Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012 - 22

2012 Top Ops Awards
REGIONAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
LeAnn Talbot
Comcast Cable
LeAnn Talbot was already a rising star at Comcast, having
turned the Chicago region into one of the MSO's best run operations,
when the Comcast brass asked her to take over the
Freedom Region that includes more than 2 million customers
in New Jersey, Northern Delaware and yes... Philadelphia.
" They said welcome to the fi shbowl, " she recalls. " But I
looked at it as a wonderful opportunity to take our team expectations
and our customer expectations to the next level. "
Perhaps a considerable understatement, considering that her
customers now include Comcast chmn/CEO Brian Roberts
and pretty much the entire corporate leadership team. No
pressure, right? " It makes you elevate your game, " she says.
Talbot's ability to make it look easy is among qualities that
have impressed her bosses for years. In Chicago, she oversaw
10% revenue growth and a 16% increase in operating cashfl
ow while improving customer service and landing the cluster
consistently high on Comcast's internal " power rankings " of the
MSO's top systems. Her success hardly went unnoticed, and in
many ways became an excellent training ground for her new-
and much expanded-responsibilities in the Freedom Region.
So beyond the fi shbowl aspect, what was the biggest challenge?
" Part of it was coming in and immediately learning a new
competitor and a new geography-and doing that very quickly, "
she says. " This region was already operating very effectively,
so it was really just taking it to the next step, looking at how
do we get the synergies, how do we get the headquarters and
the region working in a stronger
partnership. "
To be sure, the Comcast brass
feels pretty confi dent that Talbot
has what it takes to keep the
Freedom Region moving forward.
" Her engaging leadership
style, combined with her experience,
has proven invaluable in
taking her new organization to a
higher level of performance, all
in the shadow of our corporate
headquarters, " says Comcast
Northeast Division Pres Kevin
Casey. Case in point: In just her fi rst 3 months, she oversaw full
rollout of Xfi nity Home, which represents Comcast's continued
entry into the home automation and security space. And she
did that while also embarking on an intensive " listening tour " to
learn more about the region's employee culture and eventually
resulting in a 6% increase in employee engagement. At
the same time, the Freedom Region has improved on all key
metrics since Talbot took over. " LeAnn is an inspirational leader
who understands the cable business and the business of
people, " says Comcast Cable EVP/COO Dave Watson.
In addition to her exquisite business skills, Talbot has built a
Xfinity & Beyond: Talbot gets
the younger perspective.
Fast Facts
✦ As leader of the Freedom Region, Talbot oversees more
than 6,000 employees.
✦ While pregnant with her son in 1987, Talbot went into labor
during a corporate presentation. And yes, she made it to
the hospital in time.
✦ During Talbot's tenure, the Chicago Tribune named Comcast's
Chicago region to its " Top Workplaces 2011 " list.
strong reputation as someone who consistently connects with
employees, customers and community organizations on a human
level. Not only has this skill paid big dividends in Chicago
and now in the Freedom Region, but it has supercharged her
effectiveness companywide and beyond. Talbot is an advisor
for the " Project Not Me " diabetes prevention campaign as
well as an executive champion for Comcast's companywide
Women's Network Group. And through it all, she manages to
stay focused and avoid minutiae. " You don't want to tackle
hundreds of things, " she says. " You don't want to get locked
into the whirlwind of emails and everything else. " And don't let
her ability to connect fool you: She demands results. " I will put
stretch targets out there, " she says. " It drives people to think
differently. When you put out a big stretch target, people have
to innovate. You need to have a scorecard. "
One thing is certain: Talbot's scorecard continues to post
big numbers, and there's no telling how far she'll climb at
Comcast-as long as she can keep Brian Roberts' cable
service running smoothly. ✴
- Michael Grebb
22
cablefaxmag.com
July 2012
CableFAX: The Magazine
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012

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