cfx_december-2023 - 53

Ashley
McFarlin
CHAMPION:
JAMIE POWER
VP, Development & Original
Production
ALLBLK/WE tv
McFarlin's career is filled with moments that show her
prowess in programming. Since joining AMC Networks
in 2019, she's grown her role to oversee several current
and new unscripted series as an executive producer, including
two of its popular shows, " Brat Loves Judy " and
" A La Carte. " She stays ahead of the curve by watching a
lot of TV and movies on her own to remain in touch with
what ALLBLK and WE tv viewers want. The other side to
that equation is being open to criticism so that McFarlin
and her team can make adjustments to remain relevant
and accurate. " Ashley is an authentic and valued leader
who has had an incredible impact on AMC Networks, "
AMC Networks Chief People & Diversity Officer Aisha
Thomas-Petit says. " She's brought with her an extensive
level of rich experience in the unscripted programming
and production space that's contributed to both our unscripted
and scripted efforts across WE tv and ALLBLK. "
Along with that expertise in production comes a passion
in DEI. McFarlin quickly got to work at AMCN by becoming
an Executive Sponsor for the network's Black business
employee ERG " VIBE. " Since then, she's served on
several committees dedicated to diversifying programming
choices and consulting culturally sensitive content
development. Furthermore, McFarlin helps through her
own company Bird's Eye Entertainment by hosting producer
boot camps at various film festivals and college
campuses. " I've literally been talking about diversity
and inclusion since I was 14 years old and started attending
a predominantly white prep school in Atlanta, "
she says. " As a little Black girl in the vastly white South,
I found myself at the center of conversations around the
importance of multicultural education, as I advocated for
a curriculum and academic experience that looked and
felt more like the world I was coming from-predominantly
Black and unapologetically proud of our cultural
contributions to this world. "
CHAMPION:
AISHA THOMAS-PETIT
" I've been very happy to
partner with Ashley on
important diversity, equity
and inclusion initiatives
that have helped broaden
our diverse pipeline of
talent both in our offices and in our
original productions. "
" Lily's unwavering drive
to achieve results for our
clients is an inspiration to
all those that collaborate
with her. "
Lily
Panchasarp
National Sales Director
Disney
In an advertising market that's
been tough to wrangle as of
late, Panchasarp stays ahead of the pack. It's why Disney
had her lead and build out its West Coast-based
programmatic sales team, thus making her mark in
the company's " Programmatic Playbook. " " The only
thing that's constant in this industry is change, " she
says. " I live with the motto of do things within your
control and things will work out. Those two ideas influence
my mindset every day and I believe with the
power of communication and collaboration, my team
will succeed. " Panchasarp currently guides the programmatic
business for Disney's largest agency holding
company partner while managing her team at the
Disney Advertising West Coast office. This past year
saw Disney add over 1,000 advertisers who access the
company's portfolio programmatically, in addition to
the more than 5,000 advertisers across its streaming
platforms where over one-third buy advertising programmatically.
Beyond her job responsibilities, she's
embraced a leadership role on Disney's Listening and
Education Committee and is involved in groups such
as the L.A. Culture Committee and the SalesHub Task
Force. While her two mantras fuel her fortitude, she
also leads by example. Her thorough knowledge of advertising
strategies is one to model after, but her dedication
to setting the standard includes making sure
everybody is ready to go. " When I first joined Disney,
Lily was one of the first people to welcome me to the
company, introducing me to other team members and
helping me hit the ground running, " says Disney SVP,
Addressable Sales Jamie Power. " It was from that early
moment I recognized Lily was an instrumental member
of our team. "
CablefaxWomen.com
December 2023
53
http://www.CablefaxWomen.com
cfx_december-2023

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