Cablefax The Magazine - November 2016 - 11

23. Lori Conkling
26. Gwen Marcus
EVP, Strategy & Business Development
NBCUniversal
A regular honoree in this magazine,
Conkling is responsible for developing
actionable business strategies
for NBCU's new and existing digital
businesses, driving innovation and
monetizing cross-platform content.
She has been instrumental in developing the business case
for NBCU's direct-to-consumer comedy SVOD offering
Seeso, as well as identifying and executing on investment
opportunities across the portfolio. She also understands the
importance of getting out of her comfort zone, figuratively
and physically. " Travel has always inspired me, " she says.
" It is really important to understand cultures and economies
around the world. " Conkling believes Shonda Rhimes' programming
best reflects the kind of women's roles she likes
to see. " Her characters are strong, complicated and fun to
watch, " she says.
24. Courteney Monroe
CEO
National Geographic Global Networks
Monroe's drive to make Nat Geo the
definitive science, adventure and
exploration network raced forward
this year via bold programming
moves in concert with A-level writers,
producers and directors. This past
year under her supervision, Nat Geo Wild continued its strong
growth, " Killing Jesus " garnered National Geographic Channel's
highest total viewership in the network's history, and she
renewed Ron Howard's hit series " Breakthrough " for a second
season. Not to mention the heightened anticipation for new
six-part series " Mars, " which will tell the story of a fictional
astronaut crew on the inaugural human mission to the Red
Planet in 2033, helmed by Howard and Brian Grazer.
25. Sarah Barnett
President & GM
BBC America
Barnett's first two years at the helm of
BBC America have been marked both
by notable ratings successes and
forward thinking aimed at keeping
the network at the top of its game.
BBCA had its best year ever in 2015
in total viewers and its 11th consecutive year of growth on the
wings of hit series including " Orphan Black " and " Dr. Who, "
and 2016 is pacing to be even bigger with debuts including
" Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. " As to women's roles
in cable, Barnett suggests looking even more broadly, stating,
" How great when we never have to hear the word 'female' in
front of something - CEO, athlete, president, etc. "
Cablefax: The Magazine
November 2016
EVP & General Counsel
Showtime Networks
During the past year, Marcus not only
has knocked out a series of complex
distribution deals for Showtime's
streaming service with Apple, Roku,
Playstation Vue, Amazon, Hulu and
Google, she's overseen all of the
company's legal affairs, compliance and regulatory issues, and
intellectual property rights. She's also played pivotal roles in
greenlighting several upcoming programs and handling the international
distribution of the Showtime brand and programs.
" While there's been progress in advancing women to senior
management roles throughout our industry, I think all sectors
of the business need to do a better job in advancing women
to the very top, " she says.
27. Kathy Zachem
SVP, Regulatory & State Legislative Affairs
Comcast
Zachem leads Comcast's advocacy
before federal agencies including the
FCC, and state regulatory and legislative
bodies. She's spoken before the
Women's Bar Association's Communications
Law Forum, as part of
a panel on the ways Washington's most experienced women
lawyers are attracting and retaining clients within the communications
industry. Speaking of the nation's capital, Zachem
says she'd like to see more characters on TV who are like
political troubleshooter Olivia Pope. " A female lead, who, while
complicated, as many of us are, is confident and strong and
not afraid to make decisions wherever those decisions might
take her, " she says.
28. Denise Denson
EVP, Content Distribution & Marketing
Viacom
Denson's work is never done. Last
October, she worked to secure a
multi-year agreement to ensure
AT&T's U-verse TV and DirecTV subscribers
in the U.S. continue to get
access to Viacom programming. This
October, she sealed a deal to ensure Viacom networks will be
carried by AT&T's planned DirecTV Now streaming service.
She's also recently negotiated the renewal of a carriage agreement
with DISH Network that includes first-ever distribution of
MTV, Comedy Central and BET programming to subscribers
of DISH's Sling TV, and renewed and expanded Viacom's distribution
agreement with Cox. Denson would like to see more
gender diversity behind the camera, noting that " in the past
year, women comprised just 26 percent of behind-the-camera
jobs in network, cable and streaming television. "
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