VP of streaming partnerships in 2022. Previously, Waltuch was director of partner marketing for U.S. and Canada at Netflix. During his nearly six-year tenure, he held several roles with increasing responsibility, including head of marketing partnerships for Latin America. He led his team during the exponential Netflix growth across the region, managing relationships with broadband providers and several consumer brands. Prior to Netflix, Waltuch was a Google executive in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; and Mountain View, California, leading teams behind products like Google Cloud and AdWords. 

Megan Weiss
Director of Sales
Ampersand

Megan Weiss began her career as a successful linear and streaming advertising sales account executive in broadcast and cable. From there she was promoted to senior account executive, account director and then director of sales at Ampersand, the local ad sales unit owned by Comcast, Charter Communications and Cox Communications. In 2023, because of her leadership, innovation skills and ability to drive meaningful change and results within the West Division, she was one of a few directors of sales invited to attend Ampersand’s Senior Leadership Team gathering in New York. She is a mentor to many of the region’s sales support staff and has emerged as a leader in the West Division and among her director of sales peers across the companies. She has grown and maintained relationships with key agencies such as Horizon, Ocean Media, GroupM, Palisades Media, and Canvas. Throughout her career, she has achieved notable accomplishments, including exceeding personal and team revenue targets, and has been recognized as one of the top-performing sales executives in multiple roles. 

Matt Wilson
VP, Group Media Director, Investments
Mediahub

Matt Wilson leads the Fox Entertainment and Fox Sports investment team at media buying and planning agency Mediahub. Since joining the agency in 2019, he has been a leader who inspires a spirit of teamwork and partnership, brokers custom industry-first deals and spearheads data-driven approaches that give the Fox clients flexibility and accountability. Prior to Mediahub, he worked at LegalZoom, overseeing offline acquisition marketing. Before that, he was with Fox when offline media planning and buying was handled in-house. Working on the Fox business in-house and on the agency side, he has had a hand in launching some of the most memorable shows and high-profile national campaigns for its entertainment and sports brands over the last decade. Highlights include the first season of Empire; the returns of 24: Live Another Day and The X-Files, the “farewell” season of American Idol on Fox; all 11 seasons of The Masked Singer; and multiple Super Bowls, World Series and World Cups. He successfully onboarded Fox Entertainment as one of the exclusive tune-in launch partners with the Netflix and Disney Plus ad-supported launches earlier this year. 

News 12 Long Island reporter and anchor Antoinette Biordi and Fox 5’s Good Day New York co-host Bianca Peters have been named as hosts of the 40 Under 40 Awards on Thursday, September 14, during NYC TV Week.

The honorees, who are profiled in the September issue of B+C Multichannel News magazine, will be celebrated at 230 Fifth in Manhattan. 

Peters joined WNYW New York, known as Fox 5, in September of 2019 and was previously the co-host of Good Day Wakeup, weekdays from 4:30-7 a.m. She joined Fox 5 from WFOR Miami, Florida, where she served as a traffic anchor and sports reporter. Prior to that, she was a news anchor and reporter for KOBI in Medford, Oregon. Earlier she had been a host and segment producer for JUCE TV in Tustin, California after having been a host and reporter for ESPN’s X Games in Los Angeles. She began her career in broadcasting as a sports anchor and reporter for College Beat Productions in Long Beach, California. A graduate of California State University, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

Antoinette Biordi is a four-time Emmy Award winning reporter and anchor for News 12 Long Island and has been a TV reporter since 1997. She began her career as a “one man band reporter” producing, shooting, writing and editing daily stories for News Center 7 in Ithaca, New York. In 1998 she became a reporter/anchor for WETM (NBC) in Elmira, New York. In 1999 she worked at WNYT (NBC) in Albany, New York, and FOX 23 News in Albany. After five years in upstate New York, she jumped at the chance to be closer to home and began working as a freelance news reporter at News 12 Long Island before working full time at News 12 Westchester in 2003. In 2010, she transitioned to News 12 Long Island, where she is now a weekday reporter and weekend anchor. 

NYC TV Week, produced by Future US publications Broadcasting+Cable, Multichannel News and Next TV, includes Advanced Advertising, the Next TV Summit and the Hispanic TV Summit in addition to 40 Under 40. 

There’s no shortage of rising stars or established veterans in the media and entertainment industry who are making an impact in the years between when they start their careers and when they turn 40. And for more than a decade, Multichannel News and sister brands Broadcasting+Cable and NextTV have honored a select group of these talented individuals as part of the “40 Under 40” awards program. 

From OTT, cross-platform measurement and new metrics, to digital disruption, Big Data and economic challenges, it’s truly a transformative time in the development and delivery of video content. The 40 Under 40 awards are designed to honor those at the forefront of this industry revolution. Through a nomination and judging process, MCN has selected a group of creative, tech-savvy visionaries helping to lead media in new directions, wherever the viewers are. 

The 2023 New York “40 Under 40” class will be honored at a gala party September 14, capping off Future plc’s NYC TV Week of events, which also includes the the Advanced Advertising Summit, the Hispanic Television Summit and Next TV Summit New York. It will take place at the 230 Fifth Rooftop at 230 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. 

For more information and to register, visit tvweek40under40.com.

Below, meet the 2023 “40 Under 40” New York, listed in alphabetical order.

Cristina Arango
VP, Head of Business Development 
Fubo

Cristina Arango drives strategic partnerships generating revenue, subscribers and cost savings for Fubo, the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform. She is also the acting chief marketing officer of Molotov.tv by Fubo, a live-TV streaming platform in France. Arango, who joined Fubo in 2016, has held roles across multiple teams including U.S. and France marketing, business development and post-acquisition integration. Prior to Fubo, she was an analyst in private equity and investment banking, where she worked with clients such as MundoFox, a Hispanic TV over-the-air network from Fox International Channels. She has helped Fubo establish relationships with Best Buy and Viasat to boost visibility, and secured co-marketing and distribution partnerships with Google Fiber, WOW!, Frontier Communications, CenturyLink, Wave Broadband and RCN.

Katie Beltz-Long
VP, Head of U.S. Demand Sales
Beachfront

Katie Beltz-Long is a dynamic sales leader with extensive experience in media and advertising technology. She joined Beachfront in January 2022 and drives partnerships with leading agencies, brands and demand-side platforms. Focused on transforming the media buying landscape, Long works closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop technological innovations that bring greater simplicity, automation and addressability to TV and connected TV advertising. She has been the driving force behind new, innovative and timely partnerships at Beachfront, including with Kroger Precision Marketing and FlowCode. She created and leads an internal Culture Committee focused on the continued assessment and improvement of employee welfare through team activities, policies and perks. Long earlier held senior sales positions at Verizon Media (Yahoo, Oath, BrightRoll). 

Melanie Brown
VP, Advanced TVTubi 

At Tubi, Melanie Brown leads a team of strategic subject-matter experts to bring data and technological capabilities to the forefront of clients’ connected-TV activations. She is leading Tubi’s testing of new currencies to improve cross-platform measurement for CTV and linear TV guarantees. She oversees Tubi’s Certified Measurement Program, working closely with partners including Innovid, Kantar, Data Plus Math, NCSolutions and FourSquare to prove the value of Tubi’s platform for advertisers. She began her career in 2012 at Visible World. Following the acquisition of Visible World’s AudienceXpress by FreeWheel, she took her experience in linear TV activation and turned to advanced audiences for targeting and measurement, joining the TV businesses at Shareablee (now Comscore) and Experian as well as at VideoAmp. Prior to joining Tubi in 2022, she served on the addressability team at LiveRamp.

Amber Callahan
VP, Distribution
AMC Networks

At AMC Networks, Amber Callahan leads or serves as second-chair negotiator on multimillion-dollar deals in the U.S. and Canada for all of AMCN’s services across traditional network carriage, SVOD, FAST/AVOD and TVOD/EST. She is also part of the business development team, where she has spearheaded partnerships to grow awareness and subscriptions for AMC Plus with brands including Target, JetBlue, GrubHub, American Express and Meredith. Since joining AMC Networks six years ago, Callahan has transitioned from partner management and deal support to leading deal negotiations with major MVPDs, vMVPDs and connected-TV platforms, including carriage renewal deals with Comcast and Dish Network. In the last few years, she led the launch of AMCN’s FAST Channels on multiple platforms, including Samsung and Sling TV. Prior to joining AMC Networks, Callahan was a senior marketing manager at Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications.

Lori Cassorla
SVP, Group Media Director, Investments
Mediahub

Lori Cassorla is responsible for leading video strategy and investment across various Mediahub clients while also leading the advanced video advertising team. She has a passion for infusing data with traditional media, most recently focusing on outcomes-based media. Cassorla brokered first-to-market deals on behalf of such clients as Chipotle and Ulta Beauty, guaranteeing their video investments on key business metrics including search, in-store traffic and sales. From pioneering industry-first deal terms to brokering custom partnerships granting buyers unparalleled targeting control, she helps Mediahub clients secure the two things they crave most — account­ability and flexibility — while maintaining Mediahub’s creative spirit at the core.

Karen Chan
Group Director, Investment Innovation
GroupM

At GroupM, Karen Chan promotes a holistic approach to the evolution of TV and video across teams, departments and agencies. She helps to bring in new ideas and processes, including continuous play, tech and data platform partnerships, alternative currency measurement and internal communications/partner marketing. Chan was a key player in marketing GroupM’s Continuous Play study with iSpot, which found that more than $1.9 billion in media dollars are wasted in the U.S. market because about 10% of all CTV ads appear when the TV is turned off. She previously worked at Vizio, MediaMath, Tremor Video and SHE Media (Penske Media Group). She is an active member of GroupM’s AAPI employee resource group and works closely with the Learning and Development team to mentor new associates in advertising. 

Michael Chioditti
VP, Strategy and Business Development
Endeavor Streaming

Michael Chioditti oversees the media advisory group and business development efforts at Endeavor Streaming. He has a deep knowledge base of digital strategy, licensing and partnerships that has advanced the business of both Endeavor Streaming and its clients. Prior to joining Endeavor Streaming, Chioditti worked at the National Basketball Association, where he was responsible for new media business development, focusing on the implementation of new media initiatives and products for the league across digital, social and emerging media platforms. He joined Endeavor Streaming in late 2021 to spearhead its foray into consultatory business services. 

Christina Chung
VP, Business Operations
Estrella Media

Christina Chung oversees Estrella Media’s digital operating infrastructure and, in two years, has been instrumental in growing the company’s digital and streaming business from inception to a leadership position in Spanish-language FAST, AVOD  and streaming audio. Estrella Media’s four FAST channels reach 10 million viewers and deliver 280 million minutes of video per month. Chung developed the company’s ad-tech stack and ad operations, working with partners like Freewheel, Google, Amagi, Triton and Operative, to create a robust multiplatform ad monetization platform. Prior to Estrella Media, she held leadership account and solutions engineering positions at FreeWheel, managing strategic accounts including The Walt Disney Co., Fox Networks, Sony Crackle and Discovery. She also has a background in private equity and investment banking. 

Shawn Donilon
EVP, Government Relations
National Association of Broadcasters

Shawn Donilon oversees advocacy efforts for the National Association of Broadcasters on Capitol Hill and at the White House. His exceptional ability to develop and execute legislative strategies, aimed to advance and protect local broadcasters and their audiences, has been crucial to the industry’s resilience and growth amid regulatory and technological challenges. He joined NAB’s advocacy team in March 2013 and has been integrally involved in developing and executing NAB’s strategy in a host of legislative fights during his tenure. These include passage of the STELAR bill; congressional opposition to a performance tax; Congress’s appropriation of $1 billion to fully reimburse broadcasters impacted by the spectrum repack; and securing COVID-19 relief funds for all broadcasters. Donilon previously served as legislative director and counsel to former Rep. Charles F. Bass (R-N.H.). 

Matthew Duarte
VP, Strategy and Business Development
YES Network

Matt Duarte, who joined the YES Network in December 2019, identifies and recommends new business opportunities and partners with YES senior leadership to drive overall company strategy. Notable was the development and launch of the Emmy Award-winning YES App, which became the No. 1 free sports app in the Apple App Store upon its March 2021 launch. In March 2023, Duarte spearheaded the launch of YES Network’s direct-to-consumer subscription product, providing fans of the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty in YES’s regional coverage territory an option to purchase a direct subscription through the app. Prior to YES, Duarte was the first enterprise manager in Madison Square Garden’s MBA Rotational program in 2018-2019, where he rotated among marketing partnerships, MSG Sports and Business Strategy and venue operations. Earlier, he was assistant VP, U.S. corporate banking at Wells Fargo. 

David Dworin
Chief Product Officer
FreeWheel

David Dworin oversees and defines FreeWheel’s product vision, strategy, design and development worldwide. Before he was promoted to this role in January 2023, Dworin was VP of product management, leading FreeWheel’s programmatic premium video marketplace, a solution that connects buyers and sellers of premium video to execute trusted, efficient and effective advertising transactions across multiple screens. He formerly headed FreeWheel’s global advisory services practice, the company’s consulting arm and its trust and standards team, which works to improve industry trust through ongoing accreditation, compliance and marketplace quality initiatives. Before FreeWheel, he ran a consulting practice that helped companies across a variety of sectors grow and scale their businesses by developing new strategies, refining operations and improving talent management. 

Matt Farina
SVP, Content Distribution
NBCUniversal

Matt Farina is responsible for the monetization and multiplatform distribution of NBCUniversal’s portfolio of television networks and streaming products. A 13-year NBCU veteran, he oversees the distribution of the company’s programming via Roku, Cox Communications, Charter, Dish, Vizio, SiriusXM, Tubi and partners in Canada and the Caribbean in his newly expanded role. Farina and his team also provide best-in-class viewing experiences, identifying new content opportunities and optimizing the consumer experience for NBCUniversal’s tentpole programming. His team’s focus on the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup led to historic ratings for the Telemundo property. 

Laura Florence
SVP, Global FAST Channels
Fremantle

Laura Florence brings nearly 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry to her new position as senior VP, Global FAST Channels at Fremantle. Previously serving as SVP and GM, Digital at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, she oversaw Redbox and Crackle Plus digital platforms, including TVOD, AVOD, FAST channels and FAST distribution for the app and channel portfolio to over 120 endpoints across 15 platforms. Her responsibilities also included platform content strategy and operations for the company’s distribution and production groups. Her previous roles include leading North American sales and marketing for Gravitas Ventures, sales and brand management at Millennium/Alchemy and working on live events and original programming at Comcast/E! Networks.

Meredith Garofalo
Freelance Meteorologist and Space/Science Correspondent
Spectrum News NY1

Meredith Garofalo is a regional Edward R. Murrow Award-winning certified broadcast meteorologist and science/space correspondent. She is currently a freelance meteorologist for Spectrum News NY1 in New York City. She was also the 2021 chair for the AMS Station Scientist Committee. Garofalo’s 15 years in the broadcast business includes a wide variety of experience earned across the country, stemming from her internship at WGN Chicago. She has worked at stations in New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Florida and California and nationally with WeatherNation. She is also an accomplished reporter of weather and science stories, including rocket launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral.

Katie Gray
Director, Content Fulfillment and Vendor Management
A+E Networks

As director of content fulfillment and vendor management at A+E Networks, Katie Gray is focused on digital distribution with laser dedication to customer service. Leading the fulfillment of A+E’s nonlinear content, she oversees 13 on-site employees and two different vendor houses. In 2022, the teams completed more than 120,000 partner packages to dozens of endpoints in support of video-on-demand outlets including FVOD, TVOD, SVOD, AVOD and FAST. Gray was integral to the A+E library digitization, a company-wide project to track the creation of over 15,000 assets in support of expanded digital distribution deals. She began her career at A+E in 2011. 

Courtney Huber
VP, Partnership Marketing
Hallmark Media

Courtney Huber is an integral member of the Hallmark Media distribution team, leading product launch and marketing initiatives across linear, direct-to-consumer and FAST channels. (Hallmark Media assets include Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies Now and AVOD platform Hallmark Movies and More). A key accomplishment was piloting Hallmark’s launch with Peacock of a branded streaming hub including live, linear programming. She also leads partnership marketing efforts for Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas. Huber manages major partnerships that also include Hulu, Comcast, Vizio, Pluto TV, Verizon and LG. Prior to Hallmark Media, she was VP, international partner marketing at CuriosityStream. She earlier held marketing and distri­bution roles at Spectrum Reach, Olympusat and Discovery.

Marielle Kaar
Director, Preschool Production and Development
Nickelodeon

Marielle Kaar, director of production and development for Nickelodeon Preschool, is currently the executive in charge of Dora, the new CG-animated reboot of Dora the Explorer. Kaar also oversees production as executive in charge of the newly green-lit 2D-animated series Super Duper Bunny League, and is director of production and development on additional shows on Nickelodeon Animation’s powerhouse preschool roster, including Blue’s Clues and You! and Bubble Guppies. A 10-year Nickelodeon veteran, Kaar began her career as an intern at the network and quickly transitioned to assisting executives on the preschool production and development team. She later became the manager of animation production and development for series such as Butterbean’s Café and Sunny Day. 

Andrew Kaplan 
Director, Research and Data
New York Interconnect

Andrew Kaplan provides research that moves the needle for advertising clients in the New York market. He has been with New York Interconnect (NYI), the joint venture between Altice USA, Charter Communications and Comcast, for five years, steadily moving up the ranks to manage his own team. Kaplan’s team develops client-specific research stories that prove the benefits of the New York DMA, as well as NYI’s various ad products, including TV360 (data-driven linear), addressable and streaming. He also is responsible for creating the campaign-level attribution reports that prove a client’s ROI and is well-versed in using set-top box data to provide network and daypart recommendations for linear/addressable campaigns based on advanced audience targets. He started his career at Discovery. 

Rob Kelly
Senior Director, Marketing
Ampersand

Rob Kelly leads the charge in positioning and amplifying Ampersand’s role as a leader in the advanced television industry. From industry event sponsorships, PR and thought leadership to handcrafting go-to-market strategies for Ampersand’s national, local and agency sales teams, Kelly serves as the engine driving Ampersand’s mantra of “Moving TV Forward.” Ampersand, owned by Comcast, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, represents the largest share of television inventory across multiscreen environments. Kelly’s efforts led to Ampersand’s elevated presence at industry events including Cannes (Ampersand owned the entire facade of the Palais there last summer), Advertising Week New York and the ANA Masters of Marketing. Ampersand also promoted its brand by wrapping the escalators at CES in Las Vegas. 

Ryan Kristafer
Entertainment Anchor/Reporter
WNYW Fox 5 New York

Ryan Kristafer joined Good Day New York and the Fox 5 New York team in August 2019. Originally from Connecticut, he started his career emceeing corporate events across the U.S. as an on-stage host and DJ. He then hosted a nationally syndicated “Man in the Stands” feature on NBC Sports Radio. Following that, he spent five years at ABC affiliate WTNH New Haven, Connecticut, as a feature reporter and host of a daily talk show, CT Style. As the entertainment anchor/reporter for Good Day New York and Fox 5, he interviews celebrities and covers entertainment headlines, lifestyle, trends and more.

Dan Lanzano
VP, Advertising Sales
Warner Bros. Discovery

Dan Lanzano is responsible for the cross-platform strategy and monetization for marquee properties at Warner Bros. Discovery, including HGTV, CNN, TNT, ID, Magnolia Network, Trvl and HLN. He has helped move WBD’s business forward through innovative beta-test partnerships with marquee agency and client partners around alternative measurement and new currencies such as VideoAmp, Comscore and iSpot. Advertisers involved in that test include Liberty Mutual, Chipotle, the U.S. Postal Service, Subaru and Behr. Starting in 2016, he was VP of ad sales at Turner/WarnerMedia, driving multiplatform ad-sales efforts across TBS, TNT, CNN, Adult Swim, truTV, Cartoon Network and HBO Max. He began at Turner in 2007 as an account service representative for CNN. 

Deon LeCointe
Director, Networked Solutions
Sony Imaging and Professional Solutions – Americas

Deon LeCointe oversees Sony’s live production product portfolio and works with television networks and broadcasters to design and build equipment that delivers live content to millions of homes around the world. His team includes product managers, solution architects, sales engineers and service personnel responsible for the development, sales and marketing of products designed for news, sports and entertainment. He has led the implementation of IP-based infrastructure, cameras and switchers at notable installations including CNN’s Hudson Yards facility in New York and NFL Network in Los Angeles. He co-founded UJIMA, the Sony Electronics Black Employee Network.

Abigail Neugebauer
Senior Director of Content, Magnolia Network
Warner Bros. Discovery

Abigail Neugebauer develops and produces original lifestyle programming for WBD’s Magnolia Network. She is currently the production executive on shows such as Making Modern With Brooke and Brice, The Established Home, Problem Spaces and The Piece Maker. In her three years at Magnolia, she has been a pivotal figure in developing and executing a creative cross-platform production strategy that has resulted in Magnolia Workshops, a standalone series of how-to courses that rolled out across linear, streaming and OTT. Earlier, she led digital teams that created original content for brands like Food Network Kitchen, Genius Kitchen and HGTV. She began her content career at Condé Nast and later managed digital video content teams at About.com (now Dotdash Meredith). 

Molly O’Connor
VP, Business Planning and Strategy
Warner Bros. Discovery

Molly O’Connor is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive strategy to deliver subscription volume and revenue for Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Streaming and Networks business, with a focus on Max. Prior to joining HBO in 2018, she worked in strategy and business development at film and television studio A24. Earlier in her career, she was a management consultant in the TMT sector. She is an expert in developing effective distribution strategies for the direct-to-consumer and traditional linear television business. She helped develop and execute the distribution strategy for the launch of HBO Max in the U.S. and continues to help drive Max subscriber growth.

Andy Oh
Principal, Sports Partnerships
Amazon

Andy Oh has played a significant role in the growth and diversity of Prime Video’s sports offerings. Since joining Amazon in January 2021, Oh has piloted groundbreaking negotiations for the company’s streaming platform. Most recently, he headed the renewal with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), which will allow Prime Video to exclusively stream 20 WNBA games as well as the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game this season. In addition to the WNBA renewal, Oh has expanded Prime Video’s female-focused offerings for customers through his leadership of the Seattle Storm deal last spring. This deal marked the first local WNBA package made available to Prime Video subscribers. 

Matthew Olson
Sports Media Agent
Creative Artists Agency

CAA sports media agent Matthew Olson represents leading sports broadcasters including Laura Rutledge, Elle Duncan, Kate Abdo, Dan Orlovsky, Pablo Torre, Shea Serrano and Jon “Boog” Sciambi. He negotiated a multiyear deal for veteran ESPN
writer and on-air personality Torre to join Meadow­lark Media, where he will contribute to its unscripted efforts. He also brokered a multi­year extension for former NFL quarterback Orlovsky to join the No. 2 NFL booth at ESPN, while also maintaining his role as one of the mainstays on NFL Live, ESPN’s signature daily NFL program. Olson was an integral member of the team that negotiated a deal for Shea Serrano at Amazon, which includes Serrano’s scripted television and audio rights. Primo, Serrano’s first series for the streamer, premiered in May. 

Marc Paskin
Agent
UTA

Marc Paskin, an agent in the News and Broadcast division of UTA, has a client roster that includes Jen Psaki, Baratunde Thurston, Brian Tyler Cohen, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, James Longman, Jenna Bush Hager, Mary Hager, Beverly Chase, Brooke Baldwin, Peter Hamby, Taylor Lorenz, Abby Phillip, Jonathan Swan and Kara Swisher. One recent accomplishment is the launch of Inside With Jen Psaki on MSNBC. He partnered with UTA’s Publishing department to secure a deal for MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan’s book, Win Every Argument, which soared to the top of The New York Times bestseller list. Paskin is a former talent executive at ABC News who later joined the online news publication Mic. He is co-chair of UTA Proud, the UTA employee inclusion group dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ members at the company.

Denise Peluso
VP, Research and Insights
BBC Studios

Denise Peluso is responsible for consumer insights and research across all BBC Studios business units in the North America and Latin America region. Since joining BBC Studios in 2015, she has helmed insights for content distribution, brands, marketing, streaming channel launches, consumer products and production. She oversees a team of multidisciplinary researchers whose remits span from analysis of content performance in market to UX research supporting BBC’s digital news and streaming division. As the company expands in North America with the rollout of new platforms and consumer experiences, Peluso has added to her team and led efforts to gain key insights into consumer perception for the BBC in the region. She started out at Universal McCann on Sony’s research team before moving to Comedy Central’s ad sales research division. 

Jackie Perez
Director, Business Development
Spectrum Reach

Jackie Perez has 14 years of experience in advertising, holding roles in the worlds of media, agency and ad tech. She uses her expertise to help build Spectrum Reach’s programmatic business from the ground up. Her clients today include WPP, Publicis Groupe, Havas Media and Procter and Gamble. She created Spectrum Reach’s first‐ever programmatic story and its corresponding sales materials, and was the first to represent the company as an expert on programmatic at industry events. Before joining Spectrum Reach, the ad-sales division of Charter Communications, Perez held positions at Time Inc. (now Dotdash Meredith), IPG Mediabrands’ Magna and Yahoo (formerly Verizon Media), and has consulted clients such as Verizon, Visa, Allstate, Best Buy and GSK.

Kendra Prasad
VP, Acquisition
The Farmer’s Dog

Kendra Prasad has more than nine years of marketing and performance expertise and industry experience and is passionate about building holistic customer-centric growth strategies that enable growth and retention. Her big moment came during Super Bowl LVII, where a commercial for The Farmer’s Dog won USA Today’s Ad Meter. “Our product can be perceived as niche, but it’s good for everyone with a dog,” Prasad said of the big investment in one commercial. “TV’s huge platform and visual nature let us tell our story and ‘why’ in a way we can’t with digital.“ The emotional spot follows the life of Bear, a chocolate lab, as he grows older alongside his owner, Ava. The tagline? “Nothing matters more than more years together.” 

Cosmina Schulman
SVP, Strategic Partnerships
NESN

Cosmina (LaBella) Schulman is responsible for advertising sales revenues at NESN, the regional sports network televising the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, and for building out sales strategies. As part of the executive management team she plays an active role in determining vision and business approach. Previously, she was NESN’s national sales manager and local sales manager. She started her career at Home Team Sports, a division of Fox Sports, and sold for every NBA, NHL and NBA RSN in the country. She also is the VP of Women in Sports and Events Boston chapter and the executive chair of NESN’s ERG group, Women of NESN. She worked to conceive NESN’s sports-betting strategy, and her team brought to life the first-ever titled Dunkin’ Beanpot college hockey tournament, a collaboration between The Beanpot, TD Garden and NESN. 

Travis Scoles
SVP, Advanced Advertising
Paramount Global

Travis Scoles’s foresight and strategic thinking have been critical to shaping Paramount into a dominant engine of innovation and leadership within advanced advertising. He has been integral in optimizing the ways advertisers are able to leverage Vantage, Paramount’s advanced targeting product, to achieve deeper engagement and has instituted technological advancements that have further solidified Paramount’s leadership position in the space. He is also actively involved in driving thought and product leadership in advanced advertising. Scoles oversees all aspects of Vantage as well as other internal data optimization and analysis products. He also manages key efforts in currency and measurement innovation. Scoles joined the company, then called ViacomCBS, in February 2020. 

Jenna Silver
SVP, Industry Marketing, U.S. Advertising Sales
TelevisaUnivision

Jenna Silver oversees a team of strategic business-to-business marketers charged with positioning Spanish-language media and content company TelevisaUnivision as the go-to destination for helping brands grow with U.S. Hispanic audiences. Silver also leads the strategy and development of the company’s annual upfront presentation and its thought leadership conference, “Leading the Change.” Prior to TelevisaUnivision, she held sales marketing and client solutions roles spanning print, digital/mobile and out-of-home/experiential media with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Trusted Media Brands (formerly Reader’s Digest Association) and News Corp. She is a proud founding member of eMERGE, TelevisaUnivision’s early-career employee resource group. 

Josh Sims
Fox NASCAR Host and Reporter
Fox Sports

Josh Sims joined Fox Sports in July 2021 as a reporter for NASCAR Race Hub, NASCAR RaceDay and select NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races on pit road, becoming the first African-American reporter to cover pit road for a NASCAR national series television broadcast. In 2023, he made his NASCAR Cup Series pit-reporting debut in the Daytona 500 as part of a select schedule of Cup Series races throughout the season. Sims also added a full season of NASCAR Xfinity Series pit reporting to his schedule, while maintaining his NASCAR Race Hub co-hosting duties. He joined Fox Sports from WJZY, the Fox affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was a sports anchor and reporter from 2015 to 2021. At Fox, he has been able to help showcase diverse voices within NASCAR, including a feature story on Jusan Hamilton, the first Black race director of the Daytona 500. 

Thomas Staples
Master Control Operator
Cheddar News

Thomas Staples is an award-winning director and producer, technical director, video engineer and cinematographer with extensive experience in multicam directing, projection, editing, stage production and video engineering. In the theater, he worked for nine years as technical director of the American Negro Playwright Theatre. His television experience spans a range of diverse shows such as Black College Quiz, ESPN’s Monday Night Football and the Stellar Awards. At Altice USA’s Cheddar News, he has held several roles from broadcast editor to master control operator. He excelled in master control shifting, previously an in-studio-only job, to more than three years of remote operations on daily live news broadcasts with Cheddar News.

Lindsay Stewart
VP, FAST and AVOD Revenue Strategy
AMC Networks

Lindsay Stewart leads strategic direction and business development for AMC Networks’s free, ad-supported streaming products. Internally tapped to launch the company’s first FAST partnership with Pluto TV in 2020, Stewart has been integral to the continued development of the company’s growing portfolio of FAST channels, which now includes 13 owned channels like The Walking Dead Universe, Stories by AMC and AMC Thrillers across platforms including Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Vizio, Sling and Redbox. Stewart also was critical to the 2022 creation and launch of the ALLBLK Gems and AMC en Español FAST channels. With over a decade of experience in digital content strategy, partnerships, marketing and distribution, she joined AMC Networks in 2012. 

Adam Verdugo
Executive Producer, ‘CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell’
CBS News

Since June 2022 Adam Verdugo has executive produced the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell, based in Washington, D.C. He was part of the program’s launch team in 2019 and played a key role in its move to Washington as executive story editor. After joining CBS News in 2013, Verdugo has worked closely with O’Donnell for more than a decade. He has helped develop franchises on the newscast including “Profiles in Service,” featuring everyday Americans and U.S. military service members who dedicate their lives to helping others, and he helped launch and currently manages Person to Person With Norah O’Donnell on the CBS News Streaming Network. He began his career at NBC News and was a senior producer on Meet the Press.

Brian Weiss
VP, Entertainment Programming and Multicast Networks
Tegna

Brian Weiss joined the successful startup company Cooper Media to launch true-crime multicast network Justice Network in 2015, and helped lead the strategy and launch of action-adventure reality network Quest in 2018. He was president of the networks when they were acquired by broadcast group Tegna in 2019. Weiss has a track record of working effectively with others to drive distribution and sales growth by finding mutually beneficial partnerships. At Tegna, he leads all entertainment content, including true-crime production group Vault Studios and the syndicated program Daily Blast Live. Before Cooper Media, Weiss led business development and partnerships for The Washington Post, where he helped strike revenue-share distribution deals with YouTube, Hulu, Amazon and Microsoft. He began his career at Bloomberg. 

Patrick West
Senior Manager, Sales
Amagi

After joining Amagi in June 2022, Patrick West has become a valued partner for many U.S. news organizations and station groups navigating the world of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) and cloud-based playout and distribution workflows. He brought to Amagi more than 15 years of media distribution and technology experience. West previously worked at CNN’s Newsource business for seven years, building a terrific network of news leaders. In less than a year, he helped deploy FAST strategies for station groups like Graham Media Group, Imagicomm and Morgan Murphy Media. Earlier, West worked at CNN Newsource as senior director of sales and affiliate relations. Prior to CNN, he worked at Inform, a video platform connecting content owners with digital publishers. He also was affiliate distribution manager for The Weather Channel. 

Travis Winkler
General Manager, Video and Audio 
Bloomberg

Travis Winkler oversees Bloomberg L.P.’s video and audio business, including the teams responsible for worldwide video and audio distribution, business development, content partnerships and business operations. In February, he led the cross-functional launch of Bloomberg Originals (previously Quicktake), featuring cinematic documentary-style deep dives, talk shows, live events and video podcasts. He and his team negotiated deals for bringing on the hosts of Getting Warmer With Kal Penn and The Future With Hannah Fry, the first two Bloomberg Originals shows. Winkler’s team also continues to score wins with distribution of Bloomberg TV Plus and Bloomberg Originals, including 2023 launches on Amazon Prime Video in Canada, Mexico, Australia and Brazil.

Multichannel News has announced the 2023 “40 under 40” class to be celebrated during NYC TV Week this September.

Selected after a nomination process, these 40 women and men represent a range of companies and occupations in the media and entertainment industry, from programmers and distributors to technology and service providers. 

For more information about the 40 Under 40 event at 230 Fifth on Thursday, September 14, and the honorees, please visit https://www.tvweek40under40.com/NYC. To learn more about NYC TV Week events please visit https://www.nyctvweek.com/.

Cristina Arango, Vice President, Head of Business Development, Fubo.

Katie Beltz-Long, Vice President, Head of U.S. Demand Sales, Beachfront.

Melanie Brown, Vice President, Advanced TV, Tubi.

Amber Callahan, Vice President, Distribution, AMC Networks.

Lori Cassorla, Senior Vice President, Group Media Director, Investments, Mediahub.

Karen Chan, Group Director, Investment Innovation, GroupM.

Michael Chiodotti, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Endeavor Streaming.

Christina Chung, Vice President, Business Operations, Estrella Media.

Shawn Donilon, Executive Vice President, Government Relations, National Association of Broadcasters.

Matthew Duarte, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, YES Network.

David Dworin, Chief Product Officer, FreeWheel.

Matt Farina, Senior Vice President, Content Distribution, NBCUniversal.

Laura Florence, Senior Vice President, Global FAST Channels, Fremantle.

Meredith Garofalo, Freelance Meteorologist & Space/Science Correspondent, Spectrum News NY1.

Katie Gray, Director, Content Fulfillment & Vendor Management, A+E Networks.

Courtney Huber, Vice President, Partnership Marketing, Hallmark Media.

Marielle Kaar, Director, Preschool Production & Development, Nickelodeon.

Andrew Kaplan, Director, Research & Data, New York Interconnect.

Rob Kelly, Senior Director, Marketing, Ampersand.

Ryan Kristafer, Entertainment Anchor/Reporter, Fox 5 NY.

Dan Lanzano, Vice President, Advertising Sales, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Deon LeCointe, Director, Networked Solutions, Sony Imaging and Professional Solutions -- Americas.

Abigail Neugebauer, Senior Director of Content, Magnolia Network, Warner Bros. Discovery

Molly O’Connor, Senior Vice President, Business Planning & Strategy, Warner Bros. Discovery. 

Andy Oh, Principal, Sports Partnerships, Amazon.

Matt Olson, Sports Media Agent, Creative Artists Agency.

Marc Paskin, Agent, UTA

Denise Peluso, Vice President, Research & Insights, BBC Studios.

Jackie Perez, Director, Business Development, Spectrum Reach.

Kendra Prasad, Vice President of Acquisition, The Farmer's Dog.

Cosmina Schulman, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, NESN.

Travis Scoles, Senior Vice President, Advanced Advertising, Paramount.

Jenna Silver, Senior Vice President, Industry Marketing, U.S. Advertising Sales, TelevisaUnivision.

Josh Sims, Fox NASCAR Studio Host & Reporter, Fox Sports.

Thomas Staples, Master Control Operator, Cheddar News.

Lindsay Stewart, Vice President, FAST & AVOD Revenue Strategy, AMC Networks.

Adam Verdugo, Executive Producer, CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell, CBS News.

Brian Weiss, Vice President, Entertainment Programming and Multicast Networks, TEGNA.

Patrick West, Senior Manager — Sales, Amagi.

Travis Winkler, General Manager of Video & Audio, Bloomberg Media.

The window is now open to nominate someone for the 40 Under 40 awards to be celebrated during a festive evening event on Thursday, September 14, closing out Future’s NYC TV Week.

For more than a decade, Future brands Multichannel News and Broadcasting+Cable, now joined by Next TV, have highlighted the accomplishments of entrepreneurs, rising executives and up and comers in all facets of the multichannel media industry. The last few years, the recognition has come with a gala evening out in New York or Los Angeles, to receive awards and mingle with their fellow honorees and other guests. Here's a photo gallery from last year. Honorees also are featured in B+C Multichannel News magazine, in this case the September edition.

Nomination guidelines are here. The link to nominate is: https://www.tvweek40under40.com/NYCnoms23.

Nominations close on Friday, May 26.

Future’s B+C, Multichannel News and Next TV, producers of the upcoming L.A. TV Week events June 20-21 at the Sofitel Los Angeles, have named the 2023 “40 Under 40” class to be celebrated the evening of Wednesday, June 21.

Representing a range of companies and responsibilities, these men and women below a certain age are helping to lead media in new directions, wherever the viewers are. 

For more than a decade, Multichannel News has been helping to shine a light on rising executives under age 40, and along with B+C and Next TV, expanded the search last year to the West Coast and L.A. TV Week. 

Also: Meet the 2023 Wonder Women of Los Angeles 

For more information about the 2023 honorees and the event on June 21, please visit https://www.latvweekevents.com/. Honorees were chosen after a nomination and internal judging process.

Meet the 2023 “40 Under 40” in Los Angeles. 

Fanny Baudry, Managing Director, Wheelhouse DNA (a Wheelhouse Company).

Adam Bergman, Group Vice President, Advertising & Data Sales, Vizio.

Evan Bregman, General Manager, Streaming, Tastemade.

Michelle Byars, Senior Vice President, Development, ITV Entertainment.

Kimberly Caraig, Account Executive, Fox Corporation.

Colin Davis, Head of Scripted Originals, The Roku Channel, Roku.

Alessandra Donadelli, Vice President, Business Development, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Rebecca Evans, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Content, Campfire Studios.

Daniel Farkas, Vice President, Distribution Strategy and Content Planning, Sony Pictures Television.

Falon Fatemi, CEO and Co-Founder, Fireside.

Mike Fazzino, Principal, Content Acquisition - WW Major Studio Licensing Strategy, Amazon.

Laura Foster, Vice President, Product Marketing, Innovid.

Katherine Gallagher, Programming Manager, Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Nick Garvin, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner, Mobile TV Group.

Samuel Harowitz, Vice President, Content Acquisitions & Partnerships, Tubi.

Stephen Hodge, CEO, OTTera.

Kate Hoenigsberg, Senior Vice President, Drama Development, Universal Television.

Fernando Hurtado, Manager, Digital Video, NBCUniversal Local.

RJ Larese, Vice President of Talent and Development + Brand Partnerships, Paramount.

Christian Linke, Co-Creator, Showrunner and Executive Producer, Arcane, Riot Games.

Betsy Lippitt, Vice President, U.S. TV Distribution, Sony Pictures Television.

Teresa Lopez, Vice President Content Partnerships, rlaxx TV GmbH.

Helen Lum, Executive Vice President, App Science, A Sabio Holdings Company.

Ronny Lutzi, CEO, Foxxum.

Andrew Matero, Vice President, Platform, Ampersand.

Kelly Miller, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships, BBC Studios.

Paul O'Malley, Executive Producer, Independent, Formerly of 3 Ball Media.

Trixie Pacis, Director of Acquisitions & Original Programming Development, ChimeTV.

Joy Phillips, Senior Vice President, Publicity, AMC Networks.

Michael Rycyzyn, Director, Digital Licensing, A+E Networks.

Shaheen Sayani, Head of Content Partnerships, Samsung TV Plus, Samsung Electronics America.

Ahmadou Seck, Vice President, Scripted TV, MACRO.

Matt Shanfield, Executive Vice President, Development, The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), a part of Sony Pictures Television.

Kyle Simon, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP.

Evan Statton, Senior Principal Architect, Media and Entertainment, Amazon Web Services.

Adam Sussman, Vice President of Development, Furry Prawn Productions (NBCU).

Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Alternative Originals, The Roku Channel, Roku.

Brendon Thomas, Senior Vice President, Distribution and Business Development, Paramount Streaming.

Kim Wendt, Senior Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Alex Yee, Co-Creator, Writer and Executive Producer, Arcane, Riot Games. ■

NYC TV Week wrapped up a successful return to live-event status by honoring the 2022 “40 Under 40” New York with an awards party at 230 Fifth in Manhattan on September 15. Forty under 40 recognizes a select group of emerging executives who are pushing the boundaries of innovation in the video industry. NYC TV Week also included the Advanced Advertising Summit, Next TV Summit and Hispanic TV Summit. For more coverage from the weeklong event, click here. 

As NYC Television Week returns to live-event status, the editors of B+C Multichannel News will once again single out a select group of emerging executives pushing the boundaries of industry innovation as this year’s New York “40 Under 40.”

This group of pioneering people help create, market and sell what we’re watching on the video screen. They’re at the forefront of an industry where the development and delivery of content is transforming at a record pace, and they’re involved in a variety of disciplines, from OTT to FAST to Big Data and more. 

To learn more about this year’s New York 40 Under 40, and the NYC Television Week event at Manhattan’s 230 Fifth where they’ll be honored on September 15, visit tvweek40under40.com. 

Denise Bailey-Castro 
Head of Finance, BET Networks
Paramount Global

Denise Bailey-Castro manages all financial aspects of BET Networks across a portfolio that includes BET, BET Plus and BET Studios. She joined as a member of the executive team that launched BET Plus in 2019 and continues to support its partnership with Tyler Perry Studios. Within a year, her efforts helped BET Plus gain more than 1 million subscribers and become the No. 1 African-American SVOD service. Previously, Bailey-Castro led negotiations with cable, satellite and digital partners as a member of the legacy Viacom Media Networks content distribution team. Earlier she worked at JPMorgan, Paramount Pictures and HBO. 

Ben Belmont
Senior Director, Digital Strategy
Paramount Global

Ben Belmont is a senior director of digital strategy at Paramount Global, leading an integrated marketing team for streaming service Pluto TV. He led the Pluto TV general positioning and sponsorship strategy as the platform became part of Paramount Global’s unified sales team. He has been with the company for nine years, touching nearly every area of the business. Belmont began his career focused on CBS Sports Digital in the nascent days of streaming video. Prior to joining Paramount (at the time, CBS) Belmont graduated from Duke University, where he was a four-year men’s lacrosse letter winner, a two-time All-ACC Academic team selection and a member of the 2010 National Championship team.

Dan Callahan
Senior VP, Data Strategy and Sales Innovation
Fox Corp. 

Dan Callahan is senior VP of data strategy and sales innovation for Fox Ad Sales. He is based in New York and reports to Fox Ad Sales president Marianne Gambelli. In this role, Callahan leads a team that is focused on the next generation of advertising capabilities, notably around audience and programmatic advertising solutions and driving their widespread adoption by marketers and agencies. This includes efforts around the company’s Fox Next initiative, delivering precise audiences and driving gains for advertising partners. He serves as Fox’s board member of OpenAP, the industry consortium developing new industry standards around data-driven advertising. Callahan joined Fox in 2007. In 2019, he was promoted to his current role. Callahan graduated from Wake Forest University where he was a member of the school’s ACC champion football team. 

Matt Chazen
Television Agent
CAA

Based in Creative Artists Agency’s New York office, Matt Chazen represents many of the world’s leading production companies, documentarians and independent producers, including ll3Media, Box to Box, DiGa, NorthSouth, OBB, Pulse Films and Radical Media, as well as directors/producers such as Angie Day, Nick Davis, Alex Lowry, Erik Parker and Michael Steed. Over the past few years, Chazen has put a specific focus on growing his representation of intellectual property by signing media companies and digital publishers. After three years working in integrated marketing at NBCUniversal, Chazen made the move to CAA in 2012, joining the alternative television department in New York City. Within the past year, Chazen has put together several premium projects on behalf of clients, including the upcoming Jerry Garcia documentary from clients the Jerry Garcia Estate LLC, Justin Kreutzmann and Radical Media. 

Daniel Church
Head of Advanced TV Product
Beachfront Media

Daniel Church is a savvy and strategic product leader with nearly a decade of experience driving advertising innovation across the TV industry. As head of Advanced TV Product, he leads ad-tech provider Beachfront Media’s attempts to uniformly connect cable, broadcast and connected TV within modern advertising marketplaces. A market-renowned expert in TV infrastructure and high-frequency ad trading, he has authored several patent-pending technologies around Advanced TV. Prior to his role at Beachfront, Church served in similar roles at FreeWheel, StickAds.tv (acquired by FreeWheel) and Smaato.

Kevin Connelly
Senior Director, Programmatic Monetization
Sinclair Broadcast Group

Kevin Connelly is responsible for programmatic revenue across all of Sinclair’s digital properties, including a portfolio of 250-plus station sites and apps, along with streaming inventory from Bally Sports Networks, NewsON and Tennis Channel. Responsibilities include providing inventory access points for brand advertisers, agencies and DSP partners, as well as creating strategic solutions across the company’s technology stack. Connelly also contributes to business development ventures and strategic projects within Sinclair Digital. 

Mike Correia 
VP, U.S. Networks Distribution
Paramount Global

Mike Correia is the lead or second chair negotiator on multimillion or billion-dollar content licensing negotiations with Paramount Global’s distribution partners, in categories such as retransmission consent, cable networks and digital deals. He also manages day-to-day business relationships and works with distributors to identify new business development and partnership opportunities. Prior to joining Paramount, he was on Univision’s content distribution team and handled the launch and distribution of cable network Univision Deportes. He began his career in media at ION Media Networks, supporting distribution efforts for ION’s 60 owned-and-operated stations. Earlier, he was an analyst at Bloomberg.

Patrick Courtney
Senior VP, Digital Strategy
Fuse Media

At Latino-owned Fuse Media, Patrick Courtney oversees strategy and operations for the company’s emerging media efforts and streaming division. He leads strategy for its business development efforts, subscription service Fuse Plus, mobile and connected-TV app development, YouTube and social-media growth, as well as its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) brands, Fuse Beat, Fuse Backstage and Fuse Sweat. Earlier, Courtney served as SVP of programming and marketing strategy for the digital media company Above Average, founded by Lorne Michaels’s Broadway Video and backed by Turner and Condé Nast.

Samantha DiPippo
Senior VP, Development
Hallmark Media

Reporting to Hallmark Media EVP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly, Samantha DiPippo is responsible for the sourcing and development of original holiday content for the company’s three linear networks, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama, and the subscription VOD service Hallmark Movies Now. Her oversight includes hearing pitches, evaluating submissions, developing projects and creating programming strategies with senior management. Prior to joining Crown Media in 2017, DiPippo was director of co-productions and acquisitions for Lifetime Networks. Previously, she held positions in the programming and scheduling departments at both truTV and History Channel. She has a bachelor’s degree in television and radio from Ithaca College.

Sean Doherty Jr.
COO, Co-Founder
Wurl

Sean Doherty Jr. co-founded Wurl in 2010 with David Martinez and Sean Doherty Sr., aiming to make TV better for everyone. Wurl interconnects thousands of streaming channels from the world’s top content companies with leading streamers in more than 50 countries. His vision and leadership of Wurl recently led to the company’s $430 million purchase by Silicon Valley’s Applovin. He began his work with Wurl as a sophomore at Boston College. After college, he joined the Endeavor Group agency WME in the talent department, where he had roles as an assistant and coordinator. Since transitioning back to Wurl full-time in 2018, Doherty has held different roles, including director of business development and SVP of operations. 

Matthew Dominguez
Senior Manager, Streaming Distribution and Partnerships
Cox Media Group

Matthew Dominguez manages free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels for 10 Cox Media Group local TV news stations. He also oversees distribution for 12 third-party streaming partners. He is responsible for sourcing and negotiating distribution agreements, executing streaming strategy and supporting content and programming efforts to drive revenue and audience growth. Prior to joining CMG, he worked in digital distribution at Fuse Media, where he managed AVOD, SVOD and FAST distribution. In addition to his experience on the distribution side, he worked in OTT content strategy and video production operations for Discovery’s digital food brands, including Food Network, Food.com and Genius Kitchen. 

Mike Fisher
VP, Advanced TV
Essence/Group M

Mike Fisher in 2020 joined the media agency Essence to lead the Converged Advanced TV practice from the world of ad tech, where he previously led TV/OTT strategy at MediaMath and was one of the first to help build out streaming dynamic creative at Brightline. It wasn’t long before his role with Essence was expanded into a dual-hat position within GroupM to bring together disparate parts of the business and drive the Advanced TV practice forward, moving it away from purely linear or digital toward an audience-first approach. 

Lauren Fry
Chief Revenue Officer
Simulmedia 

Lauren Fry first joined Simulmedia, the cross-channel TV advertising firm where she is chief revenue officer, in 2013 as an account executive. After serving as director of tune-in sales and VP, customer success and business analytics, for Xandr (then AT&T AdWorks), she rejoined Simulmedia in 2018. She was responsible for the growth and sales revenue strategy for TV Plus, the cross-channel TV advertising platform Simulmedia began rolling out in late 2021. Fry started her career as a national sales planner at Comcast Spotlight. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology from Bucknell University and an MBA in finance and management from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Tara Gotch
Senior VP, National Services
Comscore

As SVP, national services for Comscore, Tara Gotch oversees a team and portfolio of enterprise, medium and small business clients ranging across all Comscore products, with a focus on national networks, publishers, digital and crossplatform. She brings more than a decade of industry experience to her current role at Comscore. She started her career at Comcast NBCUniversal and spent more than seven years on the ad sales team, working across a number of networks and platforms. In 2013, she joined Rentrak before assuming her role at Comscore following the 2016 merger of the companies.

Angie Grande
Director of Streaming News Channels
NBC Universal Local

Angela “Angie” Grande thrives on being a trailblazer in the news industry. She started her career as a news producer at WKTV in her hometown of Utica, New York, during her senior year of college. She went on to work as a producer in Syracuse and Albany, New York, before making her way to WNBC New York, spending seven years there as a top producer. In 2018, she joined NBC News Digital to help develop a first-of-its kind news show on Snapchat, Stay Tuned. Now, as director of streaming news channels for NBCUniversal Local, she is charting the launch of NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations’ new local news channels for streaming platforms. 

David Koonin
Sports Media Agent, Head of Sports Media Marketing and Endorsements
CAA 

As an agent in Creative Artists Agency’s Sports Media practice, David Koonin
represents more than 40 sports media talent clients, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dan Orlovsky, Damien Woody and Field Yates; Turner/CBS’s Grant Hill; Turner’s Allie LaForce; YouTube superstars Dude Perfect; and NFL Network and CBS’s Scott Pioli. In his dual role as head of endorsements and marketing for CAA Sports Media, he oversees a team of three agents who work on behalf of CAA’s roster of more than 200 clients. This role includes managing the endorsement and commercial portfolios of his own clients, in addition to such sports media stars as Mike Greenberg, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Adrian Wojnarowski, Malika Andrews, Laura Rutledge, Marty Smith and Joe Buck. 

Courtney Kundtz
Senior Director, Head of Client Services and Ad Business Operations
Roku

Courtney Kundtz is responsible for overseeing the success of all ad revenue clients that partner and execute campaigns on the Roku platform. Since starting at Roku, Kundtz has led the client services team through record-breaking revenue and organization growth. More recently, she began overseeing the ad strategy on the order-to-cash process as streaming media shifts towards more automated buying. She also was elected to co-chair the Women of Roku Employee Relations Group, helping foster and promote inclusive employee development and leadership initiatives. She is a Colgate University alumnus, a council board member of Hathaway Brown School for Girls and a certified yoga instructor in New York City.

Erin Leigh
Senior VP, The TV Group
Screen Engine/ASI

Erin Leigh is an SVP in the Screen Engine/ASI Television Group. She runs the kids’ TV team and has consulted on thousands of pilots with top platforms and studios in that arena, providing strategic guidance for clients throughout the green-lighting and series development process. She has been with Screen Engine ASI (SEA) for nearly 10 years. Prior to SEA, she was at both JD Power and Lieberman Research (now Material). Her client base is broad and includes companies such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal and DreamWorks. She has a bachelor’s in psychology from UCLA and a master’s degree in human behavior from USC. 

Brian Lin
Senior VP of Product Management, Advanced Advertising
TelevisaUnivision

Brian Lin is head of product management within TelevisaUnivision’s ad sales organization, focusing on strategy and productization of new capabilities across the advanced advertising ecosystem. His aim is to build or partner to enable capabilities across advanced linear, addressable, new interactive ad formats and commerce. Prior to TelevisaUnivision, the 10-year industry veteran led product innovation for organizations including VideoAmp, Viacom, OpenAP, Cablevision Systems and most recently MadHive, where he served as chief product officer. At MadHive, Lin drove product and strategy for the company’s  software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based suite of customizable solutions.

Socrates Lozano
Senior Director, ScrippsCast and Newsroom Innovation
E.W. Scripps Co.

Socrates Lozano, a 16-year broadcast executive, has spent the last four years helping build the E.W. Scripps connected-TV content strategy and technology infrastructure. He has a passion for storytelling and is immersed in modernizing the production and distribution of content to viewers. Winner of the “Creating Value” award for work building a new approach to streaming across 42 television stations, he leads a new broadcast initiative focusing on newscast personalization and AI-driven experiences on all platforms, including ATSC 3.0. 

Kevin Maloy
VP, Advanced TV Solutions
Amobee

Kevin Maloy is VP of Advanced TV Solutions at Amobee, the cross-channel video advertising platform provider. With more than 10 years of experience, he has been a key player in the evolution of the connected-TV ecosystem, having served as one of the industry’s first CTV buyers in 2014. At Amobee, he has won new business and retained key clients, including Fox, The Walt Disney Co., A+E Networks and Univision. He is able to successfully leverage legacy platforms and enhance their performance by layering on technology that allows Amobee to get to market quickly, yet sets the framework to allow for continuous innovation of ad products across its full portfolio. 

Lindsey Mandia
VP, Production
Fox Sports

Emmy Award-winning producer Lindsey Mandia leads the Fox Sports production team from the company’s Charlotte, North Carolina, headquarters. With more than a decade at Fox Sports, Mandia manages a growing staff of more than 50 employees and oversees the creation of all video content for Fox NASCAR races (Cup, Xfinity, Trucks, ARCA), Fox NFL Sunday, and college basketball and football.  Her oversight includes the production of five studio shows including NASCAR Race Hub and NASCAR RaceDay, which accounts for more than 10 hours of weekly programming during the height of the NASCAR season. Mandia also was instrumental in building up the Fox Sports production hub in Charlotte. 

Jason Manningham
CEO & Co-Founder
Blockgraph

Jason Manningham is CEO and co-founder of Blockgraph, the advertising-technology company incubated at Comcast-owned FreeWheel and launched as an independent company two years ago. Its platform enables data-driven advertising with privacy protection. Owned by Comcast NBCUniversal, Charter Communications and Paramount Global, Blockgraph’s distribution footprint has grown to 71 million internet households, 51 million pay TV homes  and 40 million addressable TV households. Manningham successfully navigated complex, multiparty partnership discussions that raised several million dollars to form the new entity. Before FreeWheel, he was at AOL and Viacom Media Networks. 

Joe Marino
Managing Partner and Head of Client Success Organization
MadHive

Joe Marino is the head of the client success organization at MadHive, an enterprise software platform that powers modern media. He oversees revenue generation from new and existing business and builds relationships with current and future clients to ensure their business needs are met and exceeded. He leads a 25-plus-person team that is transforming how advertisers approach and use connected TV, including Fox, Scripps and Tegna. During his tenure at MadHive, he has grown the business from three clients to more than 40, bringing on new TV and radio station groups, national brands, direct-to-consumer brands and agencies. He brought more than a decade of experience building sales and customer relationships to MadHive, including previous leadership roles at MediaMath and Adobe. 

Ken Norcross
Head of Data Licensing & Strategy
Vizio

Ken Norcross, head of data licensing and strategy at Vizio, is the operations leader responsible for developing growth strategies at the smart-TV maker’s Inscape data division. Inscape is the leading provider of automatic content recognition (ACR) technologies and TV data. Norcross is responsible for fueling the data-driven strategy of Vizio’s connected-TV business based on ACR TV viewing data as part of the new landscape of third-party measurement platforms used as TV currency. He is also a leading representative for the Vizio-led addressable TV consortium, Project OAR. Before joining Inscape in 2017, Norcross worked in cross-platform measurement at Nielsen. 

Corey Petruccelli
VP, National Sales
New York Interconnect 

Corey Petruccelli is VP, national sales for the New York Interconnect, the local ad-sales venture among Altice USA, Charter Communications and Comcast that reaches 22 million consumers across 100-plus networks. He is responsible for identifying and selling ad opportunities across the New York DMA to national clients, leveraging addressable TV, IP targeting, OTT and VOD solutions. Before joining NYI, he was a senior account executive at Spectrum Reach for eight years. He received both his MBA and bachelor’s degree from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and lives in Tuckahoe, New York, with his wife and their two children.

Yana Podroubaeva
M&E Global Account Lead
Amazon Web Services

Yana Podroubaeva is a media technology expert with a creative approach, specializing in cloud solutions in the media, entertainment and telecommunications industry. Based in New York City, Podroubaeva leads a $100 million-plus global Media & Entertainment team at Amazon Web Services and mentors 14 Amazonians. She has worked with and transformed the businesses of some of the world’s largest media customers, such as NBCUniversal, The New York Times, News Corp., AMC Networks and Foxtel. Previously based in Sydney, Australia, she worked across media portfolios at Amazon and Telstra. 

Kirsten Polley
Senior VP, Operations
WWE

Reporting to WWE co-CEO Nick Khan, Kirsten Polley leads operations for WWE’s revenue strategy and development team. She played a key role in the licensing agreement with longstanding partner NBCUniversal that gave Peacock exclusive U.S. streaming rights to the WWE Network. She also helped lead the strategy and development around the creation of WWE’s first-ever NFT (non-fungible token) drop. Before joining WWE, Polley was a talent agent at Creative Artists Agency, working with such media personalities as Colin Cowherd, Skip Bayless, Charissa Thompson, Adam Schefter and Mike Greenberg. She also helped broker notable TV contracts, including securing a four-year pact with ESPN for Top Rank Boxing and WWE’s deal that brought Friday Night SmackDown to Fox. 

Isabel Rafferty
Founder and CEO
Canela Media

Isabel Rafferty is a digital marketing pioneer. She is the founder and CEO of Canela Media, a leading digital-media tech company that gives brands the tools they need to effectively connect with multicultural audiences through multiple touchpoints, including newly launched free-to-stream platform Canela.TV, influencer marketing, branded content and more than 180 exclusive Spanish-language sites. Prior to starting Canela Media, she founded Mobvious, a company dedicated to reaching U.S. Hispanic and African-American audiences via mobile advertising. Under her leadership, Mobvious quickly became the largest Hispanic-focused ad network, as ranked by Comscore, before being acquired by PRISA in 2017. 

Justin Rosen
Senior VP, Data and Insights
Ampersand

Justin Rosen joined Ampersand (rebranded from NCC) in 2018 concurrent with the creation of Ampersand’s Advanced TV practice, where he has taken on leadership for data, analytics and insights. He has led the implementation of Ampersand’s addressable data capabilities, established Ampersand’s Total TV and Incremental Reach solutions and has advanced audience-first tactics and storytelling connected to Ampersand’s AND Platform, launched in 2020. He also works alongside Ampersand’s MVPD owners and affiliates to ensure consistent methodology, data governance, and workflows. He received an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BA from Cornell University. He lives in South Orange, New Jersey, with his wife and two sons.

Seth Rubinroit
Manager, Content Integrations and Audio
NBCUniversal Local

Seth Rubinroit spearheads the multiplatform audio strategy for NBCUniversal Local’s 43 NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations and six regional sports networks. He began efforts to shoot video of the division’s network of podcasts, fueling NBC’s multiplatform content engine with 100-plus original TV programming hours. He is a member of NBCUniversal Local’s DEI Council, co-leads the New York chapter of NBCU’s Young Professionals Network and mentors underserved high school students. Before joining NBCUniversal Local, he worked for NBC Sports as a digital editorial producer for the 2016 and 2018 Olympics, interviewing and profiling more than 100 Olympians and Paralympians. 

Adam Salmons
VP, Content Acquisition
Philo

Adam Salmons leads Philo’s content-acquisition efforts to bring more channels, shows and movies to its subscribers. At Philo for the past five years, he is responsible for overseeing and growing the relationships with content partners and has been integral in expanding the platform’s offering to include add-ons and FAST channels. Prior to Philo, Adam was manager of content strategy and acquisitions at Verizon Communications, helping to advance the telco’s Fios TV and digital video endeavors. He began his career in the media industry as a financial analyst at HBO, where he was focused on financial strategy for HBO’s domestic network distribution group. 

David Sanderson
Founder and CEO
Reelgood

David Sanderson is the founder and CEO of Reelgood, a streaming service aggregator and “TV guide” for streaming. The company has developed the algorithms and proprietary IP that matches all the streaming availability data, which is constantly changing. This technology gathers, parses and matches billions of pieces of content from hundreds of different catalogs of streaming services. Reelgood’s ad product can target people based on their viewership across all their streaming subscriptions. Reelgood already has partnerships with many primary streaming services for this ad product. Prior to launching Reelgood in 2015, Sanderson spent three years at Facebook, most recently as a product manager. 

Christy Smith
Director, Social Creative Strategy
Nickelodeon

Christy Smith strives to creatively tell exciting and authentic stories through an ever-evolving kids’ lens. From bringing the Kids’ Choice Awards to life on social media to relaunching beloved shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? and All That, she’s a big kid at heart. A true advocate for Black voices and experiences in media, she joined the Paramount family four years ago after being instrumental in developing social and digital campaigns for OWN TV shows Greenleaf and Queen Sugar, cultivating the voice and online social presence for the leader in entertainment for women of color. She is a member of Nickelodeon’s Inclusivity Council and leads all DEI social initiatives and campaigns across Nick’s brands.

Brad Stockton
Senior VP Video Innovation
Dentsu 

As SVP of video innovation at Dentsu Media, Brad Stockton oversees advanced video investment strategy, including addressable TV, data-driven linear, connected TV and emerging technologies and platforms. He also oversees U.S. partnerships across the leading partners in the streaming and advanced TV space across all Dentsu agencies, including Carat, DentsuX, 360i, iProspect and Merkle. Over the last decade, he has taken on multiple media strategy buying roles focused on delivering result-driven buying strategies across various client categories including pharmaceuticals, quick service restaurants, entertainment and consumer package goods. Before Dentsu, he was a media manager for Henkel, overseeing the North America beauty omnichannel media portfolio. He studied marketing at Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he also played soccer. 

Courtney Thomasma
General Manager, AMC Plus
AMC Networks

Courtney Thomasma is general manager of AMC Plus, AMC Networks’ premium, ad-free streaming bundle featuring original programming from across the company’s entertainment networks, AMC, BBC America, IFC and SundanceTV, and its targeted streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited. Thomasma is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of AMC Plus, driving subscriber acquisition, user engagement and global expansion. Before AMC Plus, she was executive director of BBC America. Earlier, she worked at Nielsen. She started her career in ad sales research for Sony Pictures Entertainment. 

Sapna Vyas
VP, Scripted Content
Lifetime

Sapna Vyas is a star at A+E Networks, the global media company, and has become a leading voice in the entertainment scripted community. Since 2008 she has risen through the ranks at Lifetime from an assistant in the scripted series department to VP, scripted content. She spearheads Lifetime’s holiday movies series, which had 30 original titles in 2021 alone. While still in the scripted-series department, she helped to develop hit series Devious Maids, from executive producers Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria. Prior to Lifetime, Vyas worked in scripted development at The CW, and began her career in the TV Literary department at CAA.

Simon Wong
Executive VP
Sabio 

Simon Wong is EVP for ad-tech company Sabio Holdings. Minority led and founded, the company includes the Sabio demand-side platform. As EVP, Wong leads product innovation, partnerships, inventory, marketing and growth efforts globally. He joined in 2016 as director of advertising operations. His 13 years of experience includes positions at Opera Mediaworks (now AdColony), IAC, Yahoo! and MediaPost. He began his career as a market research intern for Forbes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Stony Brook University. He resides with his wife and two children in Queens, New York.

Jimmy Zasowski
Senior VP, Platform Distribution Strategy
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution

Jimmy Zasowski leads distribution strategy and business affairs for Disney’s media networks, direct-to-consumer, theatrical and home entertainment businesses. He and his team are responsible for deal analysis, strategic planning and developing growth strategies. He collaborates with sales on platform negotiations in the U.S. and globally and plays a pivotal role in bringing direct-to-consumer streaming services — Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, Hulu and Star Plus – to a wide-range of platforms. He joined Disney in 2009. 

Samuel Zimmerman
VP, Programming, Shudder
AMC Networks

A former editor and programmer of the film festival for horror website Fangoria, Samuel Zimmerman became involved with AMC’s SVOD service Shudder early in its development, helping with the initial launch and determining its continuous direction serving fans of horror and the supernatural. He was essential to the launch of its first original scripted series, Creepshow, from The Walking Dead producer Greg Nicotero. It became the most-watched program in Shudder history, had a successful run on AMC and a fourth season is now in development. Zimmerman also oversaw Shudder’s first original documentary, Horror Noire, on the history of Black stories and creators of horror. It was the inspiration for a fictional anthology series of the same name. ▪️

B+C, Multichannel News and Next TV have named the 2022 “40 under 40” class to be celebrated on September 15 as part of NYC TV Week.

The class was chosen by the publications’ editors from a nomination process and will be profiled in the September edition of B+C Multichannel News magazine. For more about NYC TV Week, with live events happening September 12-14, please visit https://www.nyctvweek.com/2022. 

Here is the 2022 NYC TV Week 40 Under 40, individuals listed alphabetically:

Ben Belmont, Senior Director, Integrated Marketing, Paramount Global.

Dan Callahan, Senior Vice President of Data Strategy and Sales Innovation for Fox Ad Sales, Fox Corporation.

Denise Bailey-Castro, Head of Finance, BET Networks, Paramount Global.

Matthew Chazen, Television Agent, Creative Artists Agency.

Daniel Church, Head of Advanced TV Product, Beachfront.

Kevin Connelly, Senior Director of Programmatic Monetization, Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Mike Correia, Vice President, U.S. Networks Distribution, Paramount Global.

Patrick Courtney, Head of Digital & Business Development, Fuse Media. 

Samantha DiPippo, Senior Vice President of Development, Crown Media Family Networks.

Sean Doherty, Jr., Co-Founder and COO, Wurl.

Matt Dominguez, Senior Manager of Distribution, Cox Media Group. 

Mike Fisher, Vice President, Head of Advanced TV, Essence/Group M.

Lauren Fry, Chief Revenue Officer, Simulmedia.

Tara Gotch, Senior Vice President, Senior Vice President, National Services, Comscore. 

Angela Grande, Director of Streaming News Channels, NBCUniversal Local. 

David Koonin, Sports Media Agent, Head of Sports Media Marketing and Endorsements, Creative Artists Agency.

Courtney Kundtz, Head of Client Services & Ad Business Operations, Roku.

Erin Leigh, Senior Vice President, The TV Group, Screen Engine/ASI.

Brian Lin, Senior Vice President of Product Management,  Advanced Advertising, TelevisaUnivision.

Socrates Lozano, Senior Director, ScrippsCast and Newsroom Innovation, E.W. Scripps.

Kevin Maloy, Vice President, Advanced TV Solutions, Amobee.

Lindsey Mandia, Vice President, Production, Fox Sports.

Jason Manningham, CEO and Founder, Blockgraph.

Joe Marino, Managing Partner and Head of Client Success Organization, MadHive.

Ken Norcross, Head of Data Licensing & Strategy, Vizio.

Corey Petruccelli, Vice President, National Sales, New York Interconnect.

Kirsten Polley, Senior Vice President, Operations, WWE.

Yana Podroubaeva, Media & Entertainment Global Account Lead, Amazon Web Services. 

Isabel Rafferty, CEO and Founder, Canela Media. 

Justin Rosen, Senior Vice President, Data and Insights, Ampersand.

Seth Rubinroit, Manager, Content Integrations and Audio, NBCUniversal Local. 

Adam Salmons, Vice President, Content Acquisition, Philo.

David Sanderson, CEO and Founder, Reelgood.

Christy Smith, Director, Social Creative Strategy, Nickelodeon. 

Brad Stockton, Senior Vice President, Video Innovation, dentsu.

Courtney Thomasma, General Manager, AMC Plus, AMC Networks.

Sapna Vyas, Vice President, Scripted Content, Lifetime Network, A+E Networks.

Simon Wong, Executive Vice President, Sabio Inc.

Jimmy Zasowski, Senior Vice President, Platform Distribution Strategy, The Walt Disney Co.

Samuel Zimmerman, Vice President, Programming, Shudder, AMC Networks. ■

Future’s NYC TV Week returns with live events on September 12-14, with the Advanced Advertising Summit, Next TV Summit and Hispanic Television Summit, ending with the 40 Under 40 celebration on September 15. 

Some of the hottest topics facining the multichannel industry will get a thorough airing — including connected-TV advertising, FAST (free ad-supported television) channels and the state of Hispanic programming among them. 

The week leads off with Advanced Advertising on Monday, September 12, at etc.venues 360 Madison. Topics covered include local OTT and connected-TV advertising, measuring cross-screen reach, programmatic buying and selling and addressable advertising.

The Next TV Summit is the next day, Tuesday, September 13, at the same venue. Topics covered include areas where subscription streaming can find renewed growth, the prospects for ad dollars across the FAST and ad-supported VOD services and the future of virtual pay TV providers.

The Hispanic TV Summit takes place on Wednesday, September 14, also at etc. venues 360 Madison. The 20th-anniversary edition of the biggest TV event in Hispanic television will tackle the universe of issues concerning Spanish-language television. 

A celebration of the 2022 class of “40 Under 40” closes out the week on Thursday, September 15, at 230 Fifth. 

For more information about NYC TV Week please visit NYCTVWeek.com.

This year’s crop of TV emerging innovators and pioneers was so strong we couldn’t stop at just 40. On June 7 at the Sofitel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, the editors of B+C Multichannel News will fete 42 executives at the “40 Under 40” program, part of Future’s L.A. TV Week festivities that also include the Advanced Advertising Summit, Wonder Women of Los Angeles and the TV Tech Summit. 

For more on 40 Under 40, go to tvweek40under40.com. For the full L.A. TV Week lineup, go to latvweekevents.com.

Nicole Baio
Partnerships
Vizio

Nicole Baio is on the business development team at Vizio, where she oversees partnerships for WatchFree Plus and manages various connected-TV app and tech partner relationships and development. Previously, she was at Sony Pictures Television-owned Game Show Network, where she held various roles in content distribution and partner marketing. As an account director, she oversaw all  sales to the NCTC and successfully expanded GSN’s distribution with multiple partners. She also created and executed several collaborative marketing campaigns with major affiliates including Comcast, Charter Communications, Verizon Communications and more, which produced significant media value for GSN and exposure and customer value for partners. She has been an active member of The WICT Network’s Southern California chapter. She is also actively involved in the mentorship and development of younger professionals and is particularly passionate about her work with the T. Howard Foundation. She spends her free time frequenting fitness classes, road tripping, hiking, camping and having dinner parties with family and friends.

Eli Baldridge
Senior VP, Development
A. Smith & Co. Productions

Eli Baldrige spearheads all aspects of development for A. Smith & Co. Productions, the award-winning unscripted television powerhouse. An Emmy Award-winning producer and series developer, Baldrige has produced hundreds of hours of highly-rated unscripted TV shows including Welcome to Plathville (TLC), Pharrell Williams’s Voices of Fire (Netflix) and Canine Intervention (Netflix) since joining the company in 2018. One of his strengths is finding talent and bringing out the best in them in every episode, which was the case with Canine Intervention, a show he conceptualized about a dog trainer. Earlier in his career, Baldrige produced unscripted content including ESPN’s Sport Science and The Weather Channel’s Brainstorm, serving as showrunner. He has also produced several award-winning feature documentaries, including Citizen Soldier and Apache Warrior. After growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Baldrige studied journalism and film at San Diego State University.

Michael Bucklin
SVP, Digital Content
Fox Sports

Michael Bucklin manages production, distribution and strategic integration of content across Fox Sports digital platforms, including the Fox Sports app and FoxSports.com, as well as Fox Sports social media, video and audio platforms. His team develops digital content to complement Fox Sports coverage of the biggest events in live sports, including the Super Bowl, the FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cup, the World Series, top-level college football, NASCAR and more, in addition to the network’s studio programming. Bucklin and his team have also developed several successful original digital franchises, including the NAACP Image Award-nominated Club Shay Shay, hosted by Shannon Sharpe; The People’s Sports Podcast with Mark Titus and Charlotte Wilder; Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander; The No. 1 Ranked Show with RJ Young; and Out of Character with Ryan Satin. Prior to joining Fox Sports in 2016, Bucklin spent over 10 years at ESPN, rising to producer of social content and leading social media strategy for SportsCenter, SportsNation, First Take and others. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Jennifer Cavrikas
Director, Partner Marketing
Fox Corp. 

Jennifer Cavrikas is responsible for the development and execution of partner
marketing for all networks and digital products in the Fox Corp. portfolio, including Fox, FS1, Big Ten Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel and a variety of FAST/AVOD services. Her work leverages the company’s sports, news and entertainment brands — with clients like Amazon, Hulu and YouTube TV — to acquire and retain subscribers, increase brand awareness and launch new services. Earlier, she served as manager, creative services, responsible for art direction and event marketing for the 44 national and regional programming services that comprised Fox Networks Group. In previous roles, she executed initiatives for Fox Sports networks, coordinating large-scale and local events and multiplatform media campaigns to drive network visibility and secure distribution and renewal. Cavrikas graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz and serves as board VP of The WICT Network’s Southern California chapter. In 2011, she was chosen as the chapter’s Woman to Watch.

Tal Chalozin
Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder
Innovid

Tal Chalozin is co-founder and CTO of Innovid, a connected TV and video advertising platform for advertisers to engage consumers across all screens and channels. He leads Innovid’s long-term technology vision, global product creation and implementation and business-development efforts, and also identifies and develops
emerging trends and opportunities for product innovation and digital TV/OTT collaborations. He has forged partnerships with Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Samsung, Roku and Hulu, among others, to help advertisers bring interactive video to viewers everywhere. Chalozin is a serial entrepreneur and tireless global leader in video technology. He is a board member for the IAB’s Digital Video Center of Excellence and for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was named a 2018 inductee to the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement for his significant impact on the industry via mentorship, inspiration, volunteerism and training. Prior to Innovid, he co-founded GarageGeeks, a nonprofit organization and one of Israel’s largest hacker spaces and innovation hubs. He owns several global patents in digital video technology and is a regular speaker at global events, including Cannes Lion, CES and Wired magazine’s NEXTFEST.

Stephanie Cobian
VP of Media Services and Talent Relations
TV Guestpert 

Stephanie Cobian is VP of media services and talent relations at TVGuestpert, a media development and publishing company. TVGuestpert strategizes, manages and communicates messaging for companies and their executives, providing a 360-degree PR plan. She books talent appearances on national TV and local radio, produces shows, develops content for social media and news releases and stages events. She is also co-host and producer of the broadcast podcast Front & Center with Jacquie Jordan, which aired on KSWB San Diego and KTLA Los Angeles, and hosts the media podcast WICT Wisdom. She has booked, prepped and produced “guestperts” for national radio and television appearances, host auditions and studio development pitch meetings. She is in the trenches with the producers and experts working out the details of content and elements to provide the most effective, informative and entertaining appearances. Previously, she held positions with Project: Hollywood Cares and IBN Sports and produced several radio shows for KZSB Santa Barbara. She is active on the programming board for The WICT Network’s Southern California chapter and is a volunteer for several local Los Angeles animal rescues.

Jonny Cogut
VP, Development
Jeff Jenkins Productions

As VP of development at Jeff Jenkins Productions, Jonny Cogut shepherded Netflix’s acclaimed Coming Out Colton and global reality franchise Bling Empire and has produced pilots for Lifetime, TLC, NBCU, HGTV and Discovery. Prior to JJP, Cogut was on the development team at Brian Graden Media, working across its slate of docuseries, game shows and unscripted formats. He has also served as creative director at Refinery29, developing short-form projects for digital platforms. Cogut originally worked with Jenkins when he was co-president of Bunim-Murray Productions. There, Cogut served as producer on hit series including Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Total Divas (E!), Miz & Mrs. (USA) and Lohan Beach House (MTV). Bling Empire, a series following an ultra-rich Asian-American community of friends and families in Los Angeles, was a fast hit for Netflix with a second season set to debut in 2022. On the heels of Bling’s success, JJP launched Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life, also ordered for a second season. The docuseries Coming Out Colton, following former Bachelor star Colton Underwood, is the company’s third show for Netflix. Cogut and team currently have several unannounced unscripted series in development and production for a variety of platforms.

Kelle Coleman
SVP, Global Content and Experiences
Nielsen

Kelle Coleman is responsible for broadening Nielsen’s visibility, corporate strategy and industry influence through U.S. and global event execution, content marketing, innovative marketing strategies, communications, C-suite executive engagement cross-functional collaboration, improving best practices and increasing return on investment. Coleman has always been driven by her interest in marketing, but more specifically by understanding business objectives and driving the company toward those goals in a way that tangibly impacts the bottom line. Prior to Nielsen, she served in national partnership marketing at Macy’s, managing strategic development and procurement of partnerships with brands such as American Express, Unilever and Patron Spirits for key campaign planning and event initiatives such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 4th of July Fireworks events and  the Annual Flower Show. Before joining Macy’s, Coleman held marketing positions with the New Jersey Nets and Reebok International, where she began her career. She
serves as executive sponsor for Nielsen’s Business Resource Group. She has a
bachelor of science with a business administration concentration from Florida A&M University.

Derek Crocker
VP of Collegiate Sports
Fox Sports

Derek Crocker is responsible for creating the college football and basketball broadcast schedules for Fox Sports, including which games are selected in the football “draft” process — a multifaceted, data-driven analytical process of determining the strategic planning and programming to select which games will air on the appropriate Fox Sports network. Over his 15-year career with the company, Crocker has cultivated relationships with Fox Sports’s collegiate league partners and commissioners and is the “boots on the ground” executive collaborating with Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Mountain West and Big East football and basketball conferences to navigate big-picture issues, which recently included the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past nine years, Crocker has been an integral part in maintaining Fox Sports’s relationship with the Big East as well as a part of the team that landed its Big Ten rights agreement and helped secure a new partnership with the Mountain West Conference. Beyond his corporate success and with a pay-it-forward attitude, he dedicates personal time to foster the growth and student mentorship of those with an interest in careers in sports media.

Angela Dallas
Scripted Television Agent
CAA

Angela Dallas is a television literary agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Based in Los Angeles, she represents many accomplished television writers, playwrights, producers and directors, including Morgan Cooper (Bel-Air), Steven Canals (Pose), Tim Federle (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance), Rafael Casal (Blindspotting), Dayna Lynne North (Insecure), Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim (HBO’s The Vow), Victoria Mahoney (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker, Lovecraft Country), Tom George (This Country), Dave Hill (Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time), Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (Fosse/Verdon, The Americans), Lila Byock (Watchmen, Castle Rock, Devil in the White City), David Hollander (Ray Donovan), Catalina Aguilar Mastretta (Everybody Loves Somebody), Andrew Hinderaker (Away, Let the Right One In), Malcolm Spellman’s The 51 (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Shawn Ryan’s Middkid Productions (S.W.A.T.), among others. Dallas also helps guide the television efforts of celebrated actors and artists, including Rachel Brosnahan, Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Haim, Todrick Hall, Pentatonix, Norman Reedus, Storm Reid, Emmy Rossum, RuPaul, Yara Shahidi and Kerry Washington. She began her career at ICM and joined CAA in 2011. Dallas graduated from the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio with a degree in business administration and theater.

Aileen Del Cid
Head of Marketing, Samsung TV Plus
Samsung

As head of marketing for Samsung TV Plus, Aileen Del Cid oversees all marketing operations, strategy, branding and strategic partnerships for the global streaming platform. She has more than a decade of experience in entertainment marketing and has led branding efforts, product launches, integrated campaigns and strategic partnerships for multiple organizations throughout her career. Prior to Samsung TV Plus, she held roles as CTV advertising lead marketer for DirecTV Now and digital advertising lead marketer for the DirecTV mobile app. In these roles, she oversaw marketing strategies that grew subscriber bases, managed and grew relationships with entertainment partners and emerging platform partners and was responsible for customer adoption and retention. Earlier, Del Cid worked in distribution marketing at Game Show Network, where she led the sales team through the development and execution of strategic marketing efforts to drive subscriber acquisition. She joined GSN from Universal Sports Network, where she managed and developed strategic B2B and consumer-facing marketing campaigns and governed a
multimillion-dollar marketing budget. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, and has served as a board member of The WICT Network’s Southern California chapter.

Ross Dinerstein
CEO
Campfire Studios

Ross Dinerstein is the founder and CEO of Campfire Studios, a premium production company known for its broad bench of content across scripted and unscripted, for both feature film and TV/streaming platforms. Over the past 20 years, Dinerstein has produced or executive produced more than 50 series and feature films, premiering projects at the most prestigious festivals in the world, including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and Toronto. Dinerstein and Campfire’s current and most recent projects include HBO Max’s The Way Down: Part 1 and Part 2 and Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults; Hulu’s WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn; FX’s Hysterical and The Most Dangerous Animal of All; Magnolia’s A Glitch In the Matrix; Discovery Plus’s Scream: The True Story; CNN’s The Lost Sons; Voir (executive produced by David Fincher), Neymar: The Perfect Chaos and John Grisham’s The Innocent Man, all for Netflix, as well as the streamer’s Emmy-nominated scripted series Special. Dinerstein’s first foray into the podcast space resulted in the Webby Award-winning series Abuse of Power with David Rudolf and Sonya Pfeifer. Dinerstein has also produced nine Netflix Original features, including Rattlesnake; thriller 1922, based on the Steven King novella; comedy The Package; and the streamer’s upcoming rom-com Players, starring Gina Rodriguez and Damon Wayans Jr. His credits also include IFC’s cult horror movie The Pact and feature documentaries Jiro Dreams of Sushi and Silicon Cowboys.

Lindsey Emerson
VP of Product Management
HBO Max

Lindsey Emerson is VP of product management at HBO Max and leads the Kids & Family, Accessibility, Privacy & Consent, Tools and Sports/Live teams. She joined HBO Max as a founding team member. Her team launched the Kids & Family platform in the U.S. and continues to expand the offering to kids through an autonomous and age-appropriate experience, while giving parents simple-to-understand and transparent controls within each  region. Under Emerson’s leadership, her team builds on and improves the HBO Max platform to ensure stories are accessible to everyone through thoughtful and inclusive technology features. Her team has built processes to ensure that accessibility considerations are infused into each new feature on the roadmap, while also being data-compliant within each region as global expansion continues. Her team also launched HBO Max’s sports and live capabilities in 2021, including the ability to stream live soccer, concert series and more in Latin America. Prior to joining WarnerMedia in 2017, Emerson served as director of product management for The Bouqs Co., where she drove ecommerce platform optimization and improved distribution effectiveness, helping to secure a series-C funding round of $24 million. In 2013, she joined Pluto TV as a founding product leader and managed the FAST streaming service’s launch on 15 connected TV, gaming, OTT and mobile platforms, helping to secure investment rounds through series C. She graduated with honors from the media ventures graduate program at Boston University and holds a B.A. in communications from Elon University. 

Maura Feerick 
VP, Drama Original Series
HBO Max

Maura Feerick, promoted to VP of drama original series in April 2021, is part of the core programming team that launched HBO Max in May 2020, charged with developing an offering geared toward Gen Z and millennial audiences. Among the shows on her slate are The Staircase; Tokyo Vice; Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a new generation of the series based on the pop-culture phenomenon from showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; and Love Life, a romantic comedy anthology starring Anna Kendrick and produced by Paul Feig. She also played an integral role in developing The Suicide Squad spinoff Peacemaker for HBO Max. Prior to HBO Max, Feerick worked on the launch of TNT hit drama series Claws, overseeing three seasons. She also oversaw Patty Jenkins’s period mystery I Am the Night, as well as sci-fi epic Snowpiercer, now in its fourth season. Before joining WarnerMedia, Feerick worked in television production at NBCUniversal, E! and Film 44. She is a graduate of The George Washington University and majored in communications and electronic media and is an active member of The WICT Network.

Joey Femia
VP, Current Programming
Universal Television Alternative Studio

As VP of current programming, Joey Femia oversees a wide range of series including live music competition American Song Contest, hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson; comedy-variety event series That’s My Jam, hosted by Jimmy Fallon; Weakest Link, hosted by Jane Lynch; and College Bowl, hosted by Peyton Manning. Femia is also responsible for previous notable projects including holiday baking competition series Baking It, hosted by Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg; LeBron James’s The Wall; Hollywood Game Night; World of Dance; and more. Femia began his career as part of Walt Disney World’s professional internship program. He went on to Blue Man Group as a stagehand at Universal Orlando Resort, followed by a production internship in New York at ABC’s The View. He relocated to Los Angeles in 2013 as a production assistant on programs ranging from NBC’s The Voice to The Academy Awards to The Grammy Awards. He then joined NBCUniversal as a coordinator in the alternative programming division before rising to director of current programming in 2020 at Universal Television Alternative Studio. Femia graduated with a B.A. in radio and television production and a B.S. in event management from the University of Central Florida.

Laura Forti
SVP, Business Operations, HBO, HBO Max TNT, TBS and truTV
Warner Bros. Discovery

As senior VP of business operations for HBO, HBO Max and The TNets (TNT, TBS and truTV), Laura Forti is responsible for business operations for original programming across these platforms and works to support expansion of these businesses. In this recently expanded role, Forti is responsible for coordinating all matters related to the distribution of original content from the four brands as well as creating strategy and executing deals for international original content created for HBO Max. She also works with international partners to expand the global reach of the brands’ U.S. programming and build new partnerships with third parties such as Sky and the BBC. She began working for the company in 2006, when it acquired her previous employer, Court TV. She has held a variety of roles within the international distribution and business affairs divisions. Based in Los Angeles, she reports to Susanna Felleman, executive VP of business affairs. She is a graduate of  The WICT Network’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.

Carrie Gillogly
SVP, Scripted Programming & Co-Head of AMC Scripted Series
AMC Networks

Carrie Gillogly has overseen such AMC series as Into The Badlands, The Terror, The Son, Dispatches from Elsewhere from Jason Segel and the stop-motion animated Ultra City Smiths, created by Steve Conrad, and currently oversees the production of AMC’s forthcoming animated drama Pantheon, as well as the series Kevin Can F*** Himself starring Annie Murphy and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, written by Rolin Jones. Based in Los Angeles, Miller shares duties with senior VP Emma Miller and reports to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment & AMC Studios. Before AMC, Gillogly worked as an executive at Gerber Pictures, participating in the development of such projects as Gran Torino and A Star Is Born. Since joining AMC in 2012, Gillogly has risen through the ranks, becoming an instrumental leader of the company’s development team responsible for attracting new voices and stories. A champion of mentorship and inclusion, Gillogly serves as an executive sponsor of Elevate, the AMC Networks employee resource group dedicated to empowering the personal and professional growth of women employees and allies across the organization. 

Lindsey Green
SVP, Content Sales
Disney Platform Distribution

Lindsey Green, a 17-year veteran of The Walt Disney Co., is responsible for licensing feature films and television content from The Walt Disney Studios and Disney General Entertainment Content as senior VP, content sales, in Disney Platform Distribution. Her business responsibilities include domestic and global subscription video-on-demand and advertising-supported VOD platforms, West Coast-based cable networks and select pay TV networks. She and her team also manage the company’s distribution of content to its direct-to-consumer streaming services — Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu — and its linear networks. Her client roster includes Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Starz, Roku and Tubi. Prior to her content sales role, Green oversaw key distribution agreements across a wide array of media platforms including MVPDs, digital retailers, global airlines and hotels. 

Will Gurman
VP, Global Partnerships & Content Strategy
Paramount Streaming

Will Gurman works cross-functionally to optimize the growth and performance of Pluto TV’s content partnerships and Paramount’s vast content library and to expand the global reach and monetization of the content Pluto TV acquires. He sources, evaluates and acquires TV series, films, sports and digital content to distribute across Pluto TV’s expanding FAST platform consisting of ad-supported live, linear channels and on-demand properties. He also manages key partnerships with top entertainment and news networks, major studios and indie distributors by delivering business reviews, optimizing content pipelines and developing and executing against individualized strategic plans. Before Paramount, he was senior director of content acquisition and strategy at Fullscreen, playing a key role bringing Fullscreen’s SVOD service to market by shaping content strategy, budget plan and programming schedule by sourcing and acquiring content for a millennial and Gen-Z audience. He began his career at 20th Century Fox Television in the brand management and strategy group. He graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in political science and earned an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Business.

Rachel Koehler 
VP, Original Content
Tubi

Rachel Koehler brings a holistic and creative approach to Tubi’s content strategy, leveraging a wide range of industry experience and expertise across programming development, content acquisitions and digital sales. With a keen eye for splashy and breakthrough content, Koehler most recently helped lead Tubi’s debut into originals, playing an active part in developing more than 140 hours of Tubi Originals in 2021 alone. From script to screen, she has shepherded premium independent-minded titles across the Black cinema, thriller, horror, sci-fi, romance and Western genres. Koehler also led the development of Tubi’s upcoming original movie event Corrective Measures starring Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker, slated to premiere in 2022. She previously led the indie content acquisitions and partnerships team at Tubi, forming partnerships with major studios and brands including Samuel Goldwyn, Lego, Mattel, FilmRise and Magnolia, and she spearheaded Tubi’s content deal with STXfilms. \

Prachi Kohli
Legal Affairs
National Diversity Coalition (NDC)

Prachi Kohli is a lawyer by profession, currently working in legal affairs with the National Diversity Coalition (NDC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for greater opportunity, financial equality and economic empowerment for the diverse, minority and LMI communities and to being a voice for the voiceless. NDC partners with cable and telecom companies, program networks, financial institutions and others to bring information and initiatives to low-income communities aimed at creating economic opportunities. With NDC, Kohli also is advocating for Chime TV, the upcoming Asian American-owned network featuring Asian culture and entertainment. Charter Communications is the first launch partner for Chime TV. Raised in India, she has been passionate about working for equal opportunity and has a deep appreciation for diverse cultures. She joined the NDC in 2019. She wishes to use her legal skills to serve and advocate for the right thing and to continue to empower the next generation. Outside of work, she has a keen interest in astronomy and developments in outer space exploration. She also enjoys sci-fi documentaries and Bollywood movies.

Megan Macmillan
SVP, Comedy Development
Universal Television

Megan Macmillan joined Universal Television as manager, comedy development in 2016, promoted to VP, comedy development in 2019 and now is senior VP. While at UTV, she has been involved in developing multiple series for home networks NBC and Peacock, most recently including Grand Crew, Girls5eva, MacGruber, Killing It and the upcoming Pitch Perfect. She focuses on comedy, diversity and inclusion as fundamental aspects of these series. She also has been integral to developing Universal's dynamic streaming slate including Schmigadoon! for Apple TV Plus, Harlem for Amazon Prime Video and the upcoming series Blockbuster, starring Randall Park as one of the employees at the last remaining U.S. Blockbuster Video store, for Netflix. Macmillan came from Davis Entertainment where she served as a creative executive in both television and film and previously had stints at Sony Pictures Television in the comedy development department and CAA.

Patrick McCarthy
VP, Series Publicity & Talent Relations
Universal Studio Group 

Patrick McCarthy is VP of series publicity and talent relations at Universal Studio Group: scripted studios UCP and Universal Television, unscripted studio Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios. Under the mentorship of executive VP of communications and marketing Tracy St. Pierre, McCarthy leads campaign strategies for programming including Hacks, The Umbrella Academy, American Song Contest, Girls5Eva, Chucky and Dick Wolf’s Law & Order, One Chicago and FBI franchises.  Recently, he implemented campaigns for groundbreaking television series including As We See It, featuring a neurodiverse lead cast; and We Are Lady Parts, about a group of Muslim women setting out to be rock stars; as well as Dr. Death and The Girl From Plainville, two limited series with pro-social messages of patient safety and mental health awareness, respectively.He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, film and television writer Tyler Christensen, and their dogs Lambeau and Brom Bones.

Maryam Mehrtash
VP, Integrated Marketing, CBS Entertainment & Paramount Plus 
Paramount

Maryam Mehrtash oversees Paramount Plus, CBS Entertainment and CBS Media Ventures and is responsible for driving revenue by proactively positioning the platforms and their programming to the advertising marketplace and overseeing post-sale execution for monetized opportunities. Having spearheaded Paramount Plus’s go-to-market launch strategy in 2021, Mehrtash has led the team through a period of exponential growth by innovating in creating novel opportunities for brands. She brings to her role more than 15 years of experience in content, marketing and sales across entertainment and media. She has driven multimillion-dollar sales strategy and execution from CBS late night to The Grammy Awards to multiplatform franchises including Star Trek, Yellowstone spinoff 1883, The Challenge and the upcoming Halo. Prior to Paramount, Mehrtash led the digital monetization strategy for KTLA Los Angeles, was a consultant and adviser to top media and television agencies and produced two lifestyle television shows. A gifted storyteller, her clear-eyed vision, trailblazing spirit and creative drive have led her to constantly push boundaries to bring custom solutions to brands and the industry at large. 

Emma Miller
SVP, Co-Head of AMC Scripted Development
AMC Networks 

In her role as senior VP and co-head of AMC Scripted Development and Programming for nine years, Emma Miller focuses equally on developing new series and overseeing current shows. Her credits include Fear The Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels; The Son, Dietland, NOS4A2, Soulmates, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and the upcoming Dark Winds. Previously, Miller was a creative executive at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, where she worked on FX’s The Americans, Under the Dome and Showtime’s The Borgias; and as a creative executive at Grady Twins, Marti Noxon and Dawn Olmstead’s production company. In 2022, AMC Networks will premiere its largest original content slate to date, with Miller at the helm of some of its most anticipated dramas, including Dark Winds, a psychological thriller executive produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford, based on the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman. The show features a writers’ room staffed entirely by Native American writers, with a cast led by Zahn McClarnon and featuring Native American actors, filmed largely in and around Native American lands, with the full support of the Navajo Nation. Miller began her career as a literary assistant at The William Morris Agency, later WME. Based in Los Angeles, Miller shares duties with SVP of scripted programming Carrie Gillogly and reports to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios.

Jordan Neyer
SVP, Corporate Strategy
Crown Media Family Networks

Jordan Neyer leads the strategic planning and growth tactics that support the advancement of overall performance at Crown Media Family Networks (Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama; Hallmark Movies Now and Hallmark Publishing). He has been a transformational strategic leader guiding the evolution of the Hallmark portfolio, including linear and OTT platforms, and has been successful in creating new media entities based on existing Hallmark IP. He works directly with company executives and stakeholders to develop both long and short-term strategic initiatives that will improve the business’s growth and profitability. Prior to joining Crown Media, Neyer was VP of media and entertainment at Metrixlab, where he led commercial strategy and new business development. Previously, he was VP of strategy at Fox Networks Digital Consumer Group and held additional strategic roles at Fox Film and Fox Home Entertainment. “What differentiates Jordan from others is his strong collaborative skills, congenial demeanor, and a fearless approach to examining the future state of our business and our industry,” Crown Media CEO Wonya Lucas said. 

Sarah Pilla
Multimedia Journalist
Spectrum News 1

Sarah Pilla is an Emmy award-winning multimedia journalist for Spectrum News 1, where she covers lifestyle, entertainment and the environment for the 24/7 local news network. In 2021, she won a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for  “Outstanding Environment News Story” for “Oceana Trash” on the dangers of plastics and their effect on ocean ecosystems. Since joining Spectrum News 1 SoCal, she’s covered national politics, Hollywood awards shows, lifestyle and wellness topics, but she is a passionate advocate for the environment and our changing climate. Pilla is dedicated to helping viewers understand the importance of preserving our planet through everyday lifestyle choices. Prior to Spectrum News 1, she hosted lifestyle shows at Ignite Now Media, and also served as an anchor for One America News Network and as a sports anchor and reporter at KSAN San Angelo, Texas. She holds a B.A. in journalism from California State University, Northridge in 2011 and is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher.

Anastasia Puglisi
SVP and Supervising Producer
Wolf Entertainment

As senior VP and supervising producer for Wolf Entertainment, Anastasia Puglisi is responsible for day-to-day creative and production-related activities for all Wolf Entertainment’s scripted series: Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International newly rebooted series Law & Order and all development and operations-related activity at the company. She joined Wolf Entertainment in 2015 and quickly rose through the ranks, advancing from a showrunner’s assistant on Chicago Fire to an executive in just a few years. The Connecticut native graduated from Fordham University with a degree in communications, film studies and business administration and is a classically trained ballet dancer. Prior to joining Wolf, Puglisi was as a freelance production coordinator in independent film in both New York and Los Angeles. 

Si Rajadhyax
Multiplatform Producer
Cox Media Group

Originally from Lake George, New York, Si Rajadhyax’s passion for music production took him to Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, to earn a degree in entertainment business. He began his story with Cox Media Group by pursuing an internship at radio station WPYO (Power 95.3), which eventually led to his current position as multiplatform producer. Over the last 10 years, he has filled different roles at Cox  and excelled in digital content creation. His talents and work ethic brought him to Atlanta to join an emerging corporate team focused on OTT content and the evolving media landscape. When not behind the camera, Rajadhyax is as an actor, DJ, podcaster, singer/music producer, host and personality. He has a strong passion for innovation and said his ultimate goal is to stay happy, stay learning, spend more time with family, make people smile and entertain. 

Jenny Ramirez
SVP, Unscripted Programming
TBS, TNT, truTV 

Over the past five years, Jenny Ramirez has developed a slate of premium nonfiction projects across TNT, TBS and truTV. Highlights include launching four top cable comedies: Snoop Dogg Presents: The Joker’s Wild, The Misery Index, TBS’s reboot of Wipeout and the network’s first cooking competition, Rat in the Kitchen. She oversaw TNT’s live medical series Chasing the Cure and AEW’s first spinoff series, Rhodes to the Top. She is currently leading Rich & Shameless, TNT’s first foray back into the world of true crime since Cold Justice, followed by dating social experiment The Big D and comedic variety show Stupid Pet Tricks. Both series will premiere on TBS in 2022. Her passion for storytelling began while serving as assistant editor for legendary book publisher Judith Regan. Then, while working in FremantleMedia’s nonscripted development department, she adapted formats for the U.S. and modernized game shows from the Mark Goodson library. She developed series for A&E, NBC, Fox, MTV, CBS and Syfy.

Lynzie Riebling
VP, Insights
Revolt TV

Lynzie Riebling, VP of insights at Revolt TV, has earned a reputation as a creative and effective powerhouse within the insights industry. Specializing in qualitative research, she approaches her work in a way that most don’t — by valuing human behaviors over big data and finding new and unique approaches to reach consumers. She does this using her interdisciplinary background in insights and strategy to keep her finger on the pulse of culture, identify emerging youth trends, track consumer shifts within the millennial and Gen Z mindset, and map out the ever-evolving media landscape. “I thought I wanted to work in fashion — which is what initially prompted my move to NYC, but after taking a market research class my junior year of college I realized it was indeed insights that spoke to my soul and never looked back,” she said. Profiled in Forbes and other publications for her research analysis, she is an expert panelist (for The WICT Network and the California Cable Telecommunications Association, among others). Despite her youth, her research expertise spans more than a decade.  

Christina Rieger
Director of Sales, National
Ampersand

Christina Rieger has spent the last 10 years of her career in the addressable TV space engaging with clients and agencies on an audience-first approach to buying and measuring TV media. She is a tireless client advocate and constantly challenges the norms of how traditional television should be measured and bought. As a pioneer in the addressable space, she has had a front-row seat for the convergence of TV and digital. With her role at Ampersand as director of sales, national, she is moving TV forward by simplifying addressable activation for her clients with direct access to audiences at scale across 52 million-plus addressable homes and providing more in depth data and measurement across a client‘s full TV investment. In 2021, Rieger and her team surpassed revenue targets, reaching 160% of its goal for Ampersand’s West Coast unit. She is passionate about reducing her carbon footprint whether it’s recycling, creating less waste or driving zero-emissions vehicles. She also is a passionate animal lover, rescuing multiple cats and dogs and donating to animal welfare charities.

Kimberly Rosenblum
SVP, Business and Legal Affairs
ITV Studios America

As senior VP of business and legal affairs at ITV Studios America, Kimberly Rosenblum serves as a lead negotiator for the production of premium scripted content for distribution via streaming, cable, and broadcast networks and as an adviser to her creative colleagues. A graduate of Stanford University and USC Gould School of Law, Rosenblum began her career at Weintraub Tobin. She lives in Westwood, Los Angeles, with her husband, Eli Greif. She transitioned seamlessly from representing high-end talent at a major California law firm to handling a wide variety of business and legal matters for ITV Studios America. She contributes greatly to ITVSA’s goal of maintaining an independent studio culture rooted in collaboration, ingenuity and supporting its production and creative colleagues. As an experienced talent attorney, Rosenblum is able to look at deals from the talent’s point of view, thereby supporting ITVSA’s mission to foster a talent-friendly environment. She is committed to finding creative and collaborative solutions when making deals. 

Andrew Schotz
Head of Development
Anvil 1893 Entertainment

Award-winning producer and director Andrew Schotz serves as head of development of prolific production company Anvil 1893. Having joined the company in 2016, Schotz produced Kids Say the Darndest Things starring Tiffany Haddish for CBS (he also worked on the series’s previous run on ABC) and developed the primetime original series Money Court for CNBC, starring Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary and currently in preproduction on season two. His credits also include CBS’s primetime hidden camera show I Get That a Lot, MTV’s dating show Time’s Up, History’s Transition of Power and Travel Channel’s America’s Secret Swimming Holes. Schotz’s career launched in 2012 when he directed, produced and edited the viral video “Grandmas Watch the Kardashian Sex Tape,” which garnered more than 6 million views and was nominated for Viral Video of the Year. The viral sensation caught the eyes of millions, including Oprah Winfrey, which ultimately led to The Golden Sisters TV series on OWN. He has produced nine national commercial spots and continues producing and directing online content. 

Samantha Serigano
National Advanced TV Account Director
Ampersand

Samantha Serigano has been in the ever-evolving TV industry for five-plus years and at Ampersand has helped build the foundation for national and local data-driven TV on digital and linear platforms across the West Coast. She started at Ampersand as a digital account manager, then as a digital account director, cultivating relationships and building strategic partnerships across a wide portfolio of agencies and brands in the media marketplace. She migrated to the Ampersand National Advanced Advertising Team, where she has been responsible for growing the largest portfolio of addressable-TV partnerships across a multitude of brands. Since National Cable Communications rebranded as Ampersand in 2019, followed by its launch of the AND Platform, she has been one of the most visible evangelists in getting clients to adopt a cross-platform, integrated approach. She volunteers at a local daycare center/preschool, teaching art classes, and organizes weekend volunteer events to help local food banks. She also participates in Malibu/Topanga Beach cleanups a few times a year, as she is passionate about a clean environment.

Ariana Tejero
Senior Producer
Spectrum News 1

Ariana Tejero is the senior producer of Spectrum News 1’s weekday evening newscast, Your Evening on Spectrum News 1, in Southern California. 
She also manages the news department’s internship program. She has poise and credentials far beyond her years. Previous roles range from intern to executive
producer, the latter position in which she oversaw eight shows and mentored seven reporters at a local NBC station upon college graduation. She started working professionally in 2015, as a sophomore in college, at that NBC affiliate. In 2016, her junior year, she launched an ongoing local talk show there that went on to win an Emmy the subsequent year. Tejero earned a B.A. in screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University, graduating as valedictorian of the School of Film and Television in 2017. 

Simon Thomas
President of ITV Entertainment and Head of International Programming
ITV

Simon Thomas oversees ITV Entertainment’s robust slate, shepherding the development, sale and production of splashy formats and live-event programming. At ITV America, Thomas has overseen or executive-produced a range of hit series for broadcast and cable networks, as well as streaming platforms, including Love Island; musical competition The FOUR and American Grit with John Cena for Fox; Pawn Stars and Forged in Fire for History; and HBO Max’s upcoming My Mom, Your Dad; as well as projects for ABC, A&E, Food Network, Facebook Watch, National Geographic, Netflix, NFL Network and TLC. Prior to joining the ITV America group — first as a showrunner for ITV America’s Leftfield Pictures — Thomas had accrued more than a dozen years of experience across all genres of unscripted television, including live, studio, documentary and reality programming. He spent several years at Endemol Australia, where he worked on large format reality hits such as Big Brother and Beauty & The Geek Australia. He also helped develop several shows while producing smaller projects such as the acclaimed series Last Chance Surgery. 

Kenny Tsai
SVP, Current Programming
Universal Content Productions

As a senior VP, current programming at Universal Content Productions, Kenny Tsai oversees a roster of shows that include Queer as Folk, The Umbrella Academy and Chucky. He was previously VP of current programming at Universal Television, where he was responsible for overseeing drama and comedy series, including the recently launched Bel-Air on Peacock as well as Netflix’s Master of None and Never Have I Ever; Amazon Prime Video’s Harlem; Peacock’s Saved by the Bell; and the Apple TV Plus anthology series Little America. He started in the industry as the showrunner’s assistant on HBO’s Emmy-winning Boardwalk Empire before moving over to UCP and then Universal Television, where he worked on A&E’s Bates Motel and NBC’s Good Girls. He has been a champion of series focused on diverse stories and characters from the start. 

Thomas Wadsworth
Chief Product Officer
Struum 

Thomas Wadsworth is co-founder and chief product officer of Struum, a new type of streaming service backed by Michael Eisner’s venture firm Tornante, Canadian-based media company Corus Entertainment and investment firm Gaingels, aimed at creating a simpler way for people to find and uncover programming they may love from across an increasingly cluttered premium SVOD landscape. He oversees all product, user experience, program management and R&D across customer-facing apps and backend tools. He is focused on delivering a product that allows customers to sample content from a wide variety of services and select the ones that they want to enjoy on a monthly basis. As an executive in the digital media and entertainment space, Wadsworth has led the charge on innovations for some of the largest brands. Prior to Struum, he held leadership positions across innovation groups within The Walt Disney Co. for over 12 years, leading product, research and design teams both domestically and internationally to create new product categories and business models that present new revenue opportunities. He held leadership roles within Disney Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney Imagineering, Pixar and Disney Interactive Labs as they expanded into new direct-to-consumer offerings such as voice-enabled devices, smart home products, AR headsets and SVOD across online, mobile, in-park and OTT. 

Mary-Hollis Williams
Senior Director, Talent Relations
Fox Sports

Mary-Hollis Williams is an experienced producer and booker of A-list musical artists and talent. She joined Fox Sports in 2018 and oversees all guest bookings for its high-profile live events, celebrity guests for FS1’s daily studio shows and talent bookings across all Fox Sports platforms. Williams currently heads up the talent booking team at Fox Sports for the NFL, MLB, WWE, FS1, college football and the biggest events in live sports, including Super Bowl LIV, the World Series and the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Prior to joining Fox Sports, Williams spent several years producing content for media companies including CBS, Comedy Central, ABC, Fox and Amazon. She has secured celebrities, musicians, athletes, authors and comedians since 2010. In 2014, Williams secured the first ever late-night performance from Metallica at CBS for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson — a week-long residency of Metallica’s biggest hits. She went on to produce notable episodes with John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Bob Weir, Ryan Adams and John Legend for CBS guest-hosted episodes. 

Elliot Wolf
EVP of Digital
Wolf Entertainment

Elliot Wolf leads all of Wolf Entertainment’s digital initiatives including podcasting, social media, e-commerce and licensing. As a senior executive, he oversees brand strategy and is involved in project development for streaming platforms. Over the past two years, he has overseen the company’s rebrand from Wolf Films to Wolf Entertainment and accumulated over 1.3 million followers for the brand on social media. He serves as the executive producer of IMDb TV’s new half-hour police drama, On Call. Previously, he executive-produced fiction podcast Hunted, starring Parker Posey, in association with Endeavor Content. He also developed and executive-produced The Squadroom, the companion podcast to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He also oversees development and production of several upcoming audio fiction series. He has launched a successful merchandising business for Wolf and its franchises (Law & Order, Chicago, FBI) while leveraging newly created marketing channels to expand the company into new mediums of storytelling. 

Stefanie Zuroff
Director, Business Development & Content Partnerships
Samsung

Stefanie Zuroff has spent the past few years helping to build Samsung’s fast-growing FAST channel platform, Samsung TV Plus. In her current role, she oversees all third-party channel licensing and is responsible for sourcing and negotiating licensing agreements with linear and VOD content owners to enhance the content offering on the platform. Prior to her role at Samsung, Zuroff spent five years working at AT&T/DirecTV in content acquisition, negotiating licensing agreements and managing the day-to-day relationships with traditional and digital-native content partners for DirecTV’s streaming platforms, including TV everywhere, OTT, VOD and mobile. Prior to DirecTV, she worked in content strategy and acquisition at Verizon Fios, helping to launch the Fios TV EST offering and TV-everywhere mobile and web platforms. She also has worked on the content creation/distribution side, in business development at Fuse/MSG Networks and in the music business at Universal Music Group. She has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. ▪️

Broadcasting+Cable, Multichannel News and Next TV have named the 2022 L.A. TV Week 40 Under 40. The honorees will be feted June 7 at the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Part of Future's L.A. TV Week, the 40 Under 40 program recognizes industry pioneers who are pushing the boundaries of innovation. Recipients will be recognized in the May issue of B+C Multichannel News.

The complete list of 40 Under 40 is below in alphabetical order:

Nicole Baio, Partnerships, VIZIO

Eli Baldrige, Senior VP of Development, A. Smith & Co. Productions

Michael Bucklin, Senior VP, Digital Content, FOX Sports

Jennifer Cavrikas, Director, Partner Marketing, FOX Corporation

Tal Chalozin, CTO and Co-Founder, INNOVID

Stephanie Cobian, VP of Media Services and Talent Relations, TVGuestpert

Jonny Cogut, VP, Development, Jeff Jenkins Productions

Kelle Coleman, Senior VP, Global Content and Experiences, Nielsen

Derek Crocker, VP, Collegiate Sports, FOX Sports

Angela Dallas, Scripted Television Agent, CAA

Aileen Del Cid, Head of Marketing, Samsung TV Plus, Samsung

Ross Dinerstein, CEO, Campfire Studios

Lindsey Emerson, VP of Product Management, HBO Max

Maura Feerick, VP, Drama Original Series, HBO Max at WarnerMedia

Joey Femia, VP, Current Programming, Universal Television Alternative Studio

Laura Forti, Senior VP, Business Operations HBO, HBO Max, TNT, tbs and truTV, WarnerMedia

Carrie Gillogly, Senior VP, Scripted Programming & Co-Head of AMC Scripted Series, AMC Networks

Lindsey Green, Senior VP, Content Sales, Disney Platform Distribution

Will Gurman, VP, Global Partnerships & Content Strategy, Pluto TV

Rachel Koehler, VP, Original Content, Tubi

Prachi Kohli, Legal Affairs, National Diversity Coalition (NDC)

Megan Macmillan, VP, Comedy Development, Universal Television

Patrick McCarthy, VP, Series Publicity & Talent Relations, Universal Studio Group

Maryam Mehrtash, VP, Integrated Marketing, CBS Entertainment & Paramount+, Paramount

Emma Miller, Senior VP, Scripted Development, AMC Networks

Jordan Neyer, Senior VP, Corporate Strategy, Crown Media Family Networks

Sarah Pilla, Multimedia Journalist, Spectrum News 1

Anastasia Puglisi, Senior VP, Wolf Entertainment

Si Rajadhyax, Multi-Platform Producer, Cox Media Group

Jenny Ramirez, Senior VP, Unscripted Programming, Warnermedia (TBS, TNT, truTV)

Lynzie Riebling, VP, Insights, REVOLT TV

Christina Rieger, Director of Sales, National, Ampersand

Kimberly Rosenblum, Senior VP, ITV Studios America

Andrew Schotz, Head of Development, Anvil 1893 Entertainment

Samantha Serigano, National Advanced TV Account Director, Ampersand

Ariana Tejero, Senior Producer, Spectrum News 1

Simon Thomas, President of ITV Entertainment and Head of International Programming, ITV

Kenny Tsai, Senior VP, Current Programming, Universal Content Productions

Thomas Wadsworth, CPO, Struum, Inc.

Mary-Hollis Williams, Senior Director, Talent Relations, FOX Sports

Elliot Wolf, Executive VP of Digital, Wolf Entertainment

Stefanie Zuroff, Director, Business & Development & Content Partnerships - Samsung TV Plus, Samsung. ■

Nominations are now open (until February 22) for the "40 Under 40" event planned in Los Angeles on June 7 by Future media and entertainment brands Broadcasting+Cable, Multichannel News and Next TV. The in-person event will be held at the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills as part of the Future publications' L.A. TV Week. 

For more information, please visit the event website. 

Nominations are open until February 11, meanwhile, for Wonder Women of Los Angeles, ahead of a gala breakfast event on June 6. For more please visit mcnwonderwomen.com. 

From over-the-top and cross-platform video and new metrics — to big data, digital disruption and economic challenges — the business of developing and delivering content is transforming like never before.

Standing at the forefront of this industry revolution is a special group of creative, imaginative and tech-savvy visionaries offering new perspectives and game-changing ideas. They’re helping to create, market and sell what viewers are watching on both big and small screens. And they’re a diverse group of professionals with one thing in common: They’re all younger than 40 years old.

Meet the 40 individuals who’ll be celebrated on Oct. 30 during an early-evening event in the Empire Penthouse of Manhattan nightclub 230 Fifth as Multichannel News and B&C honor the 2019 group of 40 Under 40. Part of NYC Television Week, the event will feature red carpet arrivals, cocktails and a chance to network with other industry professionals. The evening will be co-hosted by WNYW New York entertainment reporter Ryan Kristafer and Kyle Cooke of Bravo’s Summer House, with special appearances by Summer House co-stars Amanda Batula and Carl Radke.

Daniel Alvarez
Vice President of Product and Design, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations

A product leader with more than 15 years of experience building mobile products, Daniel Alvarez helps teams at NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations navigate the intersection of media and technology. He leads a team of product managers and UX/UI designers that aim to create the best digital experiences for local NBC and Telemundo audiences. By instilling a culture of collaboration, creativity and healthy risk-taking, Alvarez and his team have pioneered new vertical storytelling products helping NBC/Telemundo stations attract and build new audiences in nonlinear platforms. Earlier, he had served as head of product and design at HuffPost. Previously, he held product and engineering roles at AOL, Nextel International, Motorola and Verizon International.

Samira Panah Bakhtiar
Senior Sales Leader, North East Media & Cable, Amazon Web Services

Samira Panah Bakhtiar’s work, leading a team of highly passionate engineers and sales team members at AWS and at Cisco Systems (where she served as managing director for their media operation), has led to strategic alignment and business transformation at some of the world’s largest media conglomerates — focused on introducing innovation and enhancing operational efficiency in the areas of production, contribution, post production and primary and secondary distribution. Her humanitarian work centers on the abolishment of human trafficking and, in 2015, she launched Bridge2Act, a venture aimed at transforming the charitable giving landscape through the use of technology.

Matt Barnes
Senior Director, Programmatic Sales and Strategy, Disney Advertising Sales

Matt Barnes’s job responsibilities include driving all advanced advertising revenue offerings and partnerships across The Walt Disney Co.’s entertainment, news, sports and kids linear and digital TV portfolio, including ABC, Disney Channels Worldwide, ESPN, Freeform, FX Networks and National Geographic Networks, as well as the Disney Digital Network, the company’s online, mobile and social offerings. In addition to his programmatic sales role, Barnes leads strategic audience-based sales initiatives across the company. Barnes and his team define Disney’s programmatic strategy around live events and premium longform video. Prior to Disney, Barnes spent six years at various media agencies focused around roles in strategic planning and digital investment.

Leonardo Bittan
Director of Digital Products, Sales and Distribution, HBO Latin America

Leonardo Bittan has been a key member during the launch and management of various consumer software products for HBO, notably including HBO Go, in Latin America. He builds strategic relationships with HBO partners such as Apple, Google, device manufacturers and pay TV operators in the region. Bittan has driven subscriber growth and revenue through new subscription models, as well as retention marketing, and has been a major contributor in HBO’s customer-focused strategy while leveraging data-driven decision-making. Before joining HBO in 2010, he was a digital marketing strategist for McCann Worldgroup.

Sebastian Burkhardt
Managing Director, Global Content, Keshet International

Sebastian Burkhardt oversees the creative development, production, funding and acquisition of premium high-end dramas aimed at the global market. Tasked with growing Keshet International’s scripted intellectual property catalog, Burkhardt is tapping into new financing models and revenue streams through creative and commercial partnerships. His division works with international and local creators and emerging platforms on a mix of original development, co-producing opportunities and deficit financing models. Burkhardt and his team also actively work with third-party producers on innovative funding models through investments drawn from Keshet’s $65 million Content Fund, which was launched in 2018 in partnership with several of Israel’s largest holding and asset-management companies.

Josh Clark
Senior Vice President of Distribution and Business Development, Viacom

Josh Clark is responsible for negotiating content agreements and managing partnerships across traditional and digital distributors spanning pay TV, subscription video-on-demand, TV everywhere, mobile and others. He was elevated to co-lead Viacom’s Deal Structuring and Planning team, which oversees the strategy and formulation of agreements across all major MVPD accounts. Prior to joining Viacom, he served as VP of programming at Dish Network, helping to launch Sling TV and obtain key distribution renewals for Dish’s satellite-TV service and TV everywhere products. He began his career in General Electric’s Financial Management Program at NBCUniversal, where he later moved to sales and digital distribution roles in the affiliate-sales organization.

Jessica Daigle
Vice President, Sales Intelligence, Tegna Media 

Jessica Daigle is focused on using data to help broadcaster, programmer and publisher Tegna grow revenue. In this role, she is responsible for Tegna’s efforts around TV and OTT attribution, spot TV pricing, digital programmatic revenue and sales analytics. Before joining Tegna, she was senior VP of analytics and consumer marketing for Remedy Health Media, where she was responsible for the measurement and audience development strategy for the company’s network of health information websites. Prior to Remedy, Daigle ran an analytics team at Media Contacts, part of Havas Digital. She graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor of arts.

Yoel Flohr
Executive Vice President of Digital and Franchise Development, AMC Networks and Studios

Yoel Flohr is responsible for the strategy and planning related to maximizing the value of AMC-owned assets and intellectual property, overseeing franchises such as The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Talking Dead, Into the Badlands and The Terror. He also is driving overall digital business for AMC Networks & Studios. Prior to joining AMCN, his background includes co-founding Thirty Labs Inc., a New York-based startup studio focused on the emerging digital video space. He also founded Ventuation, a strategic consulting and digital incubation firm, and was the VP for digital at Shine Group, among other digital media activities.

Abe Geiger
Chief Product Officer, Hudson MX

At Hudson MX, Abe Geiger is helping to level the playing field between media buyers and their digital media peers. He oversees product development and design at the firm. Drawing from his track record as the founder and CEO of Shake, a mobile-first legal tech company acquired by LegalShield in 2015, he is responsible for solving the manual headaches of buying and inspiring teams of engineers, product managers and agency partners to innovate. He also co-founded the NYC Turing Fellows program to bring more engineering talent to New York City startups and serves on the board of InSITE, a graduate student organization focused on entrepreneurship and technology.

Ryan Gould
Senior Vice President of Sales and Client Partnerships, Ad Sales WarnerMedia

Ryan Gould focuses on developing a cohesive sales strategy across CNN’s digital portfolio, which includes premium verticals, mobile products, programmatic and Great Big Story. Based in New York, he reports to Christine Cook, senior vice president and chief revenue officer of CNN Digital. Gould rose to this new leadership position in February 2018 and oversees a team of digital sellers focused on a solutions-led, consultative sales approach. Gould was one of the first sales employees at Bleacher Report, which WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports acquired in 2012. Prior to joining Bleacher Report, Gould spent over four years at Burst Media, where he formed the foundation of his sales experience.

Ross Habif
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy A+E Networks

Ross Habif leads and was a founding member of the A+E Networks Corporate Development & Strategy team. In this role, he has successfully completed a variety of investments and divestments in many media verticals, served on multiple boards of directors and also managed A+E’s ongoing investment portfolio. His team is also tasked with generating responses to critical industry trends and cultivating internal opportunities to generate continued corporate growth. Prior to taking on his current responsibilities, Ross held positions with A+E Networks on both its distribution and analytics teams. He began his career in advertising sales with Comcast Spotlight.

Evan Hills
Senior Vice President of Development and Strategy, Dstillery

Evan Hills is passionate about bringing data-driven decisioning to brands and agencies to improve efficacy and minimize waste in marketing and advertising in an increasingly data-driven world. What excites him is increasing the adoption of data-driven methodology to all aspects of the marketing funnel (from market research to performance advertising) to make sure brands are finding and targeting the correct customers. He runs Dstillery’s business development team, focusing on corporate strategy and data partnerships with both data owners and activation platforms. He joined Dstillery in 2014 and has managed partnerships with social platforms LinkedIn, Twitter, TheTradeDesk and AppNexus, to name a few.

Keith P. Hopkins
Senior Vice President, Distribution, Nexstar Media Group

Keith P. Hopkins oversees strategic local content distribution initiatives and affiliate relations for Nexstar’s broadcast and digital operations in 100 markets across the United States. Prior to joining Nexstar, Hopkins served as VP of affiliate sales and marketing for Tribune Media, where he negotiated complex carriage agreements with MVPDs and new emerging platforms for all of Tribune Broadcasting’s owned or operated television stations, as well as WGN America. Before that, he served as senior director, affiliate sales and marketing for Pac-12 Networks. Earlier in his career, Hopkins was a national account sales manager at Comcast NBCUniversal.

Terry Hurlbutt
Vice President and General Manager of Digital, ABC’s Good Morning America

Terry Hurlbutt leads the top-rated (total viewers) morning show’s rapid news and lifestyle-focused digital expansion, including content creation, distribution, opening new revenue streams and identifying opportunities to expand audience reach. In 2018, she led the launch of Good Morning America’s new website, a newsletter and a robust, original slate of video franchises and features. Prior to this role, Hurlbutt was responsible for audience development strategies across the Disney/ABC Television Group brand portfolio, including ABC Entertainment, Freeform and Disney Channel, and led ABC News’s first audience development team. Hurlbutt joined ABC News from Google and YouTube, where she co-led North America partnerships for the launch of YouTube Kids.

Sarah Jensen
Director, Advertising Sales, Crown Media Family Networks

Sarah Jensen is director of ad sales at the home of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama; streaming service Hallmark Movies Now; and e-book publisher Hallmark Publishing. She is charged with managing the Southeast advertising sales team, setting strategy and developing client relationships with established and prospective clients. Her oversight includes leading the team to achieve established annual sales goals and to capitalize on digital and added value opportunities. As the advertising industry continues to evolve, her commitment to prioritizing client relationships remains at the forefront. She began her advertising sales career at Crown Media as a sales assistant in 2010.

J-T Ladt
Chief Content Officer, Fuse Media

J-T Ladt oversees creative content development and current production of longform and shortform original programming for all of Fuse Media’s content platforms. He also leads the Fuse Digital Content Studio, a division that creates digital native content for all Fuse Media platforms, social channels and other distributors. Under his watch, Fuse was honored with NAMIC, Peabody and Telly awards while also receiving an Emmy nomination. He joined Fuse Media from Red Bull Media House’s Red Bull TV and created and served as executive producer for National Geographic Channel’s true crime series Missing Dial. Before that, he served as VP of programming and development at National Geographic Channel.

Alison Levin
Vice President, U.S. Sales & Strategy Roku

Alison Levin oversees all U.S. ad sales for Roku. As the first ever ad-sales hire, she has pioneered upfront deals with some of the largest ad agencies and holding groups and has been instrumental in growing Roku’s portfolio of clients. She and her team are responsible for driving new products and go-tomarket strategy for the overall advertising business. Prior to Roku, Levin was a senior account executive with YuMe, managing key accounts for its ad tech business. Previously, she held sales positions with IAC and BusinessWeek. She holds a bachelor of arts from Boston University.

Erin Lim
Host, E! News’s The Rundown on Snapchat; Correspondent, E! News E! Entertainment

Erin Lim is the host of E! News’s The Rundown, one of the first fully produced weekly shows for Snapchat. The show has expanded to three days a week after early success on the platform, averaging 13 million viewers. Lim is also a correspondent for E! News and serves as a regular panelist on Live from E!, a fast-paced and popular digital show that E! News developed for the Facebook Live platform. In 2017, Lim’s on-air work helped E! News earn a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Entertainment News Program. She was formerly the host for E! News Asia.

Andrea Lipstein
Senior Vice President of Product Marketing, Global Media, Nielsen

Andrea Lipstein is helping Nielsen to drive client adoption of the company’s planning, activation and audience measurement solutions across its National, Local and Digital businesses. In her role, Lipstein leads internal product education and training, external positioning and messaging, roadmap maintenance/communication and product-centric client forums, including the company’s National Client Meeting. She collaborates closely with Nielsen Commercial and Product leaders to drive sales enablement, go-to-market and lead-generation initiatives.

Lauren Lumsden
Vice President, Video Programming for the Beauty Collection, Head of Content and Creative for Iris Condé Nast Entertainment

Lauren Lumsden serves as executive producer of all digital videos produced for Condé Nast’s beauty collection, which includes Allure and Self. She is also the head of content and creative for Iris, a video- and social-led brand for socially conscious millennial women that was developed from the highly successful original programming on The Scene, Condé Nast’s video aggregation platform. Before joining CNE, Lumsden led Cosmopolitan.com’s video efforts and in less than a year, Lumsden and her team brought the publication’s video views from 9 million to more than 110 million per month. Prior to joining Cosmopolitan, Lumsden spent nearly eight years as an editor at DailyCandy.com.

Katie Maloney
Television Agent, Creative Artists Agency

CAA television agent Katie Maloney has sold every genre of unscripted series in the global television marketplace, from high-end documentaries like CNN Films’ Oscarnominated RBG, for which she represented directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen, to the fan-favorite reality series TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress from client Half Yard, in addition to Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta and Real Housewives of Potomac from client Truly Original; BSTV’s Trish’s Southern Kitchen and USA’s Chrisley Knows Best, produced by client Maverick. She began her career at N.S. Bienstock. She joined CAA in 2011 and is among the senior-most women in the Alternative Television department.

Joseph Markowski
Executive Vice President, DAZN

Joseph Markowski is responsible for DAZN’s North American business revenue, with direct oversight of partnerships, rightsholder activation, marketing, communications and overall market strategy. In 2018, he orchestrated the commercial and operational launch of DAZN in the United States. Helped by one of the biggest boxing upsets in recent history, Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr., DAZN has since become the exclusive home of boxing superstars Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and Anthony Joshua, as well as Bellator MMA. DAZN has also expanded and diversified by launching ChangeUp, a nightly Major League Baseball whip-around show. Markowski also manages the DAZN Canada business and, earlier, he helped launch the DAZN Japan business.

Osvaldo “Ozzie” Martinez
Senior Vice President of News, Digital and Standards, Telemundo Station Group

Osvaldo “Ozzie” Martinez works with local Telemundo station news directors to enhance stations’ local multiplatform news operations, strategy and talent development. He also manages the station group’s news bureaus located in Miami, Washington and Mexico. The group, part of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, includes 30 local Telemundo stations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. He managed the launch of “Telemundo Responde” consumer investigative units in 20 newsrooms and Spanish-language investigative teams (I-Teams) in key markets. Earlier in his career he worked for WNBC New York and as an executive producer for WFOR and WSVN in Miami, Florida, where he lives.

Allison Martucci
Broadcast & Media Partnerships Lead, Google

Allison Martucci leads Google’s Global Partnerships with large broadcasters, helping them navigate the complex digital video ecosystem, monetize premium content across numerous platforms and enhance their relationship across various Google divisions. She oversees more than $250 million in revenue, and has driven several first-of-their-kind business development deals for Google across the TV ecosystem. She first joined Google in 2011, growing partnerships with digital pure plays such as Match Media and IAC. She also helped launch the Google Ad Exchange programmatic marketplace in Latin America. Prior to joining Google, Martucci spent five years at The New York Times, overseeing relationships with some of the largest fashion and pharmaceutical advertisers.

Benjamin Maughan
Vice President of New Ventures TiVo

Benjamin Maughan leads business development, product and client services within the data and advertising Viewership Data business group at TiVo. His responsibilities include all business and technology partnerships for TiVo’s advertising technology stack, as well as development and support of TiVo’s core data product, TiVo TV. He has partnered with media technology players across the ad-tech ecosystem, including Altice USA, Cox Communications, Nielsen, Kantar, Experian, Acxiom, LiveRamp, Amazon, Google, Oracle, Adobe, Viacom, Turner and Publicis. Previously, he was at Neustar in corporate strategy, and before that he was the head of business operations for Cisco’s Sports and Entertainment Solutions Group.

Andrew McCollum
CEO, Philo

In 2014, Andrew McCollum became CEO at Philo, an entertainment-focused OTT streaming service that launched nationwide in November 2017. Before assuming the role of CEO, Andrew served on Philo’s board, mentored its co-founders and was one of the company’s first investors. Prior to Philo, McCollum was on the founding team of Facebook, and the social design of products has been a persistent interest. After Facebook, McCollum was an entrepreneur in residence at two of Philo’s investors, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Flybridge Partners. He continues to be an active early-stage angel investor and adviser.

Tom McLoughlin
Vice President, Regional Sales New York Interconnect

Tom McLoughlin is vice president of regional sales for the New York Interconnect, the joint venture among Altice USA, Charter Communications and Comcast selling ads that reach more than 6.4 million households in the largest U.S. advertising market. He leads the execution of highly successful media strategies, managing the assignments of accounts, agencies and prospects. He is also responsible for maximizing ad revenue across linear TV, addressable TV, VOD, OTT, digital through the execution of data-driven, cross-screen campaigns that consistently deliver results. Before joining the NYI, he held several positions at Cablevision Systems, including sales planner and national sales coordinator.

Roy Meyeringh
Vice President of Business Development and Affiliate Sales beIN Sports

Roy Meyeringh has achieved a deep understanding of the North American general market and Hispanic broadcast industry with extensive experience in multiplatform channel development and distribution. He supervises the digital, marketing and research divisions of beIN Sports and focuses on the identification and execution of strategic business solutions that further organizational performance in the U.S. and Canada. Under his watch, beIN successfully negotiated over 50 affiliate agreements, driving subscriber growth from 7 million to 44 million across all major MVPDs and vMVPDs. Earlier, he held senior roles within global media providers including the MundoFox affiliate WGEN Miami, MGM Networks Latin America, Imagina US, SomosTV and Venevision International.

Stefanie Meyers
Senior Vice President, Distribution Starz

New York-based Stefanie Meyers is responsible for Starz’s digital/OTT distribution business, drawing on her in-depth understanding of the media industry and competitive television landscape to build a strategic vision to maximize Starz’s subscriber and revenue growth. She negotiates and executes Starz’s digital distribution, platform and device deals and oversees Starz’s digital distribution partner marketing. She also supports Starz’s business development initiatives. She joined Starz in 2015 as senior counsel and previously served as VP of business and legal affairs, acquisition and affiliate distribution, where she was responsible for negotiating and drafting Starz’s video distribution, technology integration and marketing agreements. Prior to Starz, Meyers served as associate counsel, programming for Charter, previously Time Warner Cable.

Kimberli O’Meara
Director of Distribution and Consumer Marketing, INSP

Kimberli O’Meara builds and executes strategies on affiliate and consumer campaigns that maximize dollars while delivering value for general-entertainment network INSP and clients. She is the current Women in Cable Telecommunications Carolinas chapter secretary, and she formerly co-chaired the chapter’s “Giving Back” Committee, which raised more than $9,000 in the fight against domestic violence in the Carolinas and was instrumental in raising more than $15,000 for The Rosie Network. She is also a 2017 graduate of the WICT Rising Leaders Program. She is married to her high-school sweetheart, Ryan, and they are the parents of Emma, Jack, Griffin and Dylan and live in Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Kristi Salmon
Senior Director of Marketing, Business Services, Mediacom Communications

With more than 18 years of experience in sales and marketing, Kristi Salmon has served roles for media giants such as Condé Nast Publications, Hearst Publications and World Wrestling Entertainment. Now, as senior director of marketing for Mediacom Business, a division of Mediacom Communications, she is responsible for brand positioning, customer acquisition and retention campaigns, innovative employee sales programs and new product launches, including Gigabit+ Fiber Solutions. She was a Multichannel News “Woman to Watch” in 2016. A graduate of Fordham University’s College of Business Administration, she holds a bachelor’s in marketing along with certificates from Harvard Business School’s Executive Management Program. She currently resides in Monroe, New York, with her daughter, Lia.

Austin Scott
Senior Director, Demand Side Platforms Sales, Freewheel

At Freewheel, a Comcast-owned ad technology company, Austin Scott leads strategy in the integrated demand partnerships business segment and oversees the development of automated demand channels. She is a global strategic partnerships leader with a track record of scaling digital marketing and software-as-a-service businesses in the U.S. and internationally. Originally from Alabama, she moved to New York to attend the New School University and started working at one of the industry’s first demand-side platforms upon graduating. Scott has spent her career at the genesis of programmatic advertising technology and is inspired by the challenge of retrofitting traditional media models with today’s innovations.

Elisa Segovia
Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Brand Strategy, Univision Communications

Elisa Segovia serves as the chief of staff to Univision’s chief marketing officer and oversees the corporate marketing division. She is responsible for owning and managing Univision’s corporate marketing assets and for leading internal and external branding efforts across Univision’s networks as well as any brand extensions, all validated through data and consumer insights. She has helped to spearhead some of the company’s most high-profile, award-winning campaigns, including Univision’s first-ever brand campaign, “Todo Es Posible” (Everything Is Possible), a comprehensive, multiplatform initiative around Hispanic America’s core values, and the recently expanded “Se Habla USA,” an initiative for Latino youth that celebrates Latino culture and contributions in the U.S.

Sandra Smith
Co-Anchor, America’s Newsroom, Fox News Channel

Sandra Smith serves as co-anchor of Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom (9 a.m- Noon ET weekdays), alongside Bill Hemmer. She joined the company in October 2007 as a reporter for Fox Business Network. On America’s Newsroom, Smith and Hemmer are joined by newsmakers and experts to discuss the latest headlines. Smith previously was co-anchor of Outnumbered, alongside Harris Faulkner, a pair of rotating female panelists and “one lucky guy.” She has appeared on a range of FNC and FBN daytime and primetime programs, frequently filling in as guest anchor for The Story with Martha MacCallum. Prior to joining FBN, Smith was an on-air reporter for Bloomberg Television.

Andre Swanston
CEO and Co-Founder, Tru Optik

Andre Swanston is a proven leader and entrepreneur with a wide range of experience in marketing, finance, and starting and growing companies. As CEO and co-founder of Tru Optik, he has led the company’s business development, product innovation and go-to-market strategy. Under his leadership, Tru Optik has become an over-the-top data and technology partner for many of the world’s largest media companies, brands and agencies. Before founding Tru Optik, he served as a VP of investments at JP Morgan Chase and also led the Media and Entertainment division at a boutique investment bank in New York City.

Dana Ucciferri
Global Head of Video Product and Operations, Bloomberg Media

Throughout her 15-year tenure in cross-platform media operations, Dana Ucciferri has continued to push the envelope of video and content practices by balancing operational constraints and business needs to take advantage of technology evolution, delivering the best product possible. She leads Bloomberg’s 24-hour global video operations team servicing internal and external facing linear and digital distributions across platforms. She plays a crucial role within Bloomberg’s network of video products, advising and collaborating with global content creation teams spanning post-production, creative design, media asset management, digital publishing, syndication, distribution and software development.

Lindsay Van Kirk
Vice President of Product Management, Xandr

Lindsay Van Kirk is vice president of product management at Xandr, the advertising sales unit of AT&T. She is responsible for leading end-to-end product management and strategy for supply-side platforms, demand-side platforms and data partners to create a thriving marketplace within the AppNexus exchange. Previously, she was a senior director of product line management, overseeing a team that worked closely with digital publishers to maximize monetization through header bidding. She earlier held other strategy and operations roles, including building out the strategy and operations function for the AppNexus publisher business and the sales operations function. She is an active member of the Run for Autism team, which supports the Organization for Autism Research.

Shawn Witt
Co-President, Leftfield Pictures

Shawn Witt is co-president of ITV America unit Leftfield Pictures, responsible for all development, programming and production across broadcast, cable and digital platforms. In his tenure with the company, previously serving as senior VP of current series and executive producer, Witt developed, launched and oversaw daily production of the hit History series Alone. Witt has also developed, launched and overseen Forged in Fire, Counting Cars, American Restoration, Tiny House Nation, Tackle My Ride, The Adventures of Dr. Buckeye Bottoms and Pawnography. He also executive produced Brain Surgery Live, the first-ever live televised brain surgery, hosted by Bryant Gumbel and broadcast live to 171 countries in 45 languages worldwide, and Billy the Kid: New Evidence, both for Nat Geo Channel. Prior to joining Leftfield, Witt was an executive producer at MTV, specializing in the development and supervision of daily live studio productions, reality series, clip shows and live specials, including Total Request Live, Pranked and Parental Control.

Tristan Zimmerman
Vice President, Digital Marketing Debmar-Mercury

Tristan Zimmerman is vice president of digital marketing, for Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury, the production and distribution company for The Wendy Williams Show, entering its 11th season this fall; Caught In Providence; and two Fox Television Stations tests, Jerry O (a co-production with Funny or Die) and the upcoming collaboration with producer Will Packer on entertainment news magazine Central Ave. He produces a monthly reality web series, The After Show, in which Wendy Williams takes viewers behind the scenes of her program and has integrated social media into the show in a way that adds to the overall experience. He also oversees digital and social media production for Caught in Providence, which now has 5.1 million Facebook followers.

Kate Zuckerman
Director of Special Events CBS News

Kate Zuckerman is responsible for organizing and communicating CBS News’s coverage of breaking news, as well as scheduled major events such as the funeral of Sen. John McCain, the Brett Kavanaugh Senate confirmation hearings, President George H.W. Bush’s funeral and the congressional testimony of special counsel Robert Mueller. Working closely with CBS Entertainment, CBS Sports, CBS Affiliate Relations, Broadcast Distribution and Air Control, she ensures Special Reports on the network are integrated seamlessly with local programming across all time zones. She joined CBS as a member of the page program. She was discovered by the news division and hired as an associate producer for broadcast marketing, beginning her career as a producer and marketer. She lives in New York.

For the 11th consecutive year, the editors of Multichannel News have selected a class of 40 executives in and around the multichannel-TV universe to bring to our readers’ attention. This year’s group includes impact-makers from such traditional sectors as cable networks, service providers and technology firms. Also honored are men and women from emerging categories such as over-the-top services and virtual MVPDs, as well as marketers, branding executives and members of the production community.

As always, each person in the 2016 class falls within the under-40 age demographic. And, as always, we welcome suggestions from readers as we look to shape the next list of industry up-and-comers.

This year’s “40 Under 40” biographies were compiled and written with help from Erica Stull and Laila Abuelhawa.

Ayham Al-Banna

Engineering Fellow in the Chief Technology Office, Arris

Age: 37

Passionate about capacity planning, DOCSIS and keeping the cable industry competitive, Ayham Al-Banna works on defining the architecture for the cable-access modules of today and tomorrow. His work focuses on RF communications; hybrid fiber-coaxial networks architecture and migration; DOCSIS 3.1; and emerging broadband technologies. He holds 13 patents with many more pending, and wrote the book Interference in IEEE 802.11 WLANs: Characterization and Mitigation.

As a cable-industry educator and consultant, Al-Banna helps MSOs around the world with capacity planning, network migration to DOCSIS 3.1 and preparing for what comes after. He has delivered talks and moderated sessions at many major cable-industry conferences and events, as well as customer workshops. He was an early participant in the creation of DOCSIS 3.1 as a member of the Advanced MAC PHY Committee, which became the CableLabs DOCSIS 3.1 Committee. He is currently engaged in creating future DOCSIS standards including Full Duplex DOCSIS and Extended-Spectrum DOCSIS.

What do you like best about your job? “Without a doubt, the innovation is what keeps me passionate about this industry today. The constant pace of technology evolution in our industry means that I get to work on new things just about every day.”

Lisa Anselmo

Senior Vice President, Public Relations, Altice USA

Age: 35

Following the announcement that Altice was acquiring Cablevision Systems, Lisa Anselmo helped lead communications for the transition. She was named senior VP of public relations after the sale was completed. As primary spokesperson, she now leads external communications for all of Altice USA.

Anselmo was previously VP of corporate communications for Cablevision. Before joining the Bethpage, N.Y.-based MSO in 2010, she was director of public affairs and communications at American Express, responsible for internal, external and executive communications activities for the company’s U.S. and Latin America Merchant Services Division, and the Risk, Information Management and Banking Group, respectively. She began her career at Altria Group, the parent company of Philip Morris USA. At Altria, she managed media-relations efforts related to tobacco litigation and legislation, as well as the company’s corporate reputation efforts.

Anselmo is involved with Guardians of Healing, a nonprofit that executes medical missions and provides healthcare and medical education at no cost to underserved communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. She graduated from Villanova University.

What do you like best about your job? “Learning from people who encourage collaboration and teamwork, and who care deeply about our customers.”

Lindsay Amstutz

Vice President and Assistant General Manager of Fox Sports West, Fox Sports San Diego and Prime Ticket, Fox Sports

Age: 38

Lindsay Amstutz helps manage operations for three Fox Sports regional networks in Southern California, and serves as VP of marketing, overseeing marketing efforts for 22 Fox RSNs. In that role, she directs on-air promotion and consumer-marketing campaigns and supports advertising sales. Amstutz also managed digital strategies for Fox Sports social-media platforms and promotional campaigns for the Fox Sports GO app. She started the “Women of Fox Sports” internal initiative, represents Fox Sports on the Women’s Sports Foundation advisory board and works closely with Women in Sports & Entertainment. Before joining Fox, Amstutz was VP and C MO for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks . She joined the Sparks after two years with the NBA team marketing and business operations group as director, WNBA team business development. Previously, she was a sports and entertainment transactional associate for O’Melveny & Myers LLP, and worked in athletic marketing at Santa Clara University and Stanford University.

What do you like best about your job? “As my husband says, ‘I work in the toy department.’ I am grateful to work with great people on a product that people are so passionate about.”

Meet the '40 Under 40' Class of 2015

Sarah Babineau

Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development, East Coast, Comedy Central

Age: 36

Sarah Babineau was a late adopter of American television. Her father worked for the U.S. government, and the family lived in Europe until she was 10. When she returned to the U.S., the multitude of English-language TV networks was a revelation.

Later, the Tufts graduate found a home in TV by way of documentaries and films. Her first gig was an internship with filmmaker Albert Maysles. Among her short-film productions was a dark comedy about a girl who says “I love you” every time she has an orgasm. She worked with boss Kent Alterman’s former company, DosTontos, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Four by Two Films. When Amazon began looking to break into original programming, Babineau was one of the first people hired. She played a key role in the Amazon launch, and was involved in such shows as Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle. She joined Comedy Central in late 2014, where she has overseen development and production of all East Coast-based series, including Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City and — the highest-profile of all — The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.

What do you like best about your job? “Best part of my job is identifying and providing talent a platform to express their point of view and hopefully make the world laugh and think simultaneously.”

Chris Barksdale

Vice President of Human Resources, Scripps Networks Interactive

Age: 35

Chris Barksdale supports the largest organization in the company. With his team of four, he supports the technology wing of Scripps Networks, with about 800 employees. Barksdale recently worked with the head of Scripps Digital on creating more than $40 million in revenue. After Scripps acquired Asian Food Channel in 2013, he moved to Singapore to help lead integration efforts and build its operation. He worked with the managing director on organizational design, hiring new staff and introducing culture and core human-resources programs. He began his SNI career as manager of workforce analytics, where he developed programs that have since been adopted more broadly within the industry. Before joining SNI, Barksdale was advanced specialist of compensation and rewards programs for DENSO Tennessee. Prior to that role, he specialized in global associate relations for DENSO Japan, where he was the youngest transplant to Japan in the company’s history.

What do you like best about your job? “During my SNI career, the highlight was watching the strategy and talent that we crafted and curated in our digital group take shape to return a profitable 2015 and continuing into 2016.”

Kendra Campbell-Milburn

Vice President of Digital, UP

Age: 36

An experienced digital and social-media strategist, Kendra Campbell- Milburn joined UP early this year with a successful track record of campaigns that engage audiences. She was previously executive director, social at digital marketing agency TVGLA. Her team developed the social package for feature film and television launches including Unbroken, Transparent and Bates Motel. Campbell-Milburn got her start as a key member of the brand marketing team at A&E, working on both traditional and new media and earning the network’s President’s Award. Over more than five years at A&E, Campbell-Milburn helped the network become a key player in digital by tackling ambitious initiatives like alternate reality games, augmented reality, apps and branded games. She also negotiated multiple media stunts such as the first-ever TV Guide logo redesign to celebrate the show Tattoo Highway, and the award-winning takeover of the homepage of The New York Times to support Fugitive Chronicles.

What do you like best about your job? “I love what UP stands for — the idea that positive entertainment about families can inspire people and change the world. That motivates me every day.”

Joey Chavez

Senior Vice President of Original Programming, TNT

Age: 32

As TNT’s senior vice president of original programming, Joey Chavez is helping to rebuild the network with a focus on premium, high-end content. He has spearheaded the development of Animal Kingdom and upcoming original shows The Alienist, Foreign Bodies, Civil and Claws. Before joining TNT, Chavez was VP of drama development at NBC. While there, he was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Gen List: 35 under 35” in 2012. He began his executive career in current programming at The WB, followed by positions at David Janollari Productions and Style/E! Networks, as well as TLC/Discovery Networks. He then returned to his first love, scripted television. Chavez graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in cinema-television from the University of Southern California as well as varied coursework at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He is actively involved in organizations including Lambda Legal and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

What do you like best about your job? “Championing the best storytellers’ visions and being their partner for success, whether that’s idea generating, providing objective counsel, staunchly defending, creatively cheerleading or getting the hell out of the way.”

Meet the '40 Under 40' Class of 2014

Shelly Bayne

Director of Ad Sales Marketing, Crown Media Family Networks

Age: 36

Responsible for high-impact marketing and advertising campaigns for Crown Media Family Networks, Shelly Bayne also manages upfront marketing efforts and creates sponsorship solutions. In 2016, she orchestrated the Hallmark networks’ first-ever upfront event for the advertising community. Bayne regularly joins forces with the ad-sales team to increase share and CPM by offering innovative multiplatform solutions. She leads all ideation and execution for integrations within Crown Media programming. She was responsible for all aspects of Hallmark Channel’s partnership with Ford Warriors in Pink. The partnership included a first-ever “look book” for the network, with 100% of the proceeds from apparel purchases going to breast cancer charities. For the network’s third annual Kitten Bowl, the ad-sales marketing team locked in new advertisers for the network, driving a 77% CPM increase over primetime. She also is a co-lead of WICT’s mentoring circle program.

What do you like best about your job? “I love the company culture at Crown Media! We have a great office environment with talented, hardworking individuals who genuinely care about one another and the success of the company.”

Tal Chalozin

Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Innovid

Age: 35

Nearly 10 years ago, in a small garage in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tal Chalozin scribbled an idea that he thought could change the way the world engaged with video, creating the technology behind interactive video. He founded Innovid in 2007, and received a U.S. patent for inserting interactive objects into video content in 2009. Chalozin leads Innovid’s long-term technology vision and is responsible for global technology development and implementation, product creation, business development and partnership activities. Under Chalozin’s guidance, Innovid has partnered with Facebook, Roku, Hulu and Snapchat to help advertisers bring interactive video to any consumer device. He was also named a “Technology Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum and one of the “Best Young European Entrepreneurs” by BusinessWeek. He has presented his work at LeWeb, Europe’s largest conference for digital innovation; South by Southwest; The Israel Conference; and several Interactive Advertising Bureau conferences, among others. Prior to Innovid, Chalozin co-founded the nonprofit GarageGeeks, one of Israel’s largest hacker spaces and innovation hubs with more than 8,000 members. He also served as an officer in an elite computer unit in the Israeli Air Force for more than eight years.

Josh Clark

Vice President of Programming, Dish Network

Age: 33

Josh Clark manages a P&L in excess of $2 billion for Dish Network and Sling TV that includes key relationships with regional sports networks, cable channels and premium services. He joined Dish in 2012 as VP of digital programming, leading negotiations to secure digital rights for the Dish Anywhere app. He also collaborated with Dish’s partners to create a blueprint for OTT rights on Sling TV. In 2014, he led negotiations to secure digital programming rights from The Walt Disney Co. that laid the foundation for Sling TV’s personal subscription service and made Dish the first pay TV provider to secure rights to carry Disney, ABC and ESPN over-the-top. He also secured a landmark agreement for Sling TV’s beta multistream service with Fox Networks Group. He recently assumed leadership of Dish’s add-on packs. He was previously on the NBCUniversal affiliate-sales and digital business development teams. And he is a jazz musician and snowboarder.

What do you like best about your job? “Charlie Ergen’s decision to become a first mover in the OTT space gives my team an opportunity to work with our programming partners to develop a new choice for consumers.”

Rahman Dukes

Senior Vice President, Head of Multiplatform Content, Revolt

Age: 39

Rahman Dukes oversees the REVOLT.tv editorial division, social-media department and all network content. He was instrumental in launching Revolt’s social-media platforms and website, and in creating The Gate and documentaries including Chicago Love, Justice 4 Flint, Baltimore Burning and MLK Now. This year, Dukes and the Revolt political team shaped the “REVOLT2Vote” initiative. Before Revolt, Dukes was at MTV for 17 years. He helped land on-air talent Sway Calloway, who partnered with him to build and cultivate MTV’s hip-hop foundation. He migrated to MTV News, where he created franchises including Hottest MCs in the Game. Dukes joined MTV full-time as a college sophomore, the youngest African-American to do so.

What do you like best about your job? “One of the best things about Revolt is the people that I work with. I have the opportunity to not only embark on history but to do so with some of the most brilliant minds I could ever surround myself with. We’re a tight unit, we move like family and have optimistic goals so there will be levels of us challenging each other, but at the end of the day we’re all going to win together. There’s no monetary value that can match that. It’s the ultimate feeling.”

Michelle Galster

Vice President of Development, Original Productions

Age: 35

Michelle Galster oversees Original Productions’s development of new content, partnerships with outside producers and production of creative materials, as well as casting new talent and creating strong relationships with networks. She has served as VP of development for just over a year, and in that time has sold development on six series and forged partnerships with companies such as Appian Way and Starfish Media. She joined Original Productions in 2007 as associate producer on the first season of History’s Ax Men. She quickly rose to supervising producer and eventually co-executive producer, and then launched The Legend of Shelby the Swamp Man. Her experience spans genres from TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras to shows about knife salesmen, serial killers and home makeovers. Before joining Original Productions, Galster worked at Discovery Channel as development coordinator, and as programming coordinator for Discovery HD. She graduated cum laude from Elon University in 2003.

What do you like best about your job? “The ability to develop a wide variety of shows and formats, from docs about historical events, to game shows about pop culture, to docuseries about current trends. No project is the same, and that’s exciting.”

Noah Heller

Vice President, Partnerships and Emerging Technology, Hulu

Age: 39

Noah Heller is VP of partnerships and emerging technology at Hulu, where he leads the company’s initiatives into strategic enterprise partnerships and new technologies like virtual reality. At 20, Heller founded his first startup, DNAi, working on WAP-based MMO technology. Following the sale of that company, he joined Microsoft as program manager and designer for social features of the original Xbox and Xbox Live. He is credited with several patents. Later, he joined Activision to work on the Call of Duty franchise, working on titles such as World at War and Black Ops. In 2012, Heller joined Atlas Venture as an entrepreneur in residence to work on new concepts. He bootstrapped a new startup, Vhoto, based on computer vision and machine learning technologies. It focused on revolutionizing video editing on-the-fly through the power of mobile device GPUs, received more than $5 million in venture-backed funding and reached more than 1.2 million users before it was sold to Hulu in late fall 2015.

What do you like best about your job? “Fast-paced change. In a given day, I might be producing VR content, finding media partners to distribute SVOD content, or working with startups to generate more subscribers.”

Justin Freesmeier

Senior Vice President, Business Planning & Performance, Altice USA

Age: 36

Following the completion of Altice’s acquisitions of Suddenlink and Cablevision, Justin Freesmeier was named senior vice president of business planning and performance. He now is responsible for developing and executing growth strategies, as well as operational planning and business performance management for Altice USA across 20 states. Before joining Altice USA, he was senior VP of sales and fiscal operations for Suddenlink, where he helped the company consistently achieve industry-leading annual customer and revenue growth. Freesmeier joined Suddenlink in 2005. In 2008, he was named VP of fiscal operations, responsible for financial planning and operational analysis. Prior to joining Suddenlink, he worked in regional operations at Charter in St. Louis. He holds an MBA from the University of Missouri-St Louis and a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Missouri.

What do you like best about your job? “Being a part of the dynamic, competitive and ever changing landscape of the telecommunications industry. It requires me to be agile and on my toes!”

Lori Hall

Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing and Creative Services, TV One

Age: 36

Lori Hall develops and executes TV One’s marketing initiatives across all platforms. She manages all phases of marketing, including advertising and branding outreach efforts. Most recently, she spearheaded the network’s new brand look and promise with a creative overhaul of on- and off-air brand elements, including the new tagline, “REPRESENT.” Hall hails from UP, where she was VP of consumer marketing. She launched UP’s first-ever viral video, reaching 43 million social media views in less than a week, and oversaw the launch of Bringing Up Bates, which generated more than 8 million viewers in its first season. She also launched the highly successful Easter campaign to support the network’s premiere of The Passion of the Christ, the most-watched movie event in the network’s history. Before joining UP, Hall oversaw numerous successful marketing campaigns for Turner Entertainment Networks, including TBS’s Cougar Town and Men at Work, as well as Tyler Perry’s hit sitcoms For Better or Worse, House of Payne and Meet the Browns. Her TNT campaigns included efforts for hits Rizzoli and Isles and Hawthorne.

Thom Hinkle

Senior Vice President of Original Programming, TBS

Age: 39

Thom Hinkle is responsible for original scripted comedy on TBS and serves as primary liaison with the studios that produce its scripted originals. He joined TBS in 2013, and has most recently been focused on developing original comedies in keeping with the network’s new brand. He helped make headlines by bringing The Daily Show’s Samantha Bee and Jason Jones to the network, for Full Frontal With Samantha Bee and The Detour. He was instrumental in hooking TBS up with Steve and Nancy Carell, who created the hit Angie Tribeca. Before joining TBS, he was co-president of Steve Carell’s Carousel Television. While there, he sold scripted comedy concepts to broadcast and cable outlets and helped secure development deals with NBC, 20th Century Fox and Universal Cable Productions. Hinkle began his career as a researcher at Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and was a semifinalist at the Nintendo National Championships in 1990. Only his right armpit sweats.

What do you like best about your job? “I love the people I get to work with everyday. Most especially, Kevin Reilly, David Levy, Sandra Dewey and John Martin. They’re amazing geniuses who also smell wonderful and I’m thankful for their support.”

Martin Hinson

Vice President of Pricing and Analytics, Cox Communications

Age: 38

Martin Hinson’s responsibilities at Cox include all pricing, promotion and bundling strategy and analysis, as well as consumer insights/marketing research and advanced marketing analytics. He also oversees the campaign-management team’s targeted direct promotions and tactics, marketing ROI and performance measurement, and test-and-learn functions. Hinson’s team also develops analytical marketing metrics, tools and models to increase demand, revenue, and profit. Prior to joining Cox in 2011, Hinson was a principal at The Boston Consulting Group, where he was a core member of the marketing & sales and consumer goods practice areas. Hinson has also worked as a marketing and sales consultant at Deloitte Consulting and as an internal consultant for The Walt Disney Co. He holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering with highest honors from Georgia Tech, where he was a President’s Scholar.

What do you like best about your job? ”I enjoy the impact my role has on the financials and the future of the business and the diverse group of colleagues I work with.”

Jessica Hogue

Senior Vice President, Product leadership, Nielsen

Age: 39

Jessica Hogue brings a passion for disruptive technologies and an understanding of digital measurements and marketplaces to her work. She oversees the rollout of Nielsen’s Total Audience measurement program. Previously, she led the company’s partnership with a key data partner. As a client business partner, she managed Nielsen’s relationship with one of the world’s largest media conglomerates. She joined Nielsen in 2007 through the acquisition of BuzzMetrics, later NM Incite, and was a part of the lead team that developed innovative social-measurement solutions. Her achievements in the sector led to hallmark studies, including the Power Moms Digital Influencer Study, which quantified the influence of bloggers and social enthusiasts. Hogue has spoken at WOMMA, ad:tech and iMedia Moms Connection. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Pepperdine University, a master’s of science from the Columbia School of Journalism and an executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute. She is an avid reader, running enthusiast and proud mother of two.

What do you like best about your job? “It’s a front row seat to the measurement transformation underway in our industry.”

Alberto Horihuela

Chief Marketing Officer, fuboTV

Age: 28

Alberto Horihuela is one of the cofounders and the chief marketing officer at fuboTV, one of the fastestgrowing virtual MVPDs in the U.S. His efforts to build the services subscriber base are paying off: As of March 2016, the company was at 40,000 subscribers and growing. The organization launched in January 2015. Prior to co-founding fuboTV, Horihuela was head of latin America for DramaFever, a streaming OTT network that brings international TV series, movies and concerts to audiences in the Americas. Recently acquired by Warner Bros., DramaFever’s second-largest region after the U.S. is latin America. He is a serial entrepreneur who also cofounded Primerad Network and Dokarta. Primerad, a digital video ad network, specializes in U.S. Hispanic markets, connecting brands to this audience via premium video publishers. Dokarta helped local Chicago dining, health and beauty businesses attract customers during slower business periods via hyper-local and real-time deals. Formerly, Horihuela was an economist and analyst with positions at Morgan Stanley and DeMatteo Monness. Horihuela is trilingual (English, Spanish and Portuguese) and graduated from the University of Chicago in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Eric Hybertson

Vice President of Product Development, Evolution Digital

Age: 38

Eric Hybertson has been instrumental in Evolution Digital’s product development and strategy. He has inspired a team of engineers to develop CPE hardware and software, as well as IP Video platform hardware and software. The team has been instrumental in growing Evolution Digital’s set-top-box business in both market position and reach. The team recently developed the eBOX IP Hybrid STB, which will be deployed by WideOpenWest and by NCTC members. Hybertson developed Evolution’s new eVUE-TV IP Video Platform to provide cable operators with a fully integrated and managed IP linear and VOD platform. He oversaw the development of software and hardware products on hybrid and 4K STBs deployed internationally, including Mexico and the Caribbean. Hybertson also developed software and hardware for Comcast’s leave-behind wall-mounted devices, as well as the Rovi and TiVo DTA guide for Tier-2 and 3 MSOs. Prior to joining Evolution, Hybertson was director of rendering devices with Time Warner Cable and director of customer service for ADB. At Solekai Systems, he delivered consulting services to accelerate U.S. cable OEM technology delivery. He began his career at Harmonic as a senior hardware engineer.

Dave Kaplan

Senior Vice President, Research and Insights, Bravo and Oxygen Media

Age: 37

Dave Kaplan oversees all phases of research for Bravo and Oxygen Media. He is responsible for qualitative and quantitative studies, as well as metrics and analytics related to viewer behaviors across all platforms. Kaplan advises and works with leadership on brand strategies to achieve business growth for both networks. Since joining Bravo in 2011 as VP of ad sales research, Kaplan has driven initiatives on multiscreen viewing habits and TV audience loyalty, as well as an ARF Award-winning study on Total Advertiser ROI. He also pioneered multiple groundbreaking partnerships with new data companies including TiVo Research, Civis Analytics and Symphony AM. He expanded his duties in 2013 to include oversight of Oxygen Media and led the research strategy behind the network’s rebrand targeting young, multicultural women. Prior to Bravo, Kaplan was senior VP of product leadership at Nielsen.

What do you like best about your job? “It’s the breadth of impact. I’ll be wearing a marketing hat in one meeting and switch to a programming or monetization one in the next. Forget about no day is the same; try no hour is the same.”

Harrison Land

Vice President of Development, Jupiter Entertainment

Age: 27

Based in New York, Harrison Land oversees Jupiter Entertainment’s fast-growing development department. He has successfully developed and sold hit series for multiple networks such as TV One, Food Network, Investigation Discovery and FYI. This year alone, he has sold three series — Murder Chose Me and Enquiring Minds, both to ID, and #Murder to TV One — plus an untitled ABC special and a GSN pilot, The Investigation. Land also maintains strong relationships with influential agents, network executives and producers. His business background, paired with his drive and passion for quality content, has led to numerous strategic partnerships — including with Random House Studios, Robin Roberts’s production company and American Media — and the sale of an original format into the United Kingdom. Land launched the New York office for Jupiter and has helped its expansion into as a highly visible, go-to production company with key, targeted networks.

What do you like best about your job? “Working with Jupiter’s amazing team to create entertaining and compelling stories. It certainly beats having a real job.”

Andre Johnson

Head of Business Development, The Virtual Reality Co.

Age: 35

Andre Johnson oversees The Virtual Reality Co.’s strategies and initiatives by bringing together key talent and opportunities to create must-see VR content. The son of Earvin “Magic” Johnson, he joined VRC in early 2015 after many years with Magic Johnson Enterprises. As executive VP, he oversaw day-to-day operations, growth and profit strategy, and tie-ins to the Magic Johnson Foundation. He helped develop such MJE ventures as 24 Hour Magic Sports Clubs, Starbucks, Best Buy and Burger King , as well as TV network Aspire and Bridgescape, which provides at-risk urban students a chance to earn their high-school diploma in a way suitable to lifestyle, scheduling and learning needs. During his long run at MJE, he managed various businesses in the company’s hospitality unit and was the primary deal broker of the sale of Johnson’s equity stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. He began his career in A&R at Elektra Records, working with Jay Z, Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani.

What do you like best about your job? “I love working in virtual reality because we can take our audience on an immersive journey through worlds and stories, so there is an emotional connection.”

Sarah Knott

Vice President of Finance and Business Operations, Cox Media

Age: 39

Sarah Knott joined the advertising sales division of Cox in 2015, where she leads all financial and business operations and is responsible for strategic financial analysis and driving business results for Cox Media. She’s also the financial lead for Cox’s interest in National Cable Communications and financial liaison to Canoe Ventures. Knott joined Cox on the external reporting team, responsible for SEC reporting while the company was public, and helped take Cox private in 2004. Knott is a CPA with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Richmond. She is a member of WICT and has been a mentor in various Cox Enterprises mentoring programs. Outside of work, she is a leader on the Finance Council at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church. She and her husband have three children and spend most of their free time on the sidelines at soccer and baseball fields.

What do you like best about your job? “The people. The opportunity to work with people committed to the goals of the company and committed to each other. The opportunity to have a measurable impact on the business and to grow as a leader and as a person.”

Joe Lewis

Head of Half-Hour Programming, Amazon Studios

Age: 36

Since joining Amazon Studios in 2012 as the original TV division’s first hire, Joe Lewis has been essential to the growth of Amazon Video. He runs half-hour programming, which includes increasing numbers of comedy, dramedy and documentary series. He led Amazon’s first pilot slate, which included the company’s first original series, Alpha House and Betas. In 2014, Lewis oversaw the critically acclaimed and award-winning original series Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle, plus two additional slates of pilots. He has spoken at the Paley Center, MIPTV and the Banff World Media Festival and has testified before the House Judiciary Committee. Prior to Amazon Studios, Lewis was the CEO of Bark, a streaming television startup; director of production at 20th Century Fox; and manager of development at Comedy Central, where he was involved in the creation of Tosh.0.

What do you like best about your job? “It’s hard to imagine a position that puts me in contact with more brilliantly smart and creative people from such a wide array of disciplines. Most of all, I like that I get to live slightly in the future and have a small chance, through storytelling, of changing the world for the better.”

Stephanie McMahon

Chief Brand Officer, WWE

Age: 39

A female executive in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Stephanie McMahon began her career with WWE as an account executive. Prior to being named chief brand officer, she was executive VP, creative and was responsible for overseeing the digital and creative departments, as well as the creative development of all WWE TV, PPV, print, digital and social-media content. She has also managed WWE’s talent relations, talent brand management and live-events businesses. She was named to the WWE board in 2015. In 2014, McMahon and her husband established Connor’s Cure, a fund dedicated to pediatric cancer research. In 2015, she was one of nine U.S. leaders tapped for the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, an international leadership exchange program for outstanding professionals chaired by Gen. Colin Powell. McMahon, the daughter of WWE chairman/CEO Vince McMahon, was recognized as a “Wonder Woman” by Multichannel News this year and was named to Variety’s second annual “Digital Entertainment Impact list: 30 Execs to Watch,” among many honors.

What do you like best about your job? “The opportunity to engage with the families who watch our programming and see the smiles on their faces as we create memories that will last a lifetime.”

Chris Menier

Vice President, Products and Strategy, Guavus

Age: 39

With nearly 20 years of experience in cable and telecom, Chris Menier has furthered the adoption of operational analytics that help transform service operations and customer care functions. He partners with service providers to gather a comprehensive, accurate and current picture of the customer and to measure customer experience. Previously, he led Guavus’s cable sales, helping to land seven of the top 10 cable operators. Under his watch, the company recently joined the RDK Community as a licensee, extending its analytics applications to help operators combine data collected from RDK set-top boxes, gateways and other devices with operator network data and customer interaction data. Before joining Guavus, Menier led the cable sales team in North America for Netezza. Before that, he was VP of global channel sales for Genband. Menier is a frequent industry speaker and published author.

What do you like best about your job? “Every day, I learn something new; I have the chance to work with both world-class colleagues who are innovating analytics solutions and directly with our CSP customers who are implementing those solutions to improve the customer experience for subscribers.”

Angela Mitchell

Senior Director, Product Management, Layer3 TV

Age: 38

Angela Mitchell is working to redefine the way viewers watch TV, at layer3 TV. She joined the effort 18 months ago. Over her 15-year career, Mitchell has developed IP and VOD delivery systems for Starz, Centurylink, Piksel and Charter. While at Centurylink, Mitchell and her colleagues were awarded dual patents for designing a new method of distributing media between wireless digital video recorders and supporting interaction between elevision viewers via IP messaging to set top boxes. She then led international licensing and content application efforts for a hybrid OTT video delivery service for Sezmi (now Piksel). While at Charter, Mitchell launched live streaming, VOD and download-to-go features for mobile applications and initiated Charter’s first foray onto OTT platforms. Mitchell holds a master’s degree in IT and is an active member of WICT and the Rocky Mountain Cable Association.

What do you like best about your job? “To play a part in making cable history with the first new cable company in over a decade! We are not only changing the way customers feel about this sector but revolutionizing cable distribution.”

Shawn Nicholson

Vice President of Sales Pricing, Planning and Operations, INSP

Age: 35

As the VP of sales pricing, planning & operations for INSP, Shawn Nicholson directs the commercial short and long-form sales operational policies, initiatives, proposals and agency marketing-related activities. Nicholson was INSP’s first director of sales operations. Largely because of his efforts, INSP has continued to experience unprecedented commercial sales growth. In 2015, his first year overseeing pricing and planning, the network’s commercial sales revenue increased by 50%. Nicholson is a member of the American Advertising Federation and the Cambridge Who’s Who. He is a passionate volunteer, donating his time and expertise to several organizations and individuals in the faith-and-family community.

What do you like best about your job? “We are in a fascinating time in the media industry. Never before has content been so available and viewed on so many devices. Content must be relevant to the viewer or they’ll just pass it by. We’re fortunate at INSP as our content is relevant to millions of viewers. My job at INSP is to effectively price and plan our ad inventory so that we can assist more national brands in achieving their marketing initiatives. I’m also honored to work with one of the best sales teams in the business.”

Alison Overholt

Editor in Chief of espnW, ESPN

Age: 39

Alison Overholt develops content strategies for espnW and oversees ESPN’s multiplatform enterprise content. She returned to the company in 2014 after working there from 2005-2010 as general editor, sports business and lifestyle for ESPN the Magazine, and senior editor, special projects. In 2009, Overholt was part of ESPN’s early efforts to develop a sports media offering for women and was espnW’s founding editor. Previously, she was a writer and editor at Fast Company. Her writing has also appeared in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and O: The Oprah Magazine. In 2011, she launched her own digital content strategy company, 183Ink, LL C. Overholt is also an adjunct professor at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. She received the AAJA National Print Journalism Award for her writing in Fast Company and edited ESPN the Magazine stories that earned the Dick Schaap Excellence in Sports Journalism Award and New York Press Club Awards for Journalism.

What do you like best about your job? “The people I work with are the most energetic, driven, demanding, curious, all-in group I’ve ever encountered. They’re never satisfied — which is actually what makes this job so incredibly satisfying.”

Joshua Reader

Senior Vice President of Distribution, AMC Networks

Age: 38

As senior VP of distribution since 2014, Josh Reader negotiates multiplatform content licensing agreements and directs affiliate marketing for AMC Networks’s channels, AMC, BBC America, BBC World News, IFC, SundanceTV and WEtv, as well as IFC Films. With a primary focus on advanced service offerings, he negotiates cable, satellite and telco carriage renewals; virtual MVPD linear streaming and ancillary distribution deals; as well as TV everywhere, set-top-box VOD, subscription VOD, transactional VOD and electronic sell-through. He advises on the strategic development and implementation of multiplatform dynamic ad insertion and authenticated website and application development. He has also been a critical player in AMC Networks’ strategic investments, including the BBC America joint venture with BBC Worldwide. He joined AMC Networks in 2011. Earlier he was an associate with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

What do you like best about your job? “The distribution of networks and content has become increasingly complex in an ever-changing landscape, but I love working with smart, talented colleagues to find creative solutions to our concerns and continue to fund the creation of great content.”

DJ Nurre

Executive Vice President, Programming and Development, 3 Ball Entertainment

Age: 37

Since joining 3 Ball Entertainment (then 3 Ball Productions) as an editor in 2004, DJ Nurre has enjoyed a spectacular rise, advancing over 12 years to his current role as executive VP, programming and development. He now focuses on the creation of IP for broadcast, cable, digital and OTT, and manages 3 Ball’s growing casting and development team. A seasoned showrunner, Nurre has championed some of 3 Ball’s highest-rated and longest-running series, including Spike’s megahit Bar Rescue, Hungry Investor, Catch a Contractor and Flying Wild Alaska, which ran for three seasons on Discovery Channel. He oversees such shows as My Cat From Hell (Animal Planet), LA Hair (WE tv) and Kingin’ With Tyga (MTV). Other credits as a producer and finishing editor include The Biggest Loser, MasterChef, Beauty and the Geek, Breaking Bonaduce and For Love or Money. He was a PROMAX award-winning promotions editor while at The WB.

What do you like best about your job? “Every new show is a learning opportunity, taught by those at the top of their game. I’ve been fortunate to learn football from hall of famers, food from James Beard Award recipients and music from Grammy winners.”

Leela Pon

Vice President, Development and Programming, E!

Age: 35

Known as a tough, smart and passionate creative executive who gets things done, Leela Pon has a keen eye for concepts and characters. She oversees development and series production on numerous E! shows, including Botched and its upcoming spinoffs Botched by Nature and Botched Post-Op. She also developed E!’s popular franchise #RichKids of Beverly Hills, among others. During her nine years at E!, Pon has also led development on the two-hour Britney Spears documentary I Am Britney Jean and the first internationally televised gay wedding, Lance Loves Michael. She also oversees a robust pipeline of more than 25 new development projects, many of which she and her team developed from their internal ideas. Pon joined E! in 2007. She began her career at Mosaic and then moved to 20th Century Fox. At The CW, she worked on Top Model and Beauty and The Geek, as well as on the development and launch of The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll.

What do you like best about your job? “I love being able to work with some of the smartest and most passionate people I have ever met both inside NBCUniversal and across the industry. It motivates me every day.”

Ken Segna

Senior Vice President for Original Programming, Starz

Age: 34

When Ken Segna was growing up outside of Sacramento, Calif., his mother and father would allow him and his younger brother Brian to watch only one hour of TV a week. He jokes that his parents “were a little confused” when both Segna boys became TV executives. (Brian is at ITV Studios America.) The Stanford graduate’s circuitous path included producing commercials, music videos and a documentary, Ain’t in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm, before landing on a desk at CAA. In 2010, Segna moved to Starz, where he rose quickly from executive assistant to senior VP of original programming. Segna has been involved in Power, the most-watched drama in Starz’s history, as well as Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming anthology series, The Girlfriend Experience, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Alejandro G. Inarritu’s TV drama, The One Percent. Based in the company’s Beverly Hills, Calif., office, Segna will continue to take the lead on new development and current productions including Power and Survivor’s Remorse. He will also manage the production of Counterpart, a supernatural thriller drama series starring Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), with Morten Tyldum (Imitation Game) set to direct the first two episodes.

Ed Simpson

Executive Vice President, Business Development & International, ITV America

Age: 38

Ed Simpson leads business development, corporate strategy and international across ITV America’s various production companies. He also oversees the group’s branded entertainment initiatives, and is charged with monetizing existing rights, establishing new revenue streams and developing third-party relationships and co-productions. He transitioned to ITV America in 2016 via its 2015 acquisition of Leftfield Entertainment. He joined LFE in 2012 and was instrumental in evolving its mergers and acquisitions strategy, most recently as senior VP, business development & international, and spearheaded LFE’s move into the international arena with local formats. The company currently produces Pawn Stars in the U.K. and Australia and the series Alone in Norway (which also airs on History in the U.S.). Simpson oversees additional acquisitions for ITV America, as well as several overall and first-look deals, expanding the company’s third-party relationships and co-production footprint.

What do you like best about your job? “The constant adventure and creating opportunities that will, in a small way, help shape our industry for the next chapter.”

Courtney Thomasma

Vice President, Research and Insights, BBC America

Age: 32

As head of research for BBC America, Courtney Thomasma has quickly become a trusted and influential adviser to network department chiefs and AMC Networks leadership. Her team is a resource for critical insights that guide major marketing, sales, programming and scheduling decisions. After graduate school at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she participated in Nielsen’s prestigious leadership development program and went on to join Nielsen’s core business, where she handled Sony, PBS and BBC America. She eventually became lead on Discovery. Thomasma was then assigned to Auckland, New Zealand — her first international professional experience and her first foray into management. She moved from Nielsen to SundanceTV, where she helped prepare the network from a research perspective for its transition to an ad-supported model. A few years later, she segued to BBC America. Originally from Detroit, Thomasma is very active in the nonprofit Born and Raised Detroit.

What do you like best about your job? “On any given day, I may be operating as a programmer, marketer, publicist, sales strategist, etc. The exposure to different disciplines and people is continually inspiring.”

Matt White

Director of Enterprise Architecture, Shaw Communications

Age: 39

With more than 20 years of experience developing emerging technologies in wireline and wireless telecommunications, Matt White oversees architecture across the entire Shaw Communications organization, including cable, cellular, satellite, WiFi and national fiber networks. He manages a growing innovation team in Denver that develops emerging consumer and business technologies and translates them into products. Prior to Shaw, White led development of IP video technologies at CableLabs, including multicast-assisted adaptive bit rate. Before that, he led the push to all-IP video at Rogers Communications. White is currently regional chair of the IEEE, an associate board member for the Rocky Mountain chapter of the SCTE and a passionate volunteer for the U.S. First Robotics program. He and his wife Amanda operate The White Foundation, a Colorado nonprofit that raises funds to support orphanages in Kigali, Rwanda, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

What do you like best about your job? “What I love about Shaw are the people and culture. Shaw maintains a warm and inviting atmosphere that it has preserved as it has grown from a small family-run business into a large enterprise over the past 50 years.”

Fraser Stirling

Senior Vice President, Hardware Development, Comcast Cable

Age: 36

Since joining Comcast in 2014, Fraser Stirling has been an integral part of the technology and product leadership team and a key global technology ambassador for Comcast. He is highly regarded in the company and across the vendor community.

Stirling executes overall hardware development for all premise devices to achieve faster new product service, product differentiation and cost management. He is an expert in high-volume device deployment and manufacturing. He led the effort to transform Comcast’s industrial design standards for devices. His team launched the first voice-controlled remote control. Stirling leads company efforts to move to all-IP, allowing customers to stream video over WiFi in their homes. Prior to joining Comcast, he led the OnCue hardware and software engineering team at Intel Media. Before that, he was director of product for Intel Media and previously held various roles at BSkyB, including head of hardware, planning and design; head of emerging product strategy; and design manager, among other positions.

What do you like best about your job? “I get to work on a team with incredibly smart people, who are super-passionate about the experiences they create for our customers.”

Robert Wheeler

Vice President of Marketing and Communications, TiVo Research

Age: 33

Robert Wheeler is VP of marketing and communications at TiVo Research, overseeing all aspects of the company’s marketing and external and internal communications. His recent successes include creating a new public awareness of TiVo Research by creating high-profile announcements and relaunching TiVoResearch.com and the TiVo Research brand. Previously, he was the director of press and events at AT&T AdWorks, where he helped launch the cross-screen ad sales division. Earlier, Wheeler worked at NBCUniversal within corporate communications and media relations. He managed key announcements for NBCU, such as the launch of Hulu and the acquisitions of The Weather Channel and Oxygen. He was also chief East Coast talent liaison for NBCU, and produced eight red-carpet events. He began his career as an NBC page, serving as a production assistant for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

What do you like best about your job? “There’s so much excitement in the industry around data, especially TV data. Change is a constant right now and it’s exciting to be in the middle of a TV revolution.”

Theresa Wyatt

Vice President Corporate and Brand Development, El Rey Network

Age: 39

Theresa Vargas-Wyatt began her work with El Rey Network in 2014, reporting directly to the company’s founder and chairman, Robert Rodriguez. She devised campaigns targeting the “the new mainstream,” with the goal of transforming the network into a large, diverse multiplatform programmer. Before joining El Rey, she was part of Muñoz & Co., where she grew revenue by 110% over five years. She advised Fortune 100 brands such as Google, Target, and AT&T on market strategies targeting the U.S. English-speaking Latino consumer. In 2014 she coordinated efforts between Mark Zuckerberg, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Yahoo and Don Graham to establish a $36 million scholarship fund for undocumented youth.

Wyatt holds a JD/MBA from St. Mary’s University and a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and their two sons.

What do you like best about your job? “Every day presents a challenge to innovate and find a creative solution and strategy. The future of media is complex with limitless potential. I always bring people along with me because we are stronger together.”

The editors of Multichannel News have selected and announced the 2016 class of "40 under 40," a listing of executives to know in multichannel TV and related media fields. Read more about them in the July 25 issue of the magazine. MCN has been selecting a new class of "40 under 40" each year since 2006. 

Here is the 2016 class in alphabetical order: 

Ayham Al-Banna, Engineering Fellow in the Chief Technology Office, ARRIS.

Lindsay Amstutz, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of Fox Sports West, Fox Sports San Diego and Prime Ticket, Fox Sports.

Lisa Anselmo, Senior Vice President, Public Relations, Altice USA.

Sarah Babineau, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development, East Coast, Comedy Central.

Chris Barksdale, Vice President of Human Resources, Scripps Networks Interactive.

Shelly Bayne, Director of Ad Sales Marketing, Crown Media Family Networks.

Kendra Campbell-Milburn, Vice President of Digital, UP.

Tal Chalozin, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Innovid.

Joey Chavez, Senior Vice President of Original Programming, TNT.

Josh Clark, Vice President of Programming, Dish Network.

Rahman Dukes, Senior Vice President, Head of Multi-Platform Content, Revolt.

Justin Freesmeier, Senior Vice President, Business Planning and Performance, Altice USA.

Michelle Galster, Vice President of Development, Original Productions.

Lori Hall, Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing and Creative Services, TV One.

Noah Heller, Vice President, Partnerships and Emerging Technology, Hulu.

Thom Hinkle, Senior Vice President of Original Programming, TBS.

Martin Hinson, Vice President of Pricing and Analytics, Cox Communications.

Jessica Hogue, Senior Vice President, Product Leadership, Nielsen.

Alberto Horihuela, Chief Marketing Officer, fuboTV.

Eric Hybertson, Vice President of Product Development, Evolution Digital.

Andre Johnson, Head of Business Development, The Virtual Reality Company.

Dave Kaplan, Senior Vice President, Research and Insights, Bravo and Oxygen Media.

Sarah Knott, Vice President of Finance and Business Operations, Cox Media.                   

Harrison Land, Vice President of Development, Jupiter Entertainment.

Joe Lewis, Head of Half-Hour Programming, Amazon Studios.

Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE.

Chris Menier, Vice President, Products and Strategy, Guavus.

Angela Mitchell, Senior Director, Product Management, Layer3 TV.

Shawn Nicholson, Vice President of Sales Pricing, Planning and Operations, INSP.

DJ Nurre, Executive Vice President, Programming and Development, 3 Ball Entertainment.

Alison Overholt, Editor-in-Chief, ESPN The Magazine and espnW, ESPN.

Leela Pon, Vice President, Development and Programming, E! Entertainment.

Joshua Reader, Senior Vice President of Distribution, AMC Networks.

Ken Segna, Senior Vice President for Original Programming, Starz.

Ed Simpson, Executive Vice President, Business Development & International, ITV America.

Fraser Stirling, Senior Vice President, Hardware Development, Comcast Cable.

Courtney Thomasma, Vice President, Research and Insights, BBC America.

Robert Wheeler, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, TiVo Research.                     

Matt White, Director of Enterprise Architecture, Shaw Communications.

Theresa Wyatt, Chief of Staff, El Rey Network.

It's time to nominate executives from the multichannel-TV industry and related businesses to be recognized in the 2016 class of "40 Under 40" in a special report appearing in the July 25 edition of Multichannel News.

For the past decade, MCN has presented annually a new class of high-performing individuals from the multichannel-TV industry who've made an impact on the TV and broadband industries. More recently, following the industry's evolution, we have branched into categories that increasingly intersect with our traditional sectors of distribution, programming, technology and advertising -- such as studios, OTT providers and programmers, agencies and brands. We urge readers to help us spot these talented men and women and showcase their accomplishments.

Please use this link to nominate. Please do not nominate anyone who has appeared in past "40 Under 40" classes: here are names from the 2014 class and the 2015 class. And for more about the 2015 class, please click here.

The deadline to submit nominations is June 15, 2016.

Any questions, please email mcnletters@nbmedia.com.

This is the 10th consecutive year that Multichannel News has chosen a class of 40 executives in and around the multichannel-TV universe to bring to our readers’ attention. This class includes impact-makers in traditional sectors — cable networks, cable providers, cable technology firms — and, increasingly, younger men and women entrepreneurs in new categories of content creation, such as studios that provide shows both for pay TV and for online viewers, and marketing and branding agencies.

As always, each member of in the 2015 class falls within the under-40 age demographic. And, as always, we welcome suggestions from readers as we look to shape this new-every-year list in years to come.

Related: '40 Under 40' Classes of2016and2014.

ILAN BEN-HANAN

Vice President, College Sports Programming,ESPN

Age: 37

Dubbed “one of the most powerful people in the business of college football” by The New York Times, the recently promoted Ilan Ben-Hanan oversees all of ESPN’s college sports rights acquisitions along with the categories of college football, men’s and women’s college basketball, the NCAA Championships and the College Football Playoff.

He has guided the programming team through yearly scheduling grids consisting of more than 500 games across nine platforms — ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network, the GamePlan pay-per-view service and SEC Network — while ensuring ESPN stays true to its contractual obligations. Under his leadership, ESPN has secured rights to all 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences — including long-term deals with each of the five major conferences — and the entire College Football Playoff portfolio, consisting of four separate pacts.

He will play a key role in ESPN’s renewal negotiations with the Big Ten Conference, after being an integral member of the ESPN team that negotiated the multiple rights deals for the College Football Playoff. He has provided direction and vision to every facet of ESPN’s CFP strategy, including programming, ad sales, marketing, affiliate relations and communications. A two-time cancer survivor, he created and was instrumental in the promotion of Jimmy V Week, one of ESPN and The V Foundation for Cancer Research’s biggest fundraisers. Launched in 2007, it has raised more than $8 million so far.

ALDEN BUDILL

Vice President of Distribution Strategy,Discovery Communications

Age: 39

Armed with more than 15 years of domestic and international media experience with Discovery and other top media brands, Alden Budill is widely regarded among her peers and Discovery’s senior leadership as a key part of the continued success of the company’s domestic distribution team with its portfolio of 13 television networks.

Her concentration is in managing strategic distributor support for joint venture OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as Discovery’s U.S. Hispanic networks, Discovery en Español and Discovery Familia. She has helped promote a wide range of programming, including nonfiction and scripted content on OWN as well as children’s fare and lifestyle shows on the Hispanic networks. For OWN specifically, she was instrumental in cementing affiliate initiatives and partnerships as part of its immediate and long-term strategy. Her work with distributors ranges from custom-content programs and event activations to digital-media stunts and social-media campaigns.

Earlier, Budill served in a variety of senior leadership capacities for Discovery’s International division, most notably as vice president of U.K. affiliate sales and business development for Discovery Networks International after serving as VP of international strategy and mergers and acquisitions. Her career prior to Discovery included posts at Shine Group, MTV Networks, Time Warner Inc. and The Walt Disney Co.

ALBERT DAHAN

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer,Metrological

Age: 34

Albert Dahan co-founded Metrological (with Jeroen Ghijsen) in 2005, overseeing the development of its technology. Under his technical leadership, it has grown into the world’s leading application framework supplier, by the company’s description.

Dahan was a key member of the team leading the successful design and deployment of the integrated apps and widget experience for Liberty Global’s Horizon TV multiple-platform TV everywhere product. Most recently, he led the development of the first RDK App Emulator, developed in cooperation with RDK Management, which has tested and certified more than 250 applications as ready for deployment on RDK-based devices. A 17-year software development veteran who taught himself computer programming in BASIC at age 8, Dahan started his career as a software developer for financial-services provider Rabobank ICT, where he was responsible for developing the architecture and back-end technology for the Rabobank website. He was also responsible for multiple Rabobank projects as a consultant.

Metrological offers the Metrological Application Framework, a cloud-based application platform designed for any connected device. Its customers include Tier 1 cable companies and telcos reaching more than 20 million households. Dahan attended St. Lauren’s College in The Netherlands. He is a published author and presenter, specializing in application platforms, software development and media streaming.

LYDIA DALY

Vice President of Social Media Activations & Earned Media,Viacom Velocity

Age: 34

At Viacom for a little over a year, Lydia Daly is social media strategic lead for all integrated marketing executions across MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Spike and Logo and more in her role with Velocity, a full-service integrated marketing and creative content solutions division. She reports to Velocity’s executive vice president of integrated marketing, Dario Spina.

Last year, Velocity introduced Echo, a marketing product delivering social-by-design campaigns to advertising partners. It has since rolled out the Echo Social Graph, a custom analytics tool that measures the effectiveness and virality of execution. Daly has been an instrumental leader behind the launch of Echo and the introduction of the Echo Social Graph. With more than 40 Echo campaigns in motion, Daly is a critical contributor to Velocity’s leadership team, closely examining past campaigns to decode what is igniting on social media and why. She continues to ramp up Velocity’s predictive capabilities for clients and is a champion of social-media analytics within the integrated marketing and sales groups. Previously, Daly was strategic planning director for JWT in Singapore and New York. She earlier worked in strategy roles at 180 Amsterdam and Meteorite London.

Daly has a bachelor’s degree in international marketing from Dublin City University and attended the Institute of Direct Marketing at King’s College London. She lives in New York.

BRIAN EADS

Director, Video Operations,Viamedia

Age: 39

Brian Eads is an all-around cable operations master. As one of Viamedia’s original employees, he has been instrumental in building its vast video-operations department, which supports cable ad insertion for 60 operators in 71 U.S. markets.

Throughout his 13-year career at Viamedia, Eads has been directly responsible for management, acquisition, processing, quality control and distribution of 1.2 million commercials each day and 438 million spots each year. He also focuses heavily on customer service throughout every aspect of his job. He interfaces directly with the company’s 300 sales executives and its various service divisions to ensure that advertisments air as ordered. He is also responsible for product and partner integrations, workflow design, project management and new-technology evaluations. He has been personally responsible for integration with some of the industry’s largest cable interconnects, technology vendors and compliance regulators.

Eads has been responsible for keeping Viamedia’s video operations technology and capabilities at the forefront of advanced advertising since 2001, managing it all from the central operations center in Lexington, Ky. Prior to joining Viamedia, Eads was a video specialist with TCI (later AT&T Broadband), before joining SeaChange International. Since 2010, he has used his MBA to teach business classes at a local university. Eads, his wife Lena and their three children live in Georgetown, Ky.

BENJAMIN (BJ) ELIAS

Senior Vice President, Distribution,Fox Networks

Age: 36

At Fox Networks, Benjamin (BJ) Elias is responsible for leading the division’s distribution of new media products and services, including authenticated video (TV everywhere) via websites and mobile apps, over-the-top television, video-on-demand and interactive television, plus providing guidance to senior management.

Elias plays a central role in designing the business strategy for Fox’s largest and most financially significant digital rights agreements. He also develops product strategy for expanding distribution of Fox Networks’ suite of TV apps and websites, including Fox Now, FX Now, Fox Sports Go, Nat Geo TV and BTN2Go.

Elias also is a key driver in negotiations with major pay TV providers across wide-ranging digital platforms and has emerged as a leader in working through increasingly complex issues with Fox Broadcasting affiliate stations. He has demonstrated a strong ability to navigate strategically through the constantly shifting TV-distribution landscape.

Prior to joining Fox in 2010, Elias was director of strategy and business development at A+E Networks. Before that, he was Sezmi’s director of content partnerships, negotiating content licenses for the company’s hybrid OTT video service. He has also held business development positions with Yahoo! and CBS. Elias earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and journalism from Emory University and a master’s degree in communications management from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.

BORIS FELTS

Vice President, Products & Solutions,Envivio

Age: 39

You might say Boris Felts’s head has been “turned to the cloud” since he was a child. As a hobby, he crafted and flew kites and sailed in the Mediterranean near Marseille. Now, the cloud is digital and Felts is in the vanguard movement of content in a multiscreen world.

Felts was the first employee and is a major contributor to Envivio, the U.S.-based provider of software video processing and delivery solutions. Before joining Envivio, Felts earned a double master’s of science degree from two of the top-ranked science and telecom universities in France, Ecole Polytechnique and Telecom Paris. Before entering the tech field he served in the military, completing commando training and serving as an officer in the French Navy. During his last university year, he worked with Philips Research in Paris as a research engineer, pursuing his interest in signal processing. His ideas earned him seven patents for video compression.

In 2000 he joined Envivio in San Francisco, where he steadily rose in the executive ranks and, more importantly, added to scientific advances that have enabled today’s successful delivery of multiscreen content. As vice president, Felts is in charge of developing new products and solutions; recruiting talent; advising on areas of business expansion; and is actively involved with Envivio’s Tier 1 clients in the U.S. Outside of the office, he enjoys watching American TV series, playing volleyball and raising his bicultural kids.

JOHANNA FUENTES

Senior Vice President, Corporate Public Relations,Showtime Networks

Age: 39

Johanna Fuentes has been a key member of the corporate communications team since she joined Showtime in 2010. She is responsible for the planning and execution of corporate public relations initiatives for the company’s marketing group, digital and social media teams, film acquisitions, affiliate sales and new business development, including media efforts around Showtime Anytime and the network’s new standalone streaming service.

Fuentes also helps execute long-range communications strategies that raise the profile of the network and its executives. She manages the research analysis and dissemination of the network’s subscriber, ratings and research data to the national media, as well as managing the network’s casting, series pickup and development announcements. She also collaborates on PR trade campaigns throughout awards season and oversees the network’s corporate communications footprint across social media, working hand-in-hand with the entertainment PR and digital marketing teams on social-media efforts for the network’s original series, events and documentaries.

Prior to Showtime, Fuentes served as VP of communications at Bravo, overseeing public-relations strategies and extending the brand into the lifestyle, fashion and business media. She had previously worked for six years at CBS as a director in the entertainment communications group. Fuentes is a graduate of Boston College.

DAVID GEORGE

President,Leftfield Entertainment

Age: 38

Recently promoted from head of Leftfield Pictures, David George is president of Leftfield Entertainment, with oversight of all the Leftfield companies: Leftfield Pictures ( Pawn Stars), Loud TV (Tiny House Nation), Sirens Media (Real Housewives of New Jersey), Outpost Entertainment (Brainstormers) and the more recently established Riot Creative.

George, who joined in 2010, has been instrumental in overseeing Leftfield’s programming and development, expanding it from the male-driven “hidden treasures” genre into one of the industry’s top players across the spectrum, including docusoaps, lifestyle series, reality and nonfiction, game shows and crime and thriller series. In addition to Pawn Stars, which continues to deliver strong ratings for History, spinoffs American Restoration, Counting Cars and the game show Pawnography are all from Leftfield’s stable. Leftfield also produces international formats of Pawn Stars in the U.K. and Australia, with deals pending in France and Italy.

George developed high-rated premieres for Bravo (Blood, Sweat and Heels) and History (Counting Cars). Leftfield also produces Lachey’s Bar (A&E), Alone (History), New Money (E!) and Cutting It (WE tv) . Before joining Leftfield, George was an executive for MTV on shows such as Pranked and Parental Control; at 24, he was showrunner on Total Request Live. He also executive produced MTV live events . He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on Legally Blonde: The Musical, the company said.

KATHERINE GESSNER

Sales & Marketing Manager,MCTV

Age: 32

Recently named a Rising Leader by Women in Cable Telecommunications, Katherine Gessner joined MCTV (Massillon Cable TV) as project coordinator in 2008. After attending graduate school at the University of Denver, she returned as sales and marketing manager in 2013.

Gessner is responsible for the planning and execution of the company’s marketing plan; manages the corporate website and digital marketing; oversees the door-to-door sales program; and works closely with the call center and dispatch departments to develop training materials. MCTV serves two markets in northeast Ohio and was founded by Katherine’s grandparents in 1965; her father, Robert Gessner, has run MCTV since the 1990s. Within the next 10 years, Katherine plans to assume leadership of the company.

Prior to joining MCTV, she held positions in marketing and project management at Strad Energy Services in Denver; the University of Denver; and Hermes Sports & Events in Cleveland. She holds a bachelor’s in marketing from Marietta College and an MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. At Marietta, she also earned minors in Leadership Studies and Sports Management and was a four-year starter in women’s soccer. She currently serves on the Massillon Public Library’s Board of Trustees and the board of the Humane Society of Stark County. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, playing soccer and spending time with family, friends and her dog, Howie.

JEFF GOLDMAN

Chief Business Officer,3 Ball Entertainment

Age: 36

In his role at 3 Ball Entertainment (formerly Eyeworks USA), Jeff Goldman oversees business development, legal, business affairs and international activities at one of television’s most prolific producers of reality and nonfiction programming for both broadcast and cable.

After joining the company in 2008 to manage international distribution, Goldman rose through the ranks to co-managing director of Eyeworks Distribution, a division he built out of the company’s Los Angeles offices and that ultimately grew into one of the industry’s most robust distribution out- fits for finished product and local formats. Goldman also was a key member of the team that negotiated the deal between Eyeworks and Warner Bros. that led to 3 Ball becoming independent. Goldman handles such series as Extreme Weight Loss (ABC), which, under his oversight, has been sold to more than 130 countries (it airs internationally as Obese); Bar Rescue, in season four for Spike TV; as well as Spike’s newer hits Catch a Contractor and Hungry Investors and the upcoming Sweat Inc., featuring fitness icon Jillian Michaels; My Cat from Hell, in season five for Animal Planet; L.A. Hair, in season four for WE tv; Outback Nation for FYI; Kingin’ With Tyga for MTV2; and Funniest Wins for TBS.

Goldman continues to broker strategic partnerships, distribution and talent deals for 3 Ball . Prior to Eyeworks Distribution, Goldman worked in the William Morris Agency’s television department.

KIM GRANITO

Vice President, Integrated Marketing,IFC

Age: 36

Kim Granito has shepherded integrated campaigns for partners in and around IFC’s original comedy series and used the network’s “slightly off” brand voice as a filter to develop smart, fresh and funny customized offerings, events and packaging. She is responsible for establishing IFC’s positioning within the sales marketplace in everything from the network’s annual upfront campaign to custom sponsor offerings that air across its various platforms.

Granito works closely with series creators to establish partnerships that deliver on brand objectives and enhance the overall IFC viewing experience. Most notable is a longstanding partnership with Subaru around comedy series Portlandia. Granito also developed a number of overt, over-the-top integrations in Comedy Bang! Bang! for Volkswagen and Cheez-It crackers that drew attention to the show’s sponsors but remained true to the context of the series. Similarly, she has successfully developed custom opportunities that look and feel like actual series content, such as GEICO campaigns in each of the last three seasons of Portlandia.

Said Blake Callaway, IFC’s executive VP of marketing and digital media: “Kim has an uncanny ability to balance the needs of IFC with those of our partners. Sponsors value the customized creative solutions, viewers are entertained and IFC sees the revenue upside. She balances IFC’s parallel goals of staying true to its brand vision and voice and driving revenue goals while keeping viewers entertained and engaged.”

ANGELICA GUERRA

Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Production for Latin America & U.S. Hispanic,Sony Pictures Television

Age: 38 Angelica

Guerra has been instrumental in growing Sony Pictures Television’s scripted production business and has played a key role in elevating the teleseries, a hybrid genre blending elements of the telenovela and the U.S. drama, across the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets.

In the U.S., her most notable teleseries projects this past year included Metastasis, the Spanish-language adaptation of Breaking Bad, and En La Boca Del Lobo (In the Lion’s Den), about the man who brought down the Cali drug cartel; both aired on UniMas. Another SPT series, Senorita Polvora (Miss Gunpowder), is coming to the network later this year.

Guerra has also been instrumental in establishing strategic production and co-production agreements, which have enabled SPT to bring even more content to the market. Sony currently has a 12-series, five-year co-production deal with Televisa in Mexico, as well as a three-year production deal with U.S. network Telemundo. Prior to joining SPT, he served as executive vice president, content for Caracol Television, responsible for developing and managing Caracol’s growth strategy in Colombia and internationally. Before that she was executive vice president for Gentv, Channel 8, where she coordinated the station’s administrative, financial and commercial operation. Guerra also served as chief financial officer for Tepuy (now Telemundo International).

ROB HOLMES

Vice President, Advanced Advertising Product & Strategy,Comcast Cable

Age: 36

Rob Holmes works with Comcast Spotlight, the cable operator’s local ad-sales organization, as well as programmers and distributors on advertising-related initiatives. He leads addressable advertising across all platforms, including video-on-demand and digital, as well as dynamic ad insertion, programmatic and data-enabled products and partnerships. His team is also responsible for developing corporate strategy for advanced advertising and advertising technology in partnership with other leaders in Platform Services.

Last year, Holmes played a significant role in Comcast’s acquisition of FreeWheel, a leading video ad server and a cornerstone of its advanced advertising product strategy. He also played a critical role in launching NBCU+, a first-of-its-kind partnership combining NBCUniversal’s scale in TV advertising with Comcast’s platforms to deliver more targeted and informed campaigns. He joined Comcast through NBCU, where he relaunched the Corporate Strategy group following Comcast’s investment in in the media firm and led initiatives across the broadcast and cable networks, advertising, digital and the film studio. Before Comcast, he was active in a number of startup ventures. He led business development for BNI Video, including its first partnership with a major programmer to provide a TV-everywhere platform, prior to BNI’s acquisition by Cisco. He also led content acquisition and marketing for Vudu.

MARIKA KELDERMAN

Director, Marketing Strategy & Partnerships,Travel Channel.

Age: 35

Marika Kelderman is responsible for both the on-air and off-air marketing campaigns of major programs and manages a multimillion-dollar media budget at this Scripps Networks Interactive programmer. She also oversees the brand’s social media strategy, manages Travel Channel’s corporate social responsibility relationships and develops partnerships with major sports, entertainment and consumer lifestyle brands.

She built relationships with brands such as Warner Bros., the National Football League, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, the United States Olympic Committee and Columbia Records. She developed an off-air, midseason media strategy and campaign to support the new series Booze Traveler that resulted in 10% time-slot ratings growth and 5% primetime ratings increase for the night, as one example. The Warner Bros. partnership was around the release of the final Hobbit film, The Battle of the Five Armies, and allowed Travel Channel to integrate the movie into an episode of the series Trip Flip, surprising travelers with a trip to “Middle Earth,” also known as New Zealand. Tapping into the dedicated fan base of The Hobbit resulted in the Trip Flip special performing 14% higher for the time slot and garnering more than 10 million social-media impressions. Prior to Travel Channel, Kelderman was a successful television producer, news reporter and anchor for ABC News and 20/20 in New York and CBS affiliate WCSC in Charleston, S.C.

HEATHER KIM

Senior Art Director,Troika

Age: 37

South Korea-born Heather Kim has spent a decade at Hollywood marketing and branding agency Troika, where she is senior art director. She has worked for such clients as The CW, ABC, AMC, Disney, Discovery Channel, Entertainment Tonight, Animal Planet, A&E, The Hub, E!, the BET Experience and BET Awards and public-radio station KCRW in Los Angeles, mostly on launches and rebranding efforts.

“After 10-plus years of working on branding for entertainment media companies, the projects that I take pride in the most are for clients who understand why their businesses are valuable to their consumers and are willing to change with the times to give customers exactly what they need,” she said. For AMC, the task was to solidify the network’s shift from movies to original content and to persuade partners, new content creators and the audience that what they had loved in Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead would continue consistently in the offerings to follow. “My focus was to consistently communicate with the creative team as to why the design had to feel a certain way.”

When The CW launched, Kim drew upon the color green as inspiration. “I created mood boards that showed the potential shows and youthful talent of CW alongside images of vibrant green saplings holding the morning dew.” Nine years later, green is still the “hero color” of The CW. Kim has bachelor’s degrees in fashion from Yonsei University in South Korea and in digital media from Otis College of Art and Design.

MANO KULASINGAM

Co-CEO,Digiflare

Age: 35

Mano Kulasingam and David George started Digiflare, a TV Everywhere and streaming app company, from Kulasingam’s parents’ garage in 2007. (Mano was the “digi,” or engineering and UX, and David the “flare,” partnerships and relationships). The Toronto-based company has grown from the two of them to more than 80 employees. It has become a development partner to top media brands including Starz Entertainment, Univision, Disney, PBS, Rogers Media and Bell Media.

Digiflare’s expertise in TVE and dedication to binge-watching has helped build more than 60 TVE or OTT apps. Digiflare has grown by fostering strong early partnerships with such companies as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, Amazon, and Samsung, as well as infrastructure partners such as Verizon Digital Media Services, thePlatform and Adobe. Since co-founding the digital agency in 2007, Kulasingam has been integral in creative customer/brand platform innovation and has helped marketing and IT executives quickly leverage creative brand opportunities triggered by emerging technologies. He oversees strategy, business operations and organizational growth for Digiflare. He has delivered innovative solutions for such top brands as PBS, Univision, Microsoft, Bell Media, Rogers and McCain. A computer science graduate from the University of Ottawa, he has several years of experience delivering digital solutions on multiple form factors.

ROCCO LAURENZANO

Senior Vice President, Change Management,Time Warner Cable

Age: 39

Responsible for creating and maintaining Time Warner Cable’s project priority list, Rocco Laurenzano’s team oversees the planning and rollout of large-scale programs such as TWC Maxx and All Digital. Since joining the company from Charter Communications in early 2014, his primary goal is to keep the company focused on the right projects, while seeing that they are implemented with minimal disruption by focusing on the best possible customer experience.

Said TWC chief operating officer Dinni Jain: “Rocco is the complete package when it comes to leadership and getting things done Over the 10 years I have known him, his role has been to take on the company’s hardest projects and implement them on time and under budget.” Those projects have included rolling out VoIP phone service at Insight, where Jain worked with Laurenzano, or going all-digital at both Insight and TWC. “At TWC, where he was my first hire, Rocco led an effort to prioritize all of the company’s many projects while decommissioning almost half of them. He also built an entirely new product development prioritization process … and he did all of this in about a third of the time that I have had such things done at other companies — and while we were in a sale process with Comcast.” Laurenzano was south regional VP of field operations for Charter after seven years at Insight, which was sold to TWC.

SHIRA LAZAR

Co-Founder, CEO, Host,What’s Trending

Age: 31

What’s Trending is a multiplatform media company that brings audiences the hottest trending videos and Internet culture every day, racking up nearly 70 million views on YouTube. Lazar has built What’s Trending into one of the more recognizable brands in the digital industry. Most recently, she was named a contributor to HLN’s flagship show The Daily Share.

In 2014, Lazar focused on further expanding the What’s Trending brand in four key areas, including editorial content and media partnerships; original content development and branded entertainment; co-productions; and international expansion. From short Trending Now videos to What’s Trending Live variety shows to long-form live specials from CES, SXSW and awards shows, What’s Trending receives more than 20 million views per month across its distribution network, including YouTube, Daily Motion, Yahoo! Screen, iHeartRadio, ClearTV, Complex and The Huffington Post. Lazar also negotiated a deal with Mumbai-based Culture Machine to expand into India. What’s Trending has plans to expand to other territories around the world with key digital and traditional broadcast partners. Since 2011, Lazar has co-hosted The Trevor Project’s annual gala fundraiser, “Trevor Live,” with YouTube star Tyler Oakley. Through her annual Tubeathon, she has helped raise more than $100,000 for Covenant House. She hosts and speaks at influencer events and conferences around the globe . A native of Montreal, Lazar graduated with honors from Emerson College and now lives in Los Angeles.

TIM MACGREGOR

Senior Director of Product Strategy & Management,Clearleap

Age: 36

If you’ve ever watched HBO On Demand or streamed Food Network to your PC, then you’ve interacted with ClearFlow, the platform Tim MacGregor oversees as senior director of product management for Clearleap, a provider of multiscreen solutions for the television industry. MacGregor’s strategic vision has helped Clearleap build a successful platform, and his stewardship has helped advance time-shifted and OTT viewing for millions of consumers nationwide.

In almost six years with Clearleap, MacGregor has led development of the ClearFlow platform. His strategic vision and technical savvy have further expanded its functionality into an OTT-centric workflow management powerhouse that processed and delivered millions of real-time highlight clips to the mobile app for one of the nation's largest professional sports leagues.

MacGregor joined Clearleap in 2009 as it ramped up delivery of its content management and media services. Prior to joining Clearleap, he served as director of content services at KIT Digital (now Piksel). Previously, he was North American creative operations manager at Getty Images. He has also worked as a producer for a bicoastal photography and film management agency and as studio manager and assistant to commercial photographer Clint Clemens.

MATTHEW MANCINELLI

CEO,Mance Media

Age: 31

Based at the historic Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, Mance Media is a global film and television distribution company launched by Matthew Mancinelli in early 2012. It acquires and licenses a wide range of programming and releases six to eight feature films a year.

Its assets include a vast 4K Ultra HD library; 45-plus titles (feature films, TV series and award-winning documentaries); an art company, Artist Spot, that merchandises Mance Media’s entertainment properties (prints, canvas, T-shirts, and movie posters); and the tech company BUY4KUHD, a new brand that distributes 4K entertainment via physical media and apps.

Mancinelli has a a firm grasp on the new technologies of OTT, streaming, 4K Ultra HD, video-on-demand and electronic sell-through. His latest theatrical release was The Young Kieslowski on July 24. Mancinelli has nearly a decade of distribution experience, having licensed programming from U.S. cable channels and producers to broadcasters in every territory of the world. Formerly senior VP, worldwide distribution for Shankly Entertainment, Mancinelli began his career working for, and mentored by, industry distribution veteran Paul Rich at Bennett Media Worldwide. Mancinelli has sold such series as HDNET’s Bikini Destinations, Gabrielle Reece’s The Extremists, Travel Channel’s First Ascent, Nat Geo’s Amazing Adventures of a Nobody and Spike TV’s Half Pint Brawlers.

ARI MARK

CEO & Co-Founder,Ample LLC

Age: 36

Ari Mark is, first and foremost, a world-class storyteller and one of the brightest young minds in one of this industry’s fastest growing and most critical subsets. Mark recently struck out on his own and founded Ample LLC after a career in original programming at established networks such as AMC and SundanceTV.

As head of unscripted programming at Xbox, Mark helped shaped the confluence of gaming and television. He spearheaded the adaptation of such flagship game titles as Age of Empires, Forza and State of Decay into television formats, while executive producing Xbox’s first series, Every Street United (up to almost 5 million downloads) and Zak Penn’s Atari: Game Over and Greg Barker’s The Thread. Ample currently has one green-lighted series in production and four others in various stages of development at networks.

In his four years at AMC, Mark launched the network’s first unscripted series, while developing such critically acclaimed shows as The Pitch and Small Town Security and hits such as Talking Dead, Comic Book Men and Game of Arms. His Making of the Mob will premiere soon on the network. As director of development at Michael Davies’ Embassy Row, he specialized in game and international formats. At Sundance, he developed series such as Iconoclasts and Architecture School, as well as the Peabody Award winners Nimrod Nation and Brick City. He also managed the documentary division.

PATRICIA ESTRADA MARTIN

Vice President of Field Engineering & Operations,Cox Communications

Age: 39

Patricia Estrada Martin’s leadership is recognized not only for her results and delivery, but also for her unwavering commitment to her team and the customer. She oversees day-to-day operations and engineering for Cox’s video, data and telephony products in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Ohio.

She has led several key initiatives at Cox, including the creation of the first national team of virtual construction estimators. She also co-sponsored the creation of Cox’s Video Back Office National Center of Excellence, synchronizing national teams and video subject matter experts toward improving customers’ video experience and setting a new road map within the company for other functions to emulate.

With her leadership of Cox: Drive Scale, she manages critical and complex processes, improving the customer experience while mitigating capital expenditures. She is also actively engaged in local charitable works. She served as co-chair of Cox’s “Movember” campaign, which raised more than $370,000 for men’s health. While in Cox’s Oklahoma region, she was co-chair of the Diversity Committee. She coordinated Cox’s first participation in Oklahoma Pride events, and was the top fundraising team captain for Cox’s American Heart Association fund drive. She was involved in the United Way board program for diverse leaders, serving on the board of a Tulsa mental health agency and volunteering at the Tulsa Community Food Bank, the Salvation Army and Dress for Success.

KATHLEEN McCAFFREY

Director,HBO Original Series

Age: 33

As a product of the United Talent Agency’s Television Literacy Department — its client list included the likes of Joel and Ethan Coen, Larry David and Steven Soder-bergh — Kathleen McCaffrey learned the media trade in an environment in which bold ideas and artistic daring were a matter of policy.

When she moved to HBO’s programming department in 2008, along with her mentor, Sue Naegle, she brought a respect for artists who not only spoke with bold and singular voices, but who dared to be different.

McCaffrey has championed Lena Dunham’s original comedy series Girls since its inception; Dunham once called her the show’s “caseworker.”

She has also played an important role in the ongoing development and direction of such hits as True Blood, Treme, Luck and Boardwalk Empire. What’s next?

She currently is working with the creators of any number of new projects for HBO, while being on the lookout for the next singular voice that dares to place truth above formulaic storytelling and ratings.

Notably, those projects include working with Jenji Kohan (creator of Orange Is the New Black and Weeds) on a pilot set in Salem, Mass., during the infamous witch trials. McCaffrey graduated from New York University in 2004.

DARREN MELAMETH

Senior Vice President, Program Planning & Acquisitions,Crown Media Family Networks

Age: 38

At two networks — Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries — Darren Melameth is responsible for developing and implementing programming, scheduling and acquisition strategies, as well as overseeing the brand’s digital extensions such as video-on-demand, broadband and newmedia platforms. He also manages all financial aspects of program planning while providing creative input and direction on original program placement and development.

In 2015, Melameth will be responsible for planning and implementing program strategies for almost 60 original world premieres across the network. As a leading strategist for the programming department, Melameth plays a key role in the growth and expansion of Hallmark Channel’s programming lineup. His grasp of the mechanics of acquisitions, programming and scheduling, paired with his unique perspective on the business, serve him well as a mentor to others, both within Crown Media Networks and in the industry at large. Previously, Melameth was VP of programming for Crown Media. After eight years of overseeing program planning and scheduling for Hallmark Channel, he was tasked with overseeing Hallmark Movie Channel. He joined Crown Media Family Networks in 2000 as a programming coordinator and has steadily risen through the ranks. A karate teacher and second-degree black belt, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

LOGAN MULVEY

Senior Vice President, Digital Distribution,Alchemy

Age: 30

Logan Mulvey is senior vice president of digital distribution for Alchemy (formerly Millennium Entertainment), where he oversees the company’s digital output infrastructure including cable, satellite, electronic sell-through, subscription video-on-demand and VOD platforms. In this role, Mulvey builds upon the company’s position as the leading supplier to digital platforms, including iTunes and Netflix.

Mulvey joined Alchemy when the company acquired the operation of the Los Angeles office of Amplify, the multiplatform distribution company he led as CEO. At Amplify, he oversaw acquisitions, business development, sales and overall strategy. He is also on the board of directors of the Entrepreneurs Organization, as well as the board of advisers for the San Diego Film Festival. He is a mentor at SXSW and a frequent speaker at digital entertainment conferences, including Variety’s BRIC and Film Finance Summits, Digital Hollywood and the New York Film Commission at the Sundance Film Festival.

Alchemy is a leading independent distributor of film and television content across all platforms and windows in North America. It develops tailored distribution strategies across all platforms, from theatrical release to DVD, digital, VOD and television. The company has distributed the work of some of the world’s most prominent filmmakers, such as Richard Linklater, Werner Herzog, Gregg Araki, Dito Montiel, John Hillcoat, John Turturro, Lee Daniels, Oren Moverman and James Cameron.

COLIN NASH

Senior Vice President,MTV Reality Series Development

Age: 39

Colin Nash currently supervises development for unscripted programming and series at MTV, including current hits The Real World and Broke A$$ Game Show as well as adding the upcoming season of Challenges to his other responsibilities. Since joining MTV in 2010, Nash has overseen some of the network’s larger franchises and has also developed a broad range of new programming.

In 2014 he helped develop and oversee production for MTV’s freshman comedy series Broke A$$ Game Show, which was then picked up for a second season. He was also brought on to help reimagine MTV’s longest-running series, The Real World. Real World: Ex-plosion averaged 1.9 million viewers an episode, followed by this season’s Real World: Skeletons, currently MTV’s top VOD property of 2015. He also worked on the Prism and Beacon award-winning special Life Continued: Defeating Depression, with Rainn Wilson’s production company Soulpancake.

Nash’s 16-year career has yielded varied production and development experience. He has produced shows at MTV for a large portion of his career, including the successful The Hills, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The City franchises. In 2001, Nash served as one of the few producers brought in to develop programming, as well as the overall brand for MTV’s college venture, MTVU. He also has producing experience for a variety of other networks, including ABC, The CW, VH1, TLC and The WB.

PAUL PASTOR

Executive Vice President of Network Strategy, Revenue & Operations,Discovery Channel

Age: 39

Paul Pastor joined Discovery Channel in his new role this past January, recruited by Rich Ross, president of Discovery Channel, the former Disney colleague to whom he reports. He is responsible for developing the network’s overarching business strategy, driving operational efficiencies and serving as a key network partner and liaison for ad sales, finance, distribution, digital, and Discovery Networks International.

While at The Walt Disney Co., he served as senior VP, strategy and consumer analytics for the Disney/ABC Television Group. He oversaw the division’s strategy team, consumer data and analytics team, media planning team and all research activities related to the ABC Television Network, ABC Studios, ABC Family and Disney/ABC Domestic Television.

He joined Disney in January 2007, working in business development for Disney Channels Worldwide, and quickly rose through the ranks. Early in his career, he held positions at managment consulting firm Accenture and at Technicolor, where he was focused on the expansion of the company’s media services businesses into global markets. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia and a MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles’s Anderson School of Business.

TIM PASTORE

President, Original Programming & Production,National Geographic Channel U.S.

Age: 36

Tim Pastore oversees all development, production and production management for National Geographic Channel U.S., responsible for approximately 400 hours of content annually. He is based in Nat Geo’s New York office in SoHo, overseeing the teams in New York and Washington, D.C., and working very closely with the head of international content for National Geographic Channels International and the NGCI team in London.

Less than a year into his new role, Pastore has such projects in development as the reboot of the critically acclaimed Explorer, the longest-running documentary series in cable history; this fall’s new series Breakthrough, from executive producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer; and the new comedy event series History of the World … for Now. In March, telefilm Killing Jesus became the network’s most-watched show ever. Having just surpassed 90 million homes in distribution, Nat Geo has cemented itself as a truly sizable player in the nonfiction space.

Prior to joining NGC, Pastore served as the executive vice president of production and development for National Geographic Studios. Before that, he was VP of factual programming and production at BBC Worldwide Productions, where, among other things, he created and executive-produced NGC’s current hit series Life Below Zero. Pastore previously served as VP of development and production for 3net, and before that was director of production and development at Discovery Channel.

DAVID RAPSON

Director, Content Partnerships,Layer3 TV

Age: 34

David Rapson is the director of content partnerships for Layer3 TV, a next-generation cable provider spearheading a new era of home media, combining the best of television, social and digital life.

He joined the company in November 2014 as the first full-time employee hired by Layer3 TV content topper Lindsay Gardner, and leads outreach and negotiation efforts with a range of top-tier cable networks, broadcasters and other content creators.

As part of a growing team of professionals that currently numbers seven in Denver and Boston, Rapson has 10 years of industry experience, mostly at Disney/ESPN/ABC. He most recently was director of affiliate sales and marketing for beIN Sports, where he was charged with executing all network carriage agreements and new business strategies for traditional video operators, as well as nontraditional digital offerings for linear and nonlinear content.

He also worked for more than eight years at Disney and ESPN Media Networks, licensing linear and nonlinear content to cable and satellite providers.

Rapson is currently vice president of the Rocky Mountain Cable Association, an industry group based in Denver. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.

BIRK RAWLINGS

Head ,DreamWorksTV

Age: 39

Birk Rawlings is the brains behind family-friendly YouTube channel DreamWorksTV. When it launched last June, it combined DreamWorks Animation’s global family brand with AwesomenessTV’s digital savvy to reach target-demo and digital natives: young kids and their families.

Since its launch, families have watched more than 78 million minutes and 30-plus series of the bite-sized, laugh-out-loud content available on the channel. DreamWorksTV’s content is all-original and made for the Web. Per VidStatX, it is outperforming the YouTube pages for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, DTV said. Verizon has announced a multiyear deal and an order of more than 200 hours of original OTT content from both DreamWorksTV and Awesomeness TV.

A more than 15-year veteran, Rawlings has shepherded nearly 100 projects for or with studios such as The Walt Disney Co., Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation. His primary responsibility is to identify new projects for the platform and oversee the production and creative process from first pitch to final airdate. While high volume — over 1,000 episodes per year — and tight budgets pose a challenge, Rawlings said he relishes the opportunity to create a space of nearly unprecedented creative freedom for parent company DreamWorks Animation.

Before DreamWorksTV, Rawlings was as an independent producer and consultant . Prior to that, he was VP of animation development at Nickelodeon, working under president of animation Brown Johnson.

SHARON RECHTER

Executive Vice President, Business Development & Distribution,BabyFirst

Age: 39

Since 2006, when she played a pivotal role in launching BabyFirst, Sharon Rechter has helped propel her network to become a dominant media brand serving growing children and their parents.

In the U.S., BabyFirst reaches about 52 million homes through Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network and other affiliates. Around the world, BabyFirst is seen in 80 million homes in more than 35 countries. BabyFirst is also a growing presence online via a subscription-based website and an increasing library of apps. Rechter plays a major strategic role behind the continuing growth of the network, website and mobile apps as head of business development. BabyFirst describes itself as the first network in the U.S. for children under 3 years old. It features rich, educational content designed to introduce babies and toddlers to a variety of skills, from language to math to music, in a delightful and engaging way. Rechter has long found inspiration in education, beginning at 12, when she wrote the best-selling book The Girl From There. Now, as a mother of two young girls, she continues to find inspiration in education, and inspire others. Rechter has a broad background in television programming and has extensive experience in multicultural programming, as she served as the VP and head of operations for The Israeli Network, a U.S. network featuring Israeli programming available on Dish.

ELENA RITCHIE

Vice President of TV Product Development & Strategy, Digital Distribution,NBCUniversal Content Distribution

Age: 38

Elena Ritchie is part of the team that drives programming, performance and monetization of cross-platform, free-on-demand businesses, including video-on-demand, TV everywhere and mobile, for NBCU and its cable portfolio, including USA Network, Bravo, Syfy, Oxygen, Telemundo, E!, Esquire Network, Golf Channel, NBC Universo, Sprout, MSNBC, CNBC and NBC Sports & Olympics.

She also oversees product-based account management for pay TV and online video distributor partnerships, including Hulu. Most recently, she completed TV-everywhere distribution commitments spanning over 18 months, including VOD and linear implementations for all 14 NBCU cable networks across 100-plus MVPD partners. She played an integral role in improving NBCU’s performance across various digital platforms, including set-top-box VOD, MVPD sites and apps and Hulu. Ritchie’s team’s hard work resulted in 1.5 billion full episode views in 2014, an 8% increase in performance year-over-year.

Earlier in her tenure at NBCU, Ritchie launched direct-to-consumer mobile products and produced interactive campaigns for multiple TV networks. Prior to joining NBCUniversal in 2006, she served as account manager at interactive-TV startup Gold- Pocket Wireless, where NBCU was her priority customer. Prior to that, she served five years as president and co-founder of Enormous Productions.

JONATHAN SKOGMO

Founder & CEO,Jukin Media

Age: 32

Jonathan Skogmo oversees all day-to-day operations of Jukin Media, including licensing, research, development and programming. The company, which licenses usergenerated video content to premier entertainment networks, publishers, brands and platforms throughout the world, receives more than 1 billion monthly views across platforms. Jukin has more than 90 employees, with operations in Los Angeles, New York, London and San Sebastian, Spain. Its owned-and-operated global entertainment brands FailArmy and JukinVideo combine to claim more than 350 million video views per month across platforms.

Additionally, Jukin Media is a worldwide leader in licensing viral video content. The company’s vast library of short-form user-generated video clips regularly airs on national morning shows, news broadcasts, clip shows, daytime talk shows and late-night shows. Skogmo is also executive producer of World’s Funniest Fails on Fox, and Fail Army, the international TV clip show currently airing in seven countries worldwide, including Spike U.K.

Skogmo is a member of the Producers Guild of America and The Hollywood Radio and Television Society and holds a degree in film and television from Chicago’s Columbia College.

Prior to Jukin, Skogmo produced shows for CMT, Discovery Channel and truTV.

TODD C. SMITH

Executive Director, Media Relations,Cox Communications

Age: 39

Todd Smith serves as general spokesperson for Cox Communications, the pay TV and telecommunications provider, across all product lines. He also is responsible for national media and analyst relations strategy and manages the life-cycle promotion of business-to-business services and corporate social responsibility programs.

When Smith joined Cox in 2007, his primary role was senior communications adviser for Cox Business, the $1.8 billion business-telecommunications arm of Cox Communications. In this position, he helped raise the visibility of cable’s commercial services by promoting product launches, strategic partnerships and alliances and executive thought leaders through consistent messaging and regular discussions with media and analysts.

Prior to joining Cox, Smith spent nine years at BellSouth and AT&T, beginning in small business sales. In his tenure there, Smith directed external and internal communications initiatives for multiple BellSouth organizations. Following the BellSouth-AT&T merger, Smith joined Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, where he served as a full-time member of the AT&T public relations team. Smith managed wireless analyst relations and business product communications and supported major device and application launches, including the Apple iPhone.

DAN WEINSTEIN

President/Founding Partner,Collective Digital Studio

Age: 32

Dan Weinstein’s Collective Digital Studio (CDS) is a multiplatform digital entertainment company that includes a network of more than 900 online video channels delivering 1 billion views a month.

Weinstein’s strategic leadership and instinctive skills have led CDS into pioneering cross-platform business models.

Earlier this year, Weinstein played a key role signing new talent across Vine and Snapchat including Rudy Mancuso, Logan Paul and Shonduras, among others. These elite creators added more than 5 billion views to the CDS multichannel network (MCN).

Weinstein has helped propel the biggest YouTube stars, including Freddie Wong, Rhett & Link, Harley Morenstein of Epic Meal Time and more to stardom with hundreds of millions of views per month and brand integrations with blue-chip marketers.

In addition to heading up one of the leading digital entertainment companies, Weinstein has executive produced several series that have transitioned from the web to broadcast, including Epic Meal Time’s Epic Meal Empire, which debuted on A+E Networks’s FYI; High Fructose Adventures of the Annoying Orange on Cartoon Network; and Video Game High School, the No. 1 scripted series on YouTube.

JONATHAN WEITZ

Partner,IBB Consulting Group

Age: 38

As a highly sought-after consultant to top operators and programmers, IBB Consulting’s Jonathan Weitz has worked diligently behind the scenes to help make some of these successes possible. IBB comprises 100-plus consultants, focused solely on media, cable, broadband and mobile.

Weitz joined IBB in 2006 and is today one of the firm’s most senior partners, helping to establish and grow cutting-edge media specialty areas. The work he does on behalf of TV, digital media companies and operators is almost exclusively of a confidential nature. But you’d likely be familiar with many of the initiatives that he has been tapped to lead.

They include: supporting myriad programmer and MSO TV-everywhere initiatives, including the launch of one of the industry’s first TV-everywhere services; helping plan and launch several digital video platforms and apps, including a global live and on-demand platform; executing data-driven marketing campaigns for large media companies; supporting planning and launching of a digital SVOD product; leading a digital-growth strategy initiative for a TV network; developing new data-driven ad products for advanced advertising and multiplatform; supporting development of new marketing capabilities that drove targeted tune-in messaging and measurement; and driving development of digital content planning for a TV network, contributing to significant growth of their Web and mobile platforms.

JT WHITE

Vice President,Furious Corp.

Age: 30

JT White is a seasoned digital media professional with a proven track record in developing new business and people. Working both in ad sales and for creative agencies, White has a unique perspective, which allows him to communicate across disciplines and to drive a singular vision.

White has worked with some of the world’s largest brand advertisers and top content creators. In the past seven years he has worked for companies focused on full-service solutions in advertising, data and mobile development. In all roles, he leveraged state of the art technology to deliver elegant, simplified solutions for clients of all sizes. White “is the business trifecta; smart, possesses a tireless work ethic and is a pleasure with whom to work,” Furious CEO Ashley Swartz said. “Many say his wisdom is well beyond his years, both in business and life.

“He signed up to be the one to lead, define and drive a product roadmap with the vision to build the enterprise platform that powers and connects the systems that power television advertising today,” Swartz said. “JT started working in radio, sold some of the most important data products in media at Tribune Media Services, and worked with some of the most groundbreaking TV-everywhere and OTT applications for big broadcasters at BottleRocket Apps, and now, today, he wants to transform the enterprise of television. There is no one that knows JT that doubts he is up to the task.”

DANA S. WILSON

Vice President of Customer Experience,Comcast Cable.

Age: 37

In her role as vice president of customer experience for Comcast Cable, Dana Wilson is responsible for leading improvement initiatives to transform the experience for customers of Comcast, the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider.

She previously served as executive director of strategy and operations, a role in which she led departmental strategic initiatives to drive customer focus and high performance across products.

During her tenure, Wilson led the overall delivery of Comcast’s Olympics experience for both the 2012 London and 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. She was instrumental in the integration of the NBC Sports Live Extra Olympics app on X1, providing Xfinity customers with 1,000 hours of live streaming coverage of the Sochi Winter Games on the set-top box.

The innovative experience was the first of its kind in the industry and gave customers 500 extra hours of live event coverage on the TV.

Wilson started her career at Comcast as senior director of product planning and delivery for Comcast Interactive Media, where she managed execution of the Xfinity product roadmap for online and mobile entertainment.

TANIA YUKI

Founder & CEO,Shareablee

Age: 35

Tania Yuki is a lawyer turned entrepreneur, tech innovator and mentor for women in technology. She has a history of developing new products while evangelizing and growing marketplaces.

Since the mid-2000s, she has led the development of the first online video-measurement product with comScore, Video Metrix. During her time with comScore, Yuki launched the first census-measurement product in the company’s history, pioneered video advertising reporting and implemented TV-episode reporting, a key step in the shift of dollars from TV to online video providers such as Hulu. This earned her a Great Mind Award from the Advertising Research Foundation, and solidified her passion for analytics and for making sense of emerging technology with predictive data.

In 2013, Yuki saw a pressing need for a clear and consistent way to measure and optimize success across social media and founded Shareablee, a Web-based social-media performance and predictive analytics platform that helps many brands and publishers unpack their performance, monetize more effectively and identify critical best practices that drive business value and change the outcome of social campaigns. Its technology has helped hundreds of Fortune 1000 marketers, including Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, Viacom, HBO, Univision, CNN, DirecTV and Turner, define and drive success in social, with industry-standard metrics and predictive analytics that hone in on powerful best practices.

This article was updated after publication, correcting which offices Tim Pastore oversees and Paul Pastor's age. 

The editors of Multichannel News have announced the 2015 class of “40 under 40,” who will be honored in a special report in the magazine on Monday, July 27.

MCN has been selecting “40 under 40” classes of executives in cable TV and related industries since 2006, each group highlighting 40 new names to know in media, telecommunications and, increasingly, new areas of content production.

The 2015 class, in alphabetical order, is:

ILAN BEN-HANAN, Vice President, College Sports Programming, ESPN.

ALDEN BUDILL, Vice President of Distribution Strategy, Discovery Communications.

ALBERT DAHAN, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Metrological. 

LYDIA DALY, Vice President of Social Media Activations and Earned Media, Viacom Velocity.

BRIAN EADS, Director, Video Operations, Viamedia.

BENJAMIN (BJ) ELIAS, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Fox Networks.

BORIS FELTS, Vice President, Products and Solutions, Envivio.

JOHANNA FUENTES, Senior Vice President, Corporate Public Relations, Showtime Networks Inc.

DAVID GEORGE, President, Leftfield Entertainment.

KATHERINE GESSNER, Sales and Marketing Manager, MCTV.

JEFF GOLDMAN, Chief Business Officer, 3 Ball Entertainment.

KIM GRANITO, Vice President, Integrated Marketing, IFC.

ANGELICA GUERRA, Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Production for Latin America and U.S. Hispanic, Sony Pictures Television.

ROB HOLMES, Vice President, Advanced Advertising Product & Strategy, Comcast Cable.

MARIKA KELDERMAN, Director, Marketing Strategy and Partnerships, Travel Channel.

HEATHER KIM, Senior Art Director, Troika.

MANO KULASINGAM, Co-CEO, Digiflare.

ROCCO LAURENZANO, Senior Vice President, Change Management; Time Warner Cable.

SHIRA LAZAR, Co-Founder, CEO, Host, What’s Trending.

TIM MACGREGOR, Senior Director of Product Strategy & Management, Clearleap.

MATTHEW MANCINELLI, Chief Executive Officer, Mance Media.

ARI MARK, CEO, Co-Founder Ample LLC.

PATRICIA ESTRADA MARTIN, Vice President of Field Engineering & Operations, Cox Communications.

KATHLEEN MCCAFFREY, Director, HBO Original Series.

DARREN MELAMETH, Senior Vice President, Program Planning and Acquisitions, Crown Media Family Networks.

LOGAN MULVEY, Senior Vice President, Digital Distribution, Alchemy.

COLIN NASH, Senior Vice President, MTV Reality Series Development.

PAUL PASTOR, Executive Vice President of Network Strategy, Revenue and Operations, Discovery Channel.

TIM PASTORE, President, Original Programming and Production, National Geographic Channel U.S.

DAVID RAPSON, Director, Content Partnerships, Layer3 TV.

BIRK RAWLINGS, Head of DreamWorksTV.

SHARON RECHTER, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Distribution, BabyFirst.

ELENA RITCHIE, Vice President of TV Product Development and Strategy, Digital Distribution, NBCUniversal Content Distribution.

JONATHAN SKOGMO, Founder and CEO, Jukin Media.

TODD C. SMITH, Executive Director, Media Relations, Cox Communications. 

DAN WEINSTEIN, President, Founding Partner, Collective Digital Studio.

JONATHAN WEITZ, Partner, IBB Consulting Group.

JT WHITE, Vice President, Product, Furious Corp.

DANA S. WILSON, Vice President of Customer Experience, Comcast Cable.

TANIA YUKI, Founder and CEO, Shareablee.

It's time to nominate executives from the multichannel-TV industry and related businesses to be recognized in the 2015 class of "40 Under 40" in a special report appearing in the June 15 edition of Multichannel News.

Since 2006, MCN has presented annually a new class of high-performing individuals from multichannel-TV distributors, programmers and vendors of all kinds who've made an impact on the TV and broadband industries. We urge readers to help us spot these talented men and women and showcase their accomplishments.

To do so, please send email to mcnletters@nbmedia.com containing: a summary of why this candidate should be selected and a current bio of the individual, along with a headshot, preferably one that is ready to run in the magazine. Letters of support are welcome but not required. Please do not nominate anyone who has appeared in past listings of the Multichannel News "40 Under 40." A list of the 2014 class is linked here. The deadline to submit nominations is April 17, 2015.

Any questions, please email mcnletters@nbmedia.com.

Since 2006, Multichannel News has been spotlighting, on an annual basis, a select group of executives who are leading, innovating and delivering for their companies and organizations in and around the pay TV universe. This year, you’ll notice more names attached to online content creators, as well the mainstay multichannel-video providers, programmers and technology firms, as business lines continue to blur. We think you’ll learn from their stories that this industry has a diverse mix of young men and women making their mark in leadership roles. One thing they share in common: all were younger than 40 as of our May 15, 2014, cutoff. As always, we appreciate suggestions from readers as we shape this list anew each year.

Related: '40 Under 40' Classes of2016and2015.

MARK APTER

Senior Vice President of Program Planning & Acquisitions

A&E Network

Age: 39

Recently promoted from vice president of scheduling and acquisitions for A&E Network and Bio (recently rebranded to FYI), Mark Apter is a key strategist who has been instrumental in the accomplishment of 10 consecutive years of growth for A&E. He brings a high level of industry expertise and strategic thinking that has helped to drive the network’s success in a competitive and dynamic landscape.

Apter leads A&E’s scheduling team and is responsible for developing and implementing the network’s programming, scheduling and acquisition strategies, as well as developing and executing scheduling strategy for all of the brand’s digital extensions, including VOD, broadband and newmedia platforms. A 15-year veteran of the network, he played an integral role in orchestrating the strategy for the rollout of the No. 1 nonfiction series in cable history, Duck Dynasty, and A&E’s top original drama series, Bates Motel. Earlier, he was A&E’s manager of program research, and before joining the network he held positions at Nielsen Media Research and Fox Sports Net.

Apter’s influence extends beyond the Program Planning and Scheduling group, as he is a key contributor in the network’s development and greenlight process. He also serves as counsel to A&E Network general manager David McKillop, as well as the entire senior management team at the network group.

DARCY BOWE

Vice President/Director, Video

Starcom USA

Age: 33

In her role within media agency Starcom USA’s Video Center of Excellence, Darcy Bowe directs video investment and drives future opportunities within the “video is everywhere” strategy — whether it’s on broadcast networks, kids’ television, cinema, cable or elsewhere.

A star negotiator, Bowe looks across the marketplace holistically and consistently adapts the agency’s approach to video investment to reflect the consumer’s changing viewership behavior, helping marketers make the smartest investments within the video space.

An example of her creative negotiating prowess came during the 2013 upfronts, when she, along with other key members of Starcom’s investment leadership team, made it a clear priority that Starcom was approaching the upfront differently — more screens, more data and a bigger-than-ever focus on innovation wrapped within deals.

One highlight was a deal with Turner for product integrations across its entire slate of shows, briefi ng producers and writers at the start of production for seamless, low-impact integration opportunities. Bowe also supported the deal Starcom drove with Yahoo! to explore how data can inform content development and reshape personalized distribution.

As a lead buyer on kids’ media negotiations, she’s also helped her team drive groundbreaking research and add value to client programs.

MONICA AUSTIN

Senior Vice President, Business & Brand Development

Shine America

Age: 31

Monica Austin has been responsible for the integration and expansion of the MasterChef (Fox) and The Biggest Loser (NBC) brands during her time at Shine America, where she also leads the company’s strategic on-air brand integration and sponsorship initiatives and off-air merchandising and licensing opportunities for all scripted, unscripted and digital properties.

Shine America is a U.S. division of Shine Group, created in March 2012 after the merger of Shine Americas, Shine USA and Reveille Productions. Most recently, Austin secured a partnership with Skype for Fox’s MasterChef Junior and launched a global MasterChef culinary tour. She also manages the on-air brand integration and sponsorship for all of Shine’s scripted and unscripted digital properties and is responsible for major integration deals with global brands such as Ford, Subway, Brita and Walmart.

Before coming to Shine, Austin worked for Super! Alright! as vice president of business and content development and for ITV Global Entertainment, where she developed and implemented comprehensive brand strategy for various clients, such as Nat Geo Wild, and shows such as Hell’sKitchen and Nanny 911, both on Fox. She continues to find new and innovative ways to create lucrative brand partnerships and consistently elevates her brands into well-known, household names.

PAUL CABANA

Senior Vice President, Head of Programming

H2

Age: 39

For the last two-plus years, Paul Cabana has been on a mission to turn a nascent network into a cable powerhouse. He has gone a long way toward achieving that goal in a short period of time.

As the head of H2, a network rebranded in September 2011 (previously History International), he fully embraced the network’s tagline “More 2 History.” Today, H2 is the No. 1 emerging network (under 70 million homes), showing double-digit growth versus full-year 2013 among total viewers, adults ages 25-54 and 18-49 and men ages 25-54 and 18 -49. H2 has more than doubled its audience among all key demos since its rebranding.

Cabana formed a targeted strategy to differentiate H2 from History, while giving H2 its own voice: As History is going broad, H2 is going deep, giving more core information. America Unearthed — Cabana’s first original series, which launched in 2012 — is breaking records for H2, nearly tripling its average.

Throughout 2014, H2 will roll out a new slate of original series, providing audiences with more to explore, reveal and know about history. He was the executive producer on some of network’s most prolific programming, including the The Men Who Built America, Mankind The Story of All of Us and Life After People. He also introduced History’s first competition series, Top Shot.

JACK DALEY

Vice President, Consumer Marketing

Nickelodeon Group

Age: 36

Jack Daley is responsible for developing marketing and advertising campaigns in support of show launches and live events, as well as overseeing consumer relationship management and social media for the Nickelodeon brand. Over the past two years, he has helped build Nick’s social-media presence to more than 250 million fans across multiple platforms.

Using these platforms, Daley has constructed creative, innovative campaigns that expand the Nick brand beyond its core demo. For example, last year’s Kids’ Choice Awards were promoted through the “Fan Armies” program, which pitted groups of fans of top nominees against one another in a series of daily challenges across various social platforms. It helped the network score a record-breaking 392 million votes across multiple platforms.

Daley oversees marketing strategies and advertising planning for Nick series and special events such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Legend of Korra, TeenNick’s HALO Awards and NickMom, as well as the Kids’ Choice Awards.

He also leads acquisition efforts in support of Nick’s mobile app and digital-gaming businesses. The 10-year veteran developed the award-winning “Korra Nation” viral marketing campaign in support of The Legend of Korra launch. And he catapulted SpongeBob’s social-media presence to more than 70 million fans across Facebook and Twitter.

DAVID ESPINOSA

Senior Vice President, Distribution, Strategic Analysis

Fox Networks

Age: 40

Promoted to his current post in March, David Espinosa provides critical strategic analysis and guidance across the full range of Fox Networks’ distribution activities involving 44 owned-and-operated and joint-venture TV networks. He also takes a leadership role in the strategy, negotiation, implementation and administration of affiliate and retransmission- consent agreements between Fox and all major cable, satellite and telco providers. He provides crucial guidance on budgets, pricing, proposals, network-specific analysis and cross-account initiatives to shape and support the Fox Networks portfolio.

An eight-year Fox veteran, Espinosa is a well-respected executive who has proven skillful at navigating strategically through the constantly shifting television-distribution landscape. He is known for cultivating success in those around him and advocating for young executives throughout the company. His contributions are essential to the success of many of Fox’s recent landmark affiliation and retransmission-consent deals.

Fluent in English and Spanish, the Mexico native joined Fox in 2006 as director of national accounts and was promoted to vice president, distribution, strategic analysis, in 2010. Prior to Fox, he was vice president, corporate banking at Citibank (Banamex USA) and later VP, electronic payment orders. He started out at Banco Nacional de Mexico as an analyst in 1996, and later was manager of commercial lending.

NADINE C. FINNERTY

Executive Director, New Growth & Development

Cox Communications

Age: 37

Nadine Finnerty is responsible for identifying, assessing and developing adjacent growth opportunities within Cox’s Connected Home Portfolio and is currently overseeing exploration in the home health and education spaces. In her multifaceted role, she is tasked with seeking strategic partnerships, developing product and packaging, executing marketing, spearheading trials and monitoring assessments. Her ultimate mission is to identify exciting new concepts that meet overall company objectives.

This past year, she drove an “Aging in Place” initiative through a three-market trial, forging a partnership with a top medical monitoring provider and developing a creative operating model. She also developed strategy and sourced partners for the creation of a data-driven targeted advertising platform, completed a company-wide data monetization review and led a home health-and-wellness assessment for new business.

Prior to Cox, Finnerty was senior director of TV Networks Distribution for Comcast/ NBCUniversal. She also held senior roles within Comcast’s programming division and Comcast Cable. As senior director of distribution strategy and finance for Comcast Networks, she formed a deal finance team and led all deal strategy, analyses and budgeting for affiliate sales. A certified public accountant, before joining Comcast she served as senior associate and consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

THERESSA DULANEY

Vice President, External Affairs, Oregon & Southwest Washington Region

Comcast

Age: 39

At Comcast, Theressa Dulaney has been an innovative leader and influential industry spokesperson. With nearly 20 years of public-relations experience, she has built long-term, successful relationships with local, national and regional media, as well as other influencers.

Prior to joining Comcast in 2004, she was responsible for corporate communications with the National Basketball Association’s Portland Trail Blazers, where she managed communications around the team’s community giving, corporate and marketing initiatives, placement of players’ nonsports initiatives and a myriad of other corporate issues for the Trail Blazers and the Rose Garden Arena. She also edited the team’s publications, Rip City Magazine and Hoop Magazine, and placed stories about the team with such national media as USA Today, The New York Times, The Tonight Show, CNN and Good Morning America.

Earlier in her career, she worked for a Portland advertising agency and publicrelations firm and interned for a U.S. congressman. She also owned and operated a dance studio. She is currently president of the WICT Pacific Northwest chapter and is a past president of the Oregon Cable Telecommunications Association. She was a member of Leadership Portland and served as a leader of its alumni committee.

JESSICA FANG

Senior Vice President, Distribution, National Accounts

Fox Networks

Age: 39

Jessica Fang oversees Fox Networks’s day-to-day relationships with national distributors, including the negotiation of distribution agreements covering all 44 owned-andoperated and joint-venture TV networks, VOD and other media platforms.

Promoted from VP this past March, Fang also negotiates retransmission-consent compensation for Fox’s owned-andoperated broadcast stations and advises on strategies and tactics in dealing with the network group’s top distributors. She is involved in all aspects of Fox’s distribution efforts, including the creation of comprehensive financial models. Described by co-workers as bright, diligent and strategic, she plays a critical role in many of Fox’s most challenging negotiations while maintaining an excellent rapport with distribution partners. She is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications, the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing.

When she’s not at the negotiating table, Fang finds time to mentor Fox’s junior executives. She joined Fox in 2002 as manager of national accounts after earning her MBA from Pepperdine University and degrees in psychology and business from Carnegie Mellon University. She was elevated to director of national accounts and sales strategy in 2005, where her focus expanded to include strategic plans for emerging networks.

GATSBY GOTTSCH

Executive Vice President of Finance

Rural Media Group

Age: 26

Gatsby Gottsch is making a mark in the cable industry through her integral role driving the growth of Rural Media Group, the privately-owned programmer founded by her father, Patrick Gottsch. She joined RMG in May 2010 after studying international business at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICADE in Madrid, Spain, and earning her B.B.A. in finance from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.

At RMG, she has worked closely with other members of the executive team on various initiatives, including creating a corporate structure, expanding its international distribution and relaunching its digital assets. In 2012, she assisted chief financial officer Steve Campione with the launch of RMG’s second network, Rural TV, and later that year with the acquisition of FamilyNet.

The combination of those assets created a second cable network for RMG (after flagship RFD-TV) of more than 20 million subscribers in just six months. She rebuilt the company’s website and its paid streaming and video-on-demand service in 2013. Also in 2013, she helped build the operational plan for Rural Radio, RMG’s satellite radio network available to more than 27 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada on SiriusXM channel 80. She serves as part of the executive team and board of directors, and manages the RFD-TV Theatre in Branson, Mo., as well as RMG’s digital media assets.

CHERYL GRIMLEY

Vice President, Advertising Sales

Crown Media Family Networks

Age: 38

Cheryl Grimley wears two hats at Crown Media Family Networks, home of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. She oversees all aspects of advertising sales in the Western Region for both networks, including all integrations for Hallmark Channel’s popular daytime lifestyle series, Home and Family.

She is charged with identifying and executing clientspecific opportunities while also negotiating upfront and scatter deals. In addition, she manages the West Coast ad-sales team and is responsible for driving sales revenue through strategic advertising solutions and cultivating partnerships with new and existing clients. For the 2013-14 upfront, Crown’s ad-sales team outdelivered its 2013 revenue goals, with a total increase of 10% for the full year. Grimley was instrumental in that success, contributing an increase of 73% in dollars and increased shares from a key West Coast packaged-goods client. Through unique custom integrations, Grimley was also able to persuade that client to double its dollars. In 2013, Crown Media’s integrations were up 22% from the previous year, mostly due to Grimley’s efforts.

She led the charge for a commitment to organic integrations with Crown Media’s programming, focusing Home & Family. Before joining Crown in 2012, she was director of new business development at Viacom Media Networks, developing business partnerships for Nickelodeon Network Group.

JASON HANSEN

Chief Technology Officer

Conway Corp.

Age: 39

An Illinois native who moved to Mountain Home, Ark., for his sophomore year of high school, Jason Hansen has worked for Conway Corp. for 14 years, starting out as a customer- service representative in the Internet department. He soon became the Wide Area Network administrator and then manager of broadband and video services. In 2011, he was named Conway’s first chief technology officer, leading a dedicated team that provides support, direction, security and infrastructure for the company and the citizens of Conway, Ark. The desire to fulfi ll and exceed business objectives and expectations for both Conway and its customers allows Hansen and his team to function as a catalyzing change agent driving innovation. Because Conway is a municipal provider, his role as CTO requires him, in addition to supervising internal information-technology services, to direct the Wide Area Network department, which provides the city with Internet, telephone and cable TV services. He is one of three top officers at Conway that report to the CEO.

As CTO, Hansen led the development of a customized cable-modem provisioning system, the deployment of next-generation broadband services throughout the system and the all-digital cable transition of 18,000 Conway households. He’s overseen the launch of the multiroom DVR and the release of Conway’s mobile application. He also is an entrepreneur and small business owner, having co-founded a rental-home business in 2006. And he is the chief operations officer at Swap for Tomorrow, an Arkansas-based startup.

KEY KIARIE

Chief Financial Officer

Revolt Media & TV

Age: 40

A graduate of Harvard Business School and Dartmouth University with 15 years of experience in entertainment private equity and $20 billion in mergerand- acquisition deals under his belt, Key Kiarie joined Revolt Media & TV in January 2013 as a strategy steward, building the corporate infrastructure from the ground up.

On a day-to-day basis, he works with Revolt’s board to steer financial planning and capital management, oversees U.S operations and technology for offices and systems, acts as chief negotiator for high-value deals and talent and balances the company’s startup budgets, in the tens of millions of dollars. The Bronx, N.Y., native and longtime volunteer for the “A Better Chance” program for innercity youth has not only kept the music network founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs on target for financial profitability, but has managed its funds so diligently that the network called capital several months after target.

Before coming to Revolt, he was the managing director at media entrepreneur Haim Saban’s Saban Capital Group, where he worked on deals including those for Univision Communications, Bezeq Communications, Tiger Gate (a Lionsgate pay TV joint venture in Asia) and Next New Networks (sold to Google in 2011). Earlier, he worked for private-equity firm AEA Investors, at investment bank JP Morgan and at consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. A resident of New York and Los Angeles, he is an active public- and private-market investor and is on the boards of Juke, DisconnectMe and Xaisle.

JULIE KIKLA

Head of Content Partnerships

The Whistle

Age: 30

A former YouTube executive who managed a series of landmark deals for the platform and led education initiatives for the Global Sports Team, Julie Kikla moved from London to New York, where she launched The Whistle Network, the first sports-focused multichannel network, on Jan. 1.

The Whistle launched with 2 million subscribers, later adding more than 1 million additional subscribers and continuing to grow; it recently acquired The Lacrosse Network. Of late, Major League Baseball joined the National Football League, the PGA of America and other major leagues as Whistle investors, as well as some 40 content partners.

Her years at YouTube and the National Agency Team at Google taught her the market opportunity available at the intersection of kids, sports and entertainment, and she believed The Whistle’s progress in building its professional league partnerships, investment team, content strategy and leadership best positioned it to own that intersection. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was on the school’s gymnastics team. She was marketing director for a digital startup. She worked as a research associate in the Children and Media Lab at the Annenberg School of Communication. And she was a management consultant, where she helped create go-to-market opportunities for new companies.

JENN LEVY

Senior Vice President, Current Production

Bravo Media

Age: 36

A six-year veteran of NBCUniversal-owned Bravo, Jenn Levy was promoted in March to spearhead production on some of the network’s biggest hits, including Shahs of Sunset and the Million Dollar Listing franchise. She also oversees the executives in charge of production on Below Deck, new series Top Chef Duels and the Emmy Award-winning Top Chef. Under her direction, Shahs of Sunset garnered massive media attention and averaged more than 1 million viewers ages 18-49 for its recently-completed third season. She also oversaw development and production for Bravo’s 2013 summer series Below Deck, whose season finale delivered more than 2.3 million total viewers. With her guidance, last year’s season-six premiere of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles was the highest-rated start in the franchise’s history among all key demos, and Million Dollar Listing New York’s season-three premiere in 2014 garnered the series’ highestrated season start ever among all key demos. As VP of development and production, Levy developed hit series, including Vanderpump Rules, and oversaw Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Prior to Bravo, Levy was at VH1 as director, development and production. There, she developed and produced several pilots and series including The Cho Show and What Perez Sez. While at VH1 she also founded and ran a development think-tank where the series Motormouth was created.

TAL LAUFER

Director, Product Line Management, CMTS/CER Products

Arris Group

Age: 32

Tal Laufer helps some of world’s leading cable operators realize unrivaled bandwidth efficiencies in their networks. Laufer is committed to innovating technologies and architectures that improve the density and cost-efficiency of edge routers for Arris customers.

Technically talented and dedicated, she helps operators break through new barriers to improve efficiency and make the necessary room in the broadband pipe to meet increasing consumer demands for high-definition channels, video on demand and a greater range of digital content choices. Laufer drives the video implementation of the Arris E6000 Converged Edge Router Converged Cable Access Platform product, deciphers customer requirements and helps create the CCAP architecture for a long list of MSOs. To date, the E6000 has been deployed worldwide and now provides service to more than 2 million subscribers.

A native of Israel, Laufer holds an MBA as well as a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Tel Aviv University. She is a member of the CableLabs working group and has contributed to the CCAP Technical Requirements publication. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading and building Lego models. In her obligatory army service, Laufer served as a personal assistant to the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

LAURA LEE

Director, Head of Entertainment East Content Partnerships

YouTube

Age: 38.

Laura Lee leads YouTube’s Entertainment East team focusing on broadcasters, cable networks, film studios, aggregators, digital media and original programming partnerships for the East Coast and Canada.

Her team works to maximize the YouTube presence of companies ranging from large media partners such as Discovery Networks to more emerging brands such as Vice. Since joining YouTube in 2007, she has spearheaded relationships with partners including Vice, Discovery, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, NBCUniversal, CBS and Scripps, and led the launch of YouTube’s video-rentals product.

Previously, she was vice president and head of business development and operations for MTV Networks’ Music & Logo Group, where she led the acquisition of Harmonix and launched several vertical broadband businesses. She also served in production and development roles at VH1 and Spike TV, including the GQ Man of the Year Awards. Before that, she worked in special projects at Time Warner Inc., including as interim controller at Africana.com, and advised on digital launch initiatives, such as Parenting.com. A former media investment banker for J.P. Morgan, Lee is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School, a proud mother of two rambunctious children and an avid karaoke singer.

LINDSAY LIBRAMONTE

Senior Director, TV Networks Distribution

NBCUniversal Content Distribution

Age: 37

An essential member of NBCU’s national sales team, Lindsay Libramonte manages the negotiation, distribution and execution of a multibillion-dollar content portfolio, including its cable properties as well as NBCand Telemundo-owned TV stations, Olympics content, video-on-demand, pay-per-view and set-top box content. She has direct oversight of 14 accounts, including Time Warner Cable, Google Fiber, WOW! and various SMATV and IPTV aggregators. She also manages the sales process for all U.S. territories and a team of two employees.

Most recently, Libramonte played a key role in securing and expanding TV Everywhere rights and distribution for NBC, Telemundo, Esquire Network, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, and Sprout through long-term direct agreements with Time Warner Cable, Google Fiber, Liberty Cablevision, NTTC, GTA Teleguam and Puerto Rico Telephone Co. Her biggest achievement in 2013 was successfully securing distribution deals with TWC, Google Fiber, Liberty Cablevision, NTTC and Puerto Rico Telephone that resulted in two new network launches, CSN Bay Area and CSN California, and about 5 million incremental subscribers for Sprout.

Diagnosed with breast cancer last October, she chose not to take time off, despite undergoing aggressive treatment, and finished securing three expiring deals.

PATTI LOYACK

Vice President, Broadband Voice

Comcast Cable

Age: 39

Patti Loyack is responsible for Xfinity Voice and Communications at Comcast — which serves more than 10 million U.S. customers, is the fourth-largest U.S. voice provider and generates $3.6 billion — including identifying key business growth drivers and overall management. She has become a highly effective leader and member of Comcast’s Communications, Data and Mobility Product Management Team. She joined Comcast in 2001 as an information technology program manager for Comcast Business Communications. In 2002, she was part of a corporate team responsible for launching Comcast Digital Voice and led various efforts to support its deployment.

In 2007, she was responsible for data and communications product planning, including packaging, pricing and market-research activities that supported the development and launch of new products (notably the Xfinity Connect Mobile app, with popular features such as visual voicemail). Her outstanding 2013 included hitting the 10 million-customer mark and launching international calling plans and next-generation IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice features. Prior to Comcast, Loyack was a consultant for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Basis of Behavior and master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from St. Joseph’s University.

EILEEN MATHEWS

Vice President, Branded Entertainment And Integrated Marketing

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

Age: 36

Creative skills and a knack for client relationships recently landed OWN’s Eileen Mathews a promotion from director of branded entertainment. She has played a big role in some of the network’s biggest advertising partnerships, including an overall deal with its largest advertiser, Procter & Gamble. She was a key player in a successful crossplatform integration between the Emmy award-winning series Oprah’s Lifeclass and the popular Secret deodorant brand. Working alongside P&G, Mathews helped developed the integration’s crossplatform element, such as informational video vignettes, a 30-day “Stress Less” challenge that viewers could sign up for, a digital hub on Oprah.com, a personalized mobile app and a retail partnership with Walmart that marked the first time a P&G product included a network logo on its packaging.

Mathews spent her formative years in New York at MTV, writing and directing in the on-air promos department. After she moved back to her home state of California, she became executive producer of Stardust, a bi-coastal motion graphics/ production company . In 2007, she formed Best Company Ever Inc. with another MTV alum. For fi ve years, the two were an award-winning writing/directing team known as BEST*, creating viral videos, TV shows and commercial campaigns.

HEATHER McCALLION

Vice President of Programming

Atlantic Broadband

Age: 39

Heather McCallion oversees deal negotiation, implementation and compliance for all of cable provider Atlantic Broadband’s video content. With 15 years of distribution experience, she has a deep understanding of the programming contract landscape and how to collaborate with partners to build value for consumers. Previously, she was as a vice president at NBCUniversal, overseeing all field sales and marketing endeavors. In that role she was responsible for all deal implementation, compliance and incremental growth for the NBCU portfolio of 20 brands, including retransmission consent for NBC-owned stations. Her credits while there include launching more than 3 million new Oxygen HD and 1.5 million Sprout HD subscribers in the Eastern Region, and she gained ad-sales insertion in several key markets including New York.

She was extensively involved in the Women’s Network @ NBCUniversal, which exposed her to 3,000 employees across its 90 business units. After five years as the co-lead of the Tri-State hub, she became a hub adviser, helping to leverage relationships inside and outside the company to bring exposure and professional development opportunities to female NBCU employees. She has held other leadership positions within NBCU, Starz and The Walt Disney Co., and aided in the industry-wide rollout of the Starz “Super Pack” suite. She also was a key leader in the repositioning of Disney Channel as an expanded-basic service.

JAMES MOORHEAD

Chief Marketing Officer

Dish Network

Age: 35

James Moorhead joined Dish Network in 2012 to lead the No. 2 U.S. satellite-TV distributor’s marketing organization. A Procter & Gamble veteran, he has led his team with a back-to-basics approach, resulting in significant impacts for the business and his team’s engagement and expertise. The past year brought two key brand partnerships that Moorhead and his team promoted through a strategic media mix with greater focus on digital. This became pivotal as Dish embarked on two campaigns with Apple and Southwest Airlines. Kicked off last year and renewed for this coming year, Dish struck an exclusive partnership with Apple that had never been done before — new customers received an iPad when they signed up. Initial results showed that more than 60% of consumers who accepted the iPad offer said they have a much more positive impression of Dish because of its Apple partnership. These consumers are also telling an average of five people about the Dish iPad offer.

Dish also extended its partnership with Southwest Airlines to provide in-flight TV. Since the government changed rules regarding personal electronic device usage, mobile video viewing on Southwest Airlines flights has increased more than 20%. For the fourth straight quarter, Dish top-of-mind brand awareness topped DirecTV. In the most recent quarter it reached 68%, two points higher than DirecTV.

MEGHAN McCAIN

Co-host, TakePart Live

Pivot

Age: 29

Meghan McCain, The New York Times bestselling author, TV producer and commentator, generated accolades for her perspectives on the Pivot talk show Raising McCain. In the series, McCain went on the road, exploring a range of topics from bullying and feminism to sex overload and the death of romance. She drew national attention to Pivot, a new network created from combining Halogen TV and Documentary Channel assets. The reaction was so positive that Pivot expanded its relationship with her, naming her cohost of the network’s late-night topical show, TakePart Live, beginning this spring.

This year, she has championed a campaign, “Return the Service,” to educate Pivot’s younger audience about the contributions made by returning service men and women in the U.S. armed forces. “I’m incredibly proud of my father and my brother who served our country,” she said. As the outspoken daughter of U.S. Sen. John McCain, she was propelled into the national spotlight at an early age. She joined her father’s presidential campaign in 2008 and launched a blog that quickly gained an avid following. Her 2010 book, Dirty Sexy Politics: A True Story, and a subsequent children’s book were both inspired by her time on the campaign trail. Her latest, America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom, recounts the cross-country road trip she tool with liberal comedian Michael Ian Black in 2011.

EVAN MINSKOFF

Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy

Ovation

Age: 36

Evan Minskoff is a savvy marketer, admired leader and a mentor to each member of his team, which includes consumer marketing, consumer and corporate communications, social media and digital, research and brand partnerships. At Ovation, he has spearheaded a number of successful campaigns. Most recently, he led the relationship with Condé Nast Entertainment and Vogue to secure the participation of Anna Wintour and Jenna Lyons in a marketing campaign promoting original series The Fashion Fund. The campaign was a hit, reaching hundreds of taxi tops, billboards, digital displays and more across the U.S. and winning accolades from CNE and Vogue for the relationship and trust that was established, as well as its ease of execution, organization and level of style.

He also brings online, e-commerce and brand experience to the network, having headed marketing and branding for Gilt.com. Prior to Gilt, Minskoff was vice president and head of marketing for The About Group, then three New York Times Co. digital properties. He led the brand’s strategic and creative reposition, growing consumer interaction as well as premium advertiser consideration, intent and revenue. He has also held senior marketing roles at The Walt Disney Co., Citigroup and Digitas. He is a comedy writer in his spare time and was a columnist in his early days.

MANDY ORZO

Vice President, Programming Acquisition

Cablevision Systems

Age: 37

Responsible for negotiating agreements with video content providers, Mandy Orzo’s efforts have significantly expanded Cablevision’s Optimum TV offerings across platforms and categories, including broadband, VOD, pay-per-view and linear programming. Her responsibilities include negotiating programming agreements, writing contracts, providing contract management oversight, managing day-to-day relationships with suppliers and providing guidance on programming matters to internal departments. Before joining Cablevision, Orzo honed her expertise in cable programming, focused on scheduling and network content acquisition. She worked for Versus (now NBC Sports Network) in program acquisitions and planning and at MTV Networks in program planning. That experience now enables her to construct transactions that appeal to all parties.

Since joining Cablevision in 2008, Orzo has shaped long-term programming strategies that have laid the foundation for Optimum TV. Over the past year, Cablevision increased its Optimum TV VOD content by 150% and TV Everywhere offerings by more than 400% — growth directly linked to Orzo’s strategic thinking. Orzo majored in TV production at Hofstra University and is a 2010 graduate of CTAM’s Cable Executive Management program at Harvard Business School.

KIA PAINTER

Vice President, Human Resources, Southeast Region

Cox Communications

Age: 38

Shortly after receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration from James Madison University, Kia Painter began her career with Cox Communications in Hampton Roads, Va., as a part-time human-resources assistant. She rose through the ranks, ultimately overseeing the Cox Hampton Roads talent-acquisition team. In her 16 years with Cox, she has been a part of great transformation and growth. As VP of human resources for the Southeast region, she was instrumental in the successful merger of the Gulf Coast, Central Florida, and Middle Georgia markets. She has remained focused on keeping 2,000 employees engaged amidst ongoing transformation to successfully deliver uninterrupted, optimum customer service.

This past year, Cox experienced a significant year of consolidation, and Painter remained faithful and ambitious in leading the Southeast Region. She prepared her team for change upfront and implemented ongoing mentoring programs and career circles. She has a true talent for staying connected to all of her employees at every level. She also portrays a real authenticity and love for the cable industry despite the ever-changing environment. Her commitment and dedication to Cox have allowed her to successfully climb the ranks and provided her with the opportunity to become a key player in driving growth for Cox. A Norfolk, Va., native, she resides in Kenner, La.

TRAVIS PARRILL

Vice President, Operations

Comcast Spotlight

Age: 37

Since joining Comcast Spotlight in 2001, Travis Parrill has been on the fast track to success — not only because of broad knowledge, but also because he is a change leader.

He has become an integral part of the division’s leadership team and a proven player for Spotlight nationally. His leadership has been indispensable as the company has evolved from local spot-TV sales into the industry’s leading multiplatform digital marketing solutions provider.

Parrill oversees the division’s operating functions, including engineering, master control, traffic, information technology, creative services and sales integration. He and his team support about 700 employees, 375 advertising zones and steward 400 million commercials per year. He has been a key player at the table when Spotlight has worked to optimize its operations and systems. He was instrumental in consolidating three operations centers into one centralized location. This included the migration to one traffic system, establishing a staffing model to support the division and integrating traffic, engineering, IT and master control. He is currently leading a companywide effort to launch an application that serves as a single point of order entry.

Parrill held several leadership roles at Spotlight before transitioning to Comcast Cable in 2009 to lead the Regional Engineering function. In late 2011, he rejoined Spotlight to lead the West Division Operations team.

LYNNETTE RAMIREZ

Senior Vice President, Programming and Development

NUVOtv

Age: 39

Recently promoted to senior management at the growing (after acquiring Fuse TV) NUVOtv operation, Lynnette Ramirez is an integral part of the programming team for the leading English-language destination for Latino entertainment. This includes development of an entire new slate of original series and specials since NUVOtv’s July 2013 relaunch, including House of Joy, Love & Salsa, Knockout and The Collective, Powered by Vevo, as well as helping to bring Dexter to NUVOtv — a move that has already positively affected the value of the brand. She was closely involved in closing the co-production deal with Vevo, while helping to develop the premise of The Collective. She was personally involved in selecting the cast of tastemakers who act as hosts and is involved in selecting the talent that is featured on each episode. She was also involved in hiring the series’ executive producer and segment producers and personally produced much of what of was recently captured for the show at SXSW.

Ramirez began her development career at Sean Connery’s Fountainbridge Films. In 2002, she launched indie producer Vida Films, where she produced the ensemble drama The Blue Hour. In June 2007 she began her post as senior VP of development and production for George Lopez Presents. There, she produced the Nickelodeon original movie Mr. Troop Mom. She is also a member of the Writers Guild of America.

SHARON PETERS

Vice President, Media Strategy

Cablevision Systems

Age: 39

Sharon Peters is responsible for developing integrated media strategies for the Optimum family of business and residential products. She also oversees Optimum Channel, which provides customers with valuable information and entertainment. Throughout her work, she injects innovative marketing strategies that significantly and measurably increase awareness and results.

Over the past two years, Peters has conducted deep research and developed fresh profiles of today’s TV, phone and Internet customers and prospects. She then leveraged her insights and expertise to design marketing campaigns activated based on custom data and cutting-edge technology. Cablevision is positioned to deliver addressable TV to the set-top box, and Peters applies a precise audience-measurement data tool she developed to target Cablevision’s different customers. She strengthened Cablevision’s search-engine optimization practices across digital properties, increasing sales from organic search and overall while also decreasing costs per sale.

Before joining Cablevision in 1998, Peters worked in programming and ad sales at Rainbow Media Holdings. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and an executive management certifi cate from New York University, and is a 2003 graduate of CTAM’s Cable Executive Management program at Harvard Business School.

RAPHAEL POPLOCK

Vice President, Games & Partnerships

ESPN

Age: 35

In six years at ESPN, Raphael Poplock has driven pivotal negotiations and signed key deals in the gaming and digital media space. His responsibilities have expanded beyond games to include social-media revenue strategies, business development and partnerships across all of ESPN’s platforms.

For the past several years, he was the lead negotiator with Microsoft’s Xbox Live. He inked a first-of-its-kind deal for ESPN that changed the sports viewing experience through interactivity and personalization on the gaming console since the Xbox Live’s debut in November 2010. It brought ESPN3 to the TV screen through a platform with mass-market penetration, enhancing the ad sales opportunity, extending reach and providing value to fans, ISP affiliates and rights sellers. It also positioned ESPN as leader in the digital space, driving new opportunities with other distribution partners.

As the primary liaison for ESPN’s long-standing relationship with EA Sports, Poplock supports new content strategies with deeper in-game integrations such as full broadcast treatments in such titles as FIFA ’14 and NCAA Football ’14. He also leads the work with other leading developers in their space, including Codemasters and Ubisoft. Through these partnerships, ESPN now has a presence in all three sports gaming categories, simulation, action and casual.

SAM REICH

President

Big Breakfast

Age: 29

In January, IAC-owned multimedia entertainment studio Electus created Electus Digital, merging CollegeHumor Media with other properties. Under Electus Digital, the CollegeHumor Originals team created the full-service production company Big Breakfast, with Sam Reich at its helm. He established the CollegeHumor Originals department in 2006 and was its president of original content. His work there earned the website more than 2 billion views, a top-rated YouTube channel and 13 Webby Awards.

Reich has overseen the creation of such hit Web series as Jake and Amir, Very Mary-Kate and Precious Plum and Badman, a Batman parody series with comedian Pete Holmes. Big Breakfast’s first projects also include a development deal with TBS to bring Jake and Amir to television, and a partnership with IFC to produce the first-ever CollegeHumor Comedy Music Awards.

A native of Cambridge, Mass., and the son of political economist Robert Reich, he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in the arts. He directed his first play, Waiting for Godot, at the Burton Taylor Theatre in Oxford at the age of 15, and has been creating digital video content since before there was a YouTube. In 2003, he formed the comedy group Dutch West, which produced Internet content for Comedy Central, Tribeca Films and CollegeHumor, among others.

LORI ROTHSCHILD ANSALDI

Senior Vice President of Development & Corporate Communications,

LMNO Productions

Age: 39

Lori Rothschild Ansaldi joined LMNO Productions in 2011, and her passion for finding outrageous characters and concepts created an entirely new approach to LMNO’s development docket centered on casting. In her short tenure, she has sold 13 projects, including Pageant Wives for TLC and Deadly Wives for BIO, and helped launch the career of The Golden Sisters, who became an online viral sensation that led to a 10-part series on OWN. She currently has multiple projects in production and development with a variety of networks and serves as the co-creator and executive producer of Graham of Evidence for A&E.

Her nonfiction TV career started at Discovery Communications, serving on the production and development teams at Travel Channel and Discovery Channel. At Travel, she co-created and executive produced the treasure-hunting series Cash and Treasures and won a national Daytime Emmy for Passport to Latin America with Samantha Brown. She also served as executive producer on World Poker Tour, which created a new vanguard in televised poker. At Discovery, she served as supervising producer and sat on the development team responsible for Cash Cab, Deadliest Catch, I Shouldn’t Be Alive, Dirty Jobs and Planet Earth. Specials credits include Last Mysteries Of The Titanic With James Cameron and Biker Build Off — The Ultimate Chop.

JASON SOBOL

Senior Managing Director

Evercore

Age: 38

Jason Sobol focuses on advising companies in the media, information and Internet sectors in his role at Evercore, where he has worked for 10½ years. Before joining Evercore, he was VP of acquisitions for the Davis Cos., the holding company for Marvin Davis-controlled entities, focusing on private equity and leveraged buyout opportunities primarily in media and entertainment. He was also a principal of the Davis family’s venture fund, Stone Canyon Venture Partners. Before that he was senior director of business development for Launch.com, which was acquired by Yahoo!, and prior to that, a member of the mergers-and-acquisitions group of Goldman Sachs.

He has advised on a broad range of transactions, including sales, acquisitions, carve-outs, IPOs, spinoffs, capital raises, recapitalizations and restructurings. In his first year as a senior managing director at Evercore, he led or co-led a number of important deals, including advising BNA in its $1 billion sale to Bloomberg, LoopNet in its $860 million sale to CoStar Group and M&F Worldwide Corp. on its $2.5 billion sale to MacAndrews & Forbes. Recent credits include advising Warburg Pincus and iParadigms on the sale of iParadigms to Insight Venture Partners and GIC Special Investments for $752 million; advising Genstar Capital and TravelClick on the sale of TravelClick to Thoma Bravo for $930 million; advising R. L. Polk & Co. on its sale of Polk and Carfax businesses to IHS for $1.4 billion and advising The New York Times Co. on its sale of its New England Media Group (including The Boston Globe) to a company owned by John Henry.

TODD SWIDLER

Senior VP, Global Head of Strategic Content Partnerships

Bloomberg Media Group

Age: 37

Todd Swidler has spent his career at the edge of some the industry’s most recent transformations: digitization, globalization and direct-to-consumer content. His experience demonstrates a deep understanding of linear TV and the ability to successfully balance traditional and emerging revenue models. At Bloomberg Media Group, he oversees global digital distribution of content; Bloomberg TV agreements with cable, satellite and digital operators in the U.S., Canada and Latin America; and international brand licenses for local editions of Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Before this, he was senior director of business development for the National Basketball Association, where he managed global distribution of programming and digital products in 215 countries in 41 languages. He launched digital subscription service “NBA League Pass” as well as the flagship international Game Time mobile App. Before that, he was in digital product strategy and marketing at for Cablevision Systems, driving efforts around the launch of the triple play, voice-over-IP and commercial services. He led product launches for Optimum Voice telephone service and worked with media buyers and creative agencies to execute a regional marketing program. He won a 2006 CTAM Mark Award for his work there. A Montreal native, he held consulting roles at Adeo and Accenture before moving to New York to earn his MBA at NYU Stern.

JASON SILVA

Host, Brain Games

National Geographic Channel

Age: 32

As host of National Geographic Channel’s top-rated, Emmy-nominated series Brain Games, Jason Silva guides viewers through the twists and turns of the human brain. Through man-on-the-street demonstrations and experiments, Silva — joined by top experts in cognitive science, neuroscience and psychology — explain the “why” behind the “wow” in a way that earned him the description by The Atlantic as “a Timothy Leary of the Video Viral Age.” (The show returns for a second, 10- episode season on July 14.) Venezuela-born Silva had been a presenter on Current TV, where he hosted, wrote and produced more than 100 hours of original content between 2005 and 2011. He left to become, again according to The Atlantic, “a parttime filmmaker and full-time walking, talking TEDTalk.”

Silva recently launched a series of noncommercial micro-documentaries exploring the co-evolution of human and technology. An active and prolific speaker, he has addressed SXSW Interactive, TEDGlobal and Google Zeitgeist, and has keynoted events for Microsoft, IBM, Adobe, Oracle and the Sydney Opera House Festival of Dangerous Ideas. In 2011 he became a fellow at the Hybrid Reality Institute, examining the symbiosis between man and machine. He also was recently named a National Geographic Society fellow . He lives in New York.

GEORGE STROMPOLOS

CEO

Fullscreen

Age: 34

George Strompolos is the CEO and founder of Fullscreen, a media company that powers the creation and sharing of video with the connected generation. Before founding Fullscreen, he served as strategic partnerships manager at YouTube and was responsible for establishing distribution channels with new media companies and content producers. In 2007, he co-created the YouTube Partner Program, which provided new monetization opportunities for a new class of online content producers around the world. He also led YouTube’s first multimillion-dollar programming fund and spearheaded key initiatives, including Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.

Strompolos began his career in various business development roles at Wired magazine, CNET Networks and Google. He regularly speaks at industry events such as NATPE, Digital Hollywood, VidCon and SXSW. He was named one of Advertising Age’s “40 under 40” in 2013.

He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and lives in Los Angeles. He volunteers at Citizen Schools, where he helps junior high students express creativity through video. He also enjoys going to concerts, watching movies, cooking and spending time with curious people “IRL” (in real life).

JIM TANNER

Chief Architect

Clearleap

Age: 39

Jim Tanner is one of the founders of Clearleap, a top provider of multiscreen video-logistics solutions for the television industry. He was instrumental in many of the company’s recent successes and has been a key player in the multiscreen ecosystem for many years.

Prior to the founding of Clearleap in 2007, Tanner served as a senior engineer focusing on software design and development at Raytheon, eSoft, FundTech, N2 Broadband, and Tandberg Television, where he built his base of expertise in enterprise billing systems, high-transaction network servers, component-based architecture and massively scalable database-driven applications. A leader at N2 Broadband, he architected an innovative product that was acquired by Tandberg and eventually Ericsson.

His cutting-edge architecture at Clearleap is the foundation for the company’s signature platform, which enables delivering streaming video solutions across multiple devices for such infl uential names in television as Scripps Networks, HBO, In Demand and Time Warner Cable. In 2012, he received a U.S. patent for a network transcoding system he invented with three other Clearleap team members: Tom Campbell, Drake Henderson and John Vecchio. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s of science degree in 1997 and currently resides in Atlanta.

KERRY TRAINOR

Chief Executive Officer

Vimeo

Age: 38

Kerry Trainor is responsible for the strategy, oversight, and development of IACowned Vimeo, the 10-yearold video-sharing service popular with filmmakers, ad executives and videographers for its high-quality, high-definition platform. He has overseen a major business transformation with the launch of Vimeo On Demand, a new platform that allows filmmakers to sell their work directly to their audience and keep a 90% share of the revenue. Launched in March 2013, Vimeo On Demand has already accumulated more than 8,000 films organically and recently hit a major milestone with the global worldwide day-anddate release of Joss Whedon’s supernatural romance film In Your Eyes.

He joined Vimeo in 2012 from AOL, where he had most recently served as senior vice president and general manager, entertainment, for the Huffington Post Media Group. He oversaw the online content company’s portfolio of entertainment properties, including AOL Music, AOL TV, Moviefone, Huffington Post Entertainment, Huffington Post Celebrity and Huffington Post Comedy. Prior to AOL, Trainor was co-founder and CEO of FlipGloss Media, which was acquired by Forbes Media. FlipGloss is a photo distribution platform enabling publishers and advertisers to embed interactive, magazinestyle photo packages across the Web. Prior to FlipGloss, Trainor was head of global media products for Yahoo! Music. He began his Internet career at music startup Launch.com before it was acquired by Yahoo.

KEVIN VITALE

Vice President, Creative And Brand Strategy, Marketing

IFC

Age: 38

IFC’s Kevin Vitale is responsible for the overall creative look and feel of the network, connecting viewers and partners to its “Always On. Slightly Off ” comedic voice. He oversees IFC’s creative presence across all platforms, from on and offair campaigns comprising video spots, print design and digital executions, to on-air media planning and innovative customized sponsorship solutions.

Vitale was a key architect of IFC’s rebrand to its current “Always On. Slightly Off” positioning, which was a major turning point for the network as it shifted focus from an indie film channel to a growing comedy destination, which today features the award-winning Portlandia, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Maron and other original comedies. He also has developed co-branded campaigns for IFC with such major consumer brands as Absolut, Acura, Asics, Bombay Sapphire, Dewar’s, Sony PlayStation and Ubisoft.

Prior to IFC, Vitale, was senior writer/producer for the CBS Marketing Group, where he was responsible for image and nightly promotion for Late Show With David Letterman and produced creative for various other network initiatives such as daytime programming blocks and the CBS upfront. He started out at VH1 in a number of roles in the digital, programming and on-air promotions departments. He sings and plays guitar in in his New York-based rock band of more than 20 years, The Clay Pigeons.

MAYA WATSON

Director, Marketing And Social Media

Harpo Studios

Age: 28

In less than five years, Maya Watson has advanced from intern to director, making her the youngest director at Harpo Studios at 28.

A rising star at the company, she is a key member of the social-media team that was awarded OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network’s first primetime interactive Emmy Award in 2013 for Outstanding Creative Achievement — Social TV Experience for the popular series Oprah’s Lifeclass. She was a central player in developing the digital classroom that accompanies Lifeclass and that stretches around the globe with over 1.4 million worldwide “students” in 200 different countries.

She is responsible for conceiving, designing and executing marketing strategies across all of Oprah Winfrey’s and OWN’s social-media platforms. She has also created and developed fully integrated campaigns and strategies for The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show and The Nate Berkus Show.

Earlier, she worked in publicity at Harpo Studios, aiding in getting the word out about Winfrey’s campaigning for President Obama, the launch of the reality show Oprah’s Big Give and the feature film The Great Debaters, as well as The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Watson worked as a regional field director for the Obama presidential campaign in 2008, was a promotions coordinator for ESPN and a general-assignment reporter for WSBT-TV, the CBS affiliate in South Bend, Ind. She lives in Chicago with her daughter, Michelle.

The editors and publishers of Multichannel News have selected the 2014 class of “40 under 40,” an annual list of executives in pay-TV, programming, technology and related fields. Selected mainly from nominations made this spring, the list has been published with new names every year since 2006, and the individuals listed here will be profiled in the pages of Multichannel News magazine on June 16. For more information about the report, emailMultichannel News executive editor Kent Gibbons.

The 2014 class of “40 under 40” is, in alphabetical order:

MARK APTER, Senior Vice President of Program Planning & Acquisitions, A&E Network.

MONICA AUSTIN, Senior Vice President, Business & Brand Development, Shine America.

DARCY BOWE, Vice President/Director, Video, Starcom USA.

PAUL CABANA, Senior Vice President, Head of Programming, H2.

JACK DALEY, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Nickelodeon Group.

THERESSA DULANEY, Vice President, External Affairs, Oregon & Southwest Washington Region, Comcast.

DAVID ESPINOSA, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Strategic Analysis, Fox Networks.

JESSICA FANG, Senior Vice President, Distribution, National Accounts, Fox Networks.

NADINE C. FINNERTY, Executive Director, New Growth & Development, Cox Communications.

GATSBY GOTTSCH, Executive Vice President of Finance, Rural Media Group.

CHERYL GRIMLEY, Vice President, Advertising Sales, Crown Media Family Networks.

JASON HANSEN, Chief Technology Officer, Conway Corp.

KEY KIARIE, Chief Financial Officer, Revolt Media & TV.

JULIE KIKLA, Head of Content Partnerships, The Whistle.

TAL LAUFER, Director, Product Line Management, CMTS/CER Products, ARRIS Group.

LAURA LEE, Director, Head of Entertainment East Content Partnerships, YouTube. 

JENN LEVY, Senior Vice President, Current Production, Bravo Media.

LINDSAY LIBRAMONTE, Senior Director, TV Networks Distribution, NBCUniversal Content Distribution.

PATTI LOYACK, Vice President, Broadband Voice, Comcast Cable.

EILEEN MATHEWS, Vice President, Branded Entertainment & Integrated Marketing, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

MEGHAN MCCAIN, Co-host, TakePart Live, Pivot.

HEATHER MCCALLION, Vice President of Programming, Atlantic Broadband.

EVAN MINSKOFF, Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Ovation.

JAMES MOORHEAD, Chief Marketing Officer, Dish Network.

MANDY ORZO, Vice President, Programming Acquisition, Cablevision Systems Corp.

KIA PAINTER, Vice President, Human Resources, Southeast Region, Cox Communications.

SHARON PETERS, Vice President, Media Strategy, Cablevision Systems Corp.

TRAVIS PARRILL, Vice President, Operations, Comcast Spotlight.

RAPHAEL POPLOCK, Vice President, Games & Partnerships, ESPN.

LYNNETTE RAMIREZ, Senior Vice President, Programming and Development (a new title as of June 2), NUVOtv.

SAM REICH, President, Big Breakfast.

LORI ROTHSCHILD, Senior Vice President of Development & Corporate Communications, LMNO Productions.

JASON SILVA, Host, Brain Games, National Geographic Channel.

JASON SOBOL, Senior Managing Director, Evercore.

GEORGE STROMPOLOS, Chief Executive Officer, Fullscreen.

TODD SWIDLER, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Strategic Content Partnerships, Bloomberg Media Group.

JIM TANNER, Chief Architect, Clearleap.

KERRY TRAINOR, Chief Executive Officer, Vimeo.

KEVIN VITALE, Vice President, Creative and Brand Strategy, Marketing, IFC.

MAYA WATSON, Director, Marketing and Social Media, Harpo Studios.