Cablefax The Magazine - November 2016 - 41

sector of cable has done best with gender equality
Romm says, " The industry has done really well in
the creative areas but needs to work harder on sales
and corporate leadership functions. "
D'Arcy F. Rudnay
EVP & Chief
Communications
Officer
Comcast Corp.
Rudnay serves as the
communications counsel
to chairman/CEO Brian
Roberts as well as other members of the executive
team and as such she's responsible for leading the
management of the company's brand, reputation
and strategic communications activities. Rudnay,
who brings decades of experience to her role, also
oversees all communications for Comcast's fi nancial
reporting, crisis management, federal and regulatory
activities, employee relations, diversity, and social
and digital media. " One of the biggest stories has
been the intense focus on delivering a fantastic customer
experience and improving customer service, "
she says of cable's high marks this year.
Michelle Russo
EVP, Global
Communications
Discovery
Communications
Russo oversees global
communications spanning
the company's
international operations across Europe, Latin America
and Asia Pacifi c. By promoting Discovery Networks
International's organic growth and cultivating a strong
international communications team, she has led
Discovery Networks International to unprecedented
growth while elevating the profi les of the company's
senior executives, including J.B. Perrette, president
and CEO of Discovery Networks International. In terms
of women's roles she likes to see on TV, Russo praises
SundanceTV's " The Honorable Woman " for its " powerful
female lead with a strong moral compass and less
focus on her romantic life. "
Judy Schmeling
President of
Cornerstone Brands
COO & CFO
HSN Inc.
Because Schmeling's
multiple roles involve
broadcasting and retail
Cablefax: The Magazine
sales, she ensures HSN's operational centers integrate
key activities across all of its brands, perform
effi ciently and deliver an immersive, seamless
end-to-end customer experience. She also heads
up two areas of HSN's business that are unique to
TV retailing: broadcast distribution and merchandise
planning. Schmeling and her team recently implemented
a multiyear supply chain optimization initiative
to better serve customers. " Traditionally, women
in cable have had active roles and healthy careers
in human resources and marketing, " she says. " The
C suite and technology sector have opportunities for
further diversifi cation, including gender equality. "
Colleen Schmidt
SVP, HR & Internal
Communications
Altice USA
Schmidt's unrelenting
focus on employees
helped ensure a seamless
transition for them
after Altice purchased Cablevision. Her Wellness360
program kicked into high gear, with in-person and
virtual wellness workshops, on-site health screenings
and a walking challenge that drew 6,000 participants.
Schmidt turned to tech to deliver tools and an intranet
to inform and engage employees, which has provided
a common Altice USA experience for all employees of
the new company. " We are fearlessly reinventing how
we operate within the industry and accelerating the
ability to deliver superior customer value, " she says,
" and fostering a culture where we can do all of that
and still have fun along the way. "
Ellen Schned
President
EJS Media
As a media consultant,
Schned advises clients
about distribution-across
all platforms-in the U.S.
and abroad. She also offers
vital services spanning marketing, strategy, public,
and government affairs. Despite progress in gender
equality, she'd like to see more women in decisionmaking
capacities. " While there are incredible women
in senior positions in our industry, there is a shameful
lack of women owners and in board seats of media
companies, " she says. Schned says she and her client
Daphna Ziman, who as president of Cinemoi is one of
only a few women owners of a network, " have been
active advocating for greater gender diversity. "
Rebecca O'Sullivan Schulte
President
Comcast SportsNet
Mid-Atlantic
Schulte oversees all
aspects of Comcast
SportsNet Mid-Atlantic,
which is part of NBC
Sports Regional Networks-and she's played a key
role in the growth and innovation in all facets of
the network's operation, including the launch and
development of the network's digital properties. Under
her guidance, CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.
com have developed into comprehensive sources of
original sports content. Schulte says the biggest story
this year was the Rio Games. " NBC's coverage, the
cross-platform consumption trends, and resulting
fi nancial success generated a great interest both
within and outside the industry, " she says.
Linda Schupack
EVP, Marketing
AMC & Sundance TV
During her decade-plus
years at AMC, Schupack's
innovative marketing
leadership played a crucial
role in expanding the
network's audience, as well as solidifying its spot in the
lexicon of pop culture and in television history. She added
marketing oversight for sister net SundanceTV last year,
and much of both networks' continued success can be
attributed to the inventive, cross-platform marketing
campaigns she oversees that drive enviable engagement
with viewers. For proof, look no further than the Season 7
opener of " The Walking Dead. " The current programming
that best refl ects the kind of women's roles Schupack
likes to see? HBO's " Veep. " " It's about time we had a
woman president! " she says.
Lisa Schwartz
Co-President
Sundance Selects/
IFC Films
Schwartz helped build
several key AMC Networks
brands into models of
quality, consistency and
reliability, and since being upped to co-president this
February she now oversees creative, fi nance and distribution
for IFC Films and Sundance Selects Films. Her
innovative approach to developing unique distribution
methods has helped cable television to remain a leading
purveyor of entertainment, even in a very crowded
and competitive environment. To her 13-year-old self,
November 2016
cablefaxmag.com
41
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Cablefax The Magazine - November 2016

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