Cablefax The Magazine - September 2010 - 23

She oversees benefits, comp,
training and more.
Overcoming Career
Hurdles: " The most challenging
lesson I learned as an HR
professional was to pick my
battles. Early on I wanted to
bring about positive change,
but this didn't always align
with what others felt were
priorities for the business. So I
learned to first understand the
business and then align functional
priorities accordingly. "
55. Luis Silberwasser
SVP, Content, Discovery
Latin America/US Hispanic
Nets; GM, US Hispanic Nets
Silberwasser recently was
tapped to head content for
Discovery Nets International's
100 channels in 180 countries.
Biggest Challenges Heading
Content for Discovery
Nets Intl: " Earlier this year, I'd
say my biggest challenge was
getting out of Europe despite
the Icelandic volcano eruption.
Seriously, in the US, people
think of 'international' as one
big region. The reality is that
it's made of very different and
complex sub regions; within
those regions, there are significant
differences, business, cultural
and TV consumer habits.
It makes this 'international' job
very complex, but extremely
exciting and full of opportunities.
The biggest challenge is
navigating the nuances and
complexities, keeping your eye
on identifying common trends
and developing new ideas that
will give Discovery the biggest
impact in the long term. "
CableFAX: The Magazine
56. Donna Northington
SVP, Strategic Planning,
Turner Network Sales
An alum of Betsy Magness,
CTAM's Executive Program
(Harvard) and NAMIC's ELDP
(UCLA), Northington's portfolio
extends from distribution to
content acquisition.
The Value of Cable's Associations:
" The value
NAMIC, WICT and CTAM have
brought to our organization is
immeasurable. The breadth
and quality of opportunities
enhances all, from executives
who experience the first-class
Ivy League rigor of CTAM's Harvard
Executive Program, to our
rising stars, who gain leadership
experience through seminars
and workshops offered by
NAMIC and WICT... The ability
to supplement the professional
development offered at our
home company with industry
programs exponentially builds
the talent needed to succeed
in this complex, ever-changing
environment. "
Next 5 Years: " In 2011,
cable networks will carry the
majority of programming hours
for the NBA playoffs, MLB
postseason, NASCAR Sprint
Cup season, the four golf
majors, the Bowl Championship
Series games and the
NCAA Div I men's basketball
championship...I see a continuation
of this trend for 5 years
with more top-shelf, must-see
sporting events on cable. "
A tireless community volunteer,
The Partnership Against
Domestic Violence (PADV)
board chairman's day job
has her working with TBS's
corporate-level global talent
management, diversity and
development.
58. Claudia Teran
SVP, Associate General Counsel,
Fox Cable Networks
Teran played a pivotal role in
the renewal of Fox Soccer
Channel's rights to England's
Barclays Premier League. She
handles legal for Fox Sports in
Latin America, Fuel TV here
and overseas and Fox's global
sports syndication business.
Cultural Differences and
Business: " Where you're
doing business inevitably influences
you-whether domestic
or international. To be successful,
it's critical to be aware
of cultural as well as business
norms. Doing our homework
before entering into a negotiation
is important. "
Employment Advice:
" Wherever you work or endeavor
to work, understand
the organization's model for
making money and how what
you do supports it. Basic
business acumen goes a long
way, as does being informed
about industry trends. That's
why daily press clippings are
posted prominently on Turner's
Intranet, so employees
have easy access to general
news and content specific
to Time Warner and Turner. I
also urge people to listen in
on their organization's quarterly
earnings calls. From a
soft-skills perspective I always
stress the importance of clear
communication, regardless of
the form. "
57. Mathew Hong
SVP, GM, Sports Operations,
Turner Sports
A fierce advocate for diversity,
Hong's been integral to Turner
deals with the NCAA, MLB,
NASCAR and Yahoo! Sports.
Hong on Cable Sports'
September 2010
59. Jacqueline Welch
SVP, HR, Turner
Broadcasting System
60. Pragash Pillai
SVP, Engineering &
Technology, Bresnan
One of cable's most respected
tech minds, Pillai uses a
'fast forward' approach. He
observes big MSOs' tech
doings and quickly follows the
best examples.
Tech Developments: " Digital
media portability and convergence
are becoming very
robust, especially with IP delivery
of content. We are able
to provide content through
various mediums to customcablefaxmag.com
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