Decision Makers
| Name (plus bio) |
Position |
| Jeff Zucker |
President & Chief Executive Officer |
| Alan Wurtzel |
President, Res & Media Development |
| Bonnie Hammer |
President, Cable Entertainment and Cable Studio |
| David Zaslav |
President, Domestic TV, New Media Distribution & NBC Cable |
| John P. Wallace |
President, NBC Owned-and-Operated Television Stations |
| John W. Eck |
President, Media Works, and Chief Information Officer |
| Keith G. Turner |
President, Sales & Marketing |
| Lauren Zalaznick |
President, Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks |
| Mark Hoffman |
President, CNBC |
| Peter Smith |
President, NBC Universal International |
| Ron Meyer |
President & Chief Operating Officer, Universal Studios |
| Steve Capus |
President, NBC News |
| John Miller |
Chief Marketing Officer |
| Lynn Calpeter |
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer |
| Anna Perez |
Executive Vice President, Communications |
| Brandon Burgess |
Executive Vice President, Business Development |
| Bruce Campbell |
Executive Vice President, Business Development |
| Cormac Shields |
Executive Vice President, Communications |
| Marc Chini |
Executive Vice President, Human Resources |
| Marc Saperstein |
Senior Executive Vice President, HR & Communications |
| Paula Madison |
Executive Vice President of Diversity |
| Rick Cotton |
General Counsel & Executive Vice President |
| Dan Harrison |
Senior Vice President, Emerging Network |
| Ken Wilkey |
Senior Vice President, TV Stations & Cable Technology |
| Kevin Sullivan |
Senior Vice President, Corp Communications & Media Relations |
| Sari DeCesare |
Senior Vice President, Network & Cable Entertainment Res |
| Antoinette Zel |
Vice President |
| Susan Haspel |
Vice President, Corp Community Affairs |
| Dirk Lisowsky |
Managing Director, Europe |
| Elizabeth Nicholson Van Hooven |
Managing Director, Universal Pictures Australasia |
| Tina Silvestri |
Senior Vice President, Media Operations, NBC Local Media |
Board of Directors
Jeff Zucker is President and Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal. He has held that position since February 2007. NBC Universal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment content companies, with assets that include the U.S. broadcast networks NBC and Telemundo; cable networks USA, SCI FI, Bravo, Oxygen, CNBC, MSNBC and the Weather Channel; movie studios Universal Pictures and Focus Features; digital properties such as Hulu (a joint venture with News Corporation) and iVillage; an extensive array of international television channels in Europe, Asia, and Latin America; and theme parks in Hollywood and Orlando. Formed in 2004 through the acquisition by NBC of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi. Zucker has spent his entire career at NBC Universal, joining the company’s Olympic unit in 1986, straight out of college. In his more than 22 years with the company, he has had a diversified career as an award-winning producer and business leader. He served as president of the NBC Universal Television Group from May 2004 until December 2005. Before that, he was president of the Entertainment, News & Cable Group since December 2003, and president of NBC Entertainment since December 2000. Before taking the helm of NBC Entertainment, Zucker spent nearly eight years as the executive producer of NBC News’ Today. Under his leadership at Today, the program became the nation’s most-watched morning news show and the most profitable program on television. Zucker was appointed executive producer of Today in January 1992 at age 26, which made him the youngest executive producer in the history of the program. He also served as executive producer of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw in February and March 1993, a post held concurrently with his role at Today. He joined NBC in 1986 as a researcher for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics and joined NBC News as a field producer for Today in January 1989. A five-time Emmy Award winner, Zucker graduated from Harvard College in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in American history. He served as president of the Harvard Crimson from 1985 to 1986. Zucker’s date of birth is April 9, 1965. He and his wife, Caryn, live in New York with their four children. Zucker is a member of the board of directors of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Temple Emanu-El, the Robin Hood Foundation, the American Film Institute, the Paley Center for Media, and the Museum of the Moving Image.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President & Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| General Electric Company |
President & Chief Executive Officer, NBC Universal |
Current |
| Robin Hood Foundation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| American Film Institute |
Board of Trustees |
Current |
| The Paley Center for Media |
Board of Trustees |
Current |
| Museum of The Moving Image |
Board of Trustees |
Current |
| Museum of The Moving Image |
Member of Executive Committee |
Current |
| NBC Universal Television Networks Group |
President |
Former |
| The Harvard Crimson |
President |
Former |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Producer |
Former |
| NBC Sports |
Olympic Coverage |
Former |
| Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Harvard College |
Bachelor’s Degree in American History |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, Cable Entertainment and Cable Studio |
Current |
| USA Networks |
President |
Former |
| Sci-Fi Channel |
President |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, Domestic TV, New Media Distribution & NBC Cable |
Current |
| National Broadcasting Company, Inc. |
President, Cable |
Current |
| The Cable Center |
|
Current |
| TiVo Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| A&E Television Networks |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Cable Com Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Fordham University |
adjunct professor |
Former |
| Boston University |
J.D. degree |
Former |
| Boston University School of Law |
J.D. Degree |
Former |
| State University of New York at Binghamton |
B.S. degree |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, NBC Owned-and-Operated Television Stations |
Current |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Television Operations and Productions Services |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, Media Works, and Chief Information Officer |
Current |
| NBC Internet |
President, Media Works, & Chief Information Officer, NBC Universal |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Bravo Network |
President |
Current |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks |
Current |
| Sugar, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Oxygen Media, LLC |
President |
Former |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, Oxygen Media |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
President, NBC Universal International |
Current |
Ron Meyer was appointed president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios on August 1, 1995.
Prior to joining Universal, Meyer was president of Creative Artists Agency, Inc., which he founded in 1975 with four fellow agents from the William Morris Agency. Over the years they built the company into the preeminent talent agency, representing many of the industry's most influential and talented people, and later expanding its range of services to include consulting with leading American and international corporations.
Previously, Meyer was a television agent with the William Morris Agency from 1970 to 1975. Prior to that, he worked as a messenger at the Paul Kohner Agency in Los Angeles from 1964 to 1970. Before joining the Paul Kohner Agency, Meyer served in the United States Marine Corps.
He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Kelly Chapman, and has three daughters and a son.
Lynn Calpeter is executive vice president and chief financial officer of NBC Universal, a role she has held since May 2004. She is responsible for overseeing NBC Universal's financial planning and operations and plays a key role in the company's strategic business initiatives. She reports directly to Jeff Zucker, the chief executive officer of NBC Universal.
Prior to this role, Calpeter served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of NBC since July 2003. Before that, she was chief financial officer of the NBC Television Stations Division from 1999 to 2001, after which she served as vice president of the GE Corporate Audit Staff in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Calpeter is a veteran GE executive, having joined the company in 1986 through the Financial Management Program after college. Following the Financial Management Program, Calpeter spent six years on the GE Corporate Audit Staff, where she was involved in several operational and financial audits at a number of GE businesses, including Aircraft Engines, Plastics and NBC.
In 1993, Calpeter joined GE Plastics, where she served in a number of positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in her appointment in 1998 as Manager, GEP Global PSI.
Calpeter is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.S. in Business Management and Applied Economics. Her outside interests include golf, softball, mountain biking, theater and music.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Communications |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Business Development |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Business Development |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Communications |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Human Resources |
Current |
| GE Infrastructure |
Vice President, Human Resources |
Former |
| GE Transportation Systems |
Vice President, Human Resources |
Former |
| GE Plastics |
Manager, Human Resources, Americas Operations |
Former |
| GE Appliances |
Manager, Human Resources, Sales, Service and Marketing |
Former |
| Liberty Life Insurance Company |
Manager, Compensation & Benefits |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Executive Vice President, HR & Communications |
Current |
Rick Cotton was named executive vice president and general counsel of NBC Universal in August 2004. He supervises the NBC Universal Law Department, which provides legal advice to all NBC Universal business units for their ongoing operations and for new strategic plans and acquisitions. In addition, he oversees NBC Universal's global regulatory and legislative agenda, including the company’s worldwide anti-piracy efforts. Cotton reports directly to Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal.
In January 2007 Cotton was named Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce cross-sector Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP), which represents over 500 companies and associations who have come together to fight the vital economic battle against counterfeiting and piracy. He serves on the Steering Committee of BASCAP, Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy, an arm of the International Chamber of Commerce dedicated to the enforcement and protection of intellectual property rights worldwide.
From 2000 to 2004, Cotton served as president and managing director of London-based CNBC Europe. Under his leadership CNBC Europe dramatically upgraded its on-air presentation; expanded its reach across Europe to 85 million homes; developed programming partnerships in Germany, Italy, Turkey, Russia, and the Middle East; and won brand recognition in leading marketing publications and throughout the European business and financial communities.
Before joining CNBC Europe Cotton served as executive vice president and general counsel of NBC, a position he held for eleven years. From 1987 to 1989, Cotton was the president and chief executive officer of Washington-based management company HCX Inc. From 1980 to 1986, he was in private practice, specializing in health and environmental regulation, First Amendment and libel issues, and litigation in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels.
He was appointed the deputy executive secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare under Secretary Joseph A. Califano in 1977 and was named the executive secretary in 1978. In 1980 he became the special counsel to Deputy Secretary John Sawhill of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Cotton served as law clerk to Judge J. Skelly Wright of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1969 to 1970 and to Justice William J. Brennan Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1971.
After completing his undergraduate degree in 1965 at Harvard, Cotton joined Newsweek magazine as a correspondent in the Chicago bureau. In 1969 he graduated cum laude from the Yale Law School, where he was the executive editor of the Yale Law Journal. He lives in New York and has two children, Rachel and Jon.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
General Counsel & Executive Vice President |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal Television Networks Group |
Senior Vice President, Emerging Networks |
Current |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Emerging Network |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, TV Stations & Cable Technology |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Corp Communications & Media Relations |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Network & Cable Entertainment Res |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Telemundo Communications Group, LLC |
Senior Executive Vice President, Network Strategy |
Current |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Vice President |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Vice President, Corp Community Affairs |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| General Electric Company |
Managing Director, Universal Pictures Australasia, NBC Universal |
Current |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Managing Director, Universal Pictures Australasia |
Current |
| Sony Pictures Entertainment |
|
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Media Operations, NBC Local Media |
Current |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Sales Operations, NBC Local Media |
Former |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Vice President, Research, NBC Local Media |
Former |
| NBC Universal Television Networks Group |
Director, News Digitization Projects |
Former |
| Wnbc |
Research Director, WNBC New York |
Former |
| State University of New York - Stony Brook |
B.A., Sociology |
Former |
Ben Silverman is Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal Television Studio, a position to which he was appointed in May 2007. He works alongside Co-Chairman Marc Graboff to direct the efforts of NBC Universal’s television operations based in Burbank and Universal City, California.
Prior to joining NBC Universal in an executive role, Silverman, in March 2002, launched Reveille, a leading independent production and distribution company focusing on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights through scripted and alternative television formats. The company leverages its unique relationships with the world’s top broadcasters and producers to acquire, produce and distribute innovative entertainment programming across all television genres. Reveille has been a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for leading advertisers and developing alternative financing paradigms for the television business.
Silverman is executive producer of the Emmy-winning NBC comedy “The Office” and is co-creator and executive producer of the hit reality shows “The Biggest Loser” for NBC and USA Network’s “Nashville Star.” Additionally, he is an executive producer of the critically acclaimed “The Tudors” for Showtime. Silverman’s other projects include “Date My Mom” for MTV, the FX series “30 Days” (created by Oscar nominee Morgan Spurlock), the Emmy Award-winning TV movie “9/11,” and MTV’s “Parental Consent.”
In 2003, Silverman redefined the paradigm in advertiser-supplied programming by joining forces with media giant Interpublic Group to produce “The Restaurant,” followed by Bravo’s “Blow Out” in 2004. Both shows chronicled the creation, launch and operation of a business within a competitive market and were fully financed by context-relevant advertisers.
Previously, Silverman was in charge of the international packaging division at the William Morris Agency (WMA), where he was the company's youngest division head. At WMA, he packaged more than 25 television series that encompassed some 500 produced episodes, including the game shows “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “The Weakest Link,” the reality show “Big Brother,” and the one-hour drama series “Queer as Folk.”
Silverman also led WMA's New York consulting branch, representing such brand names as Maxim, InStyle, eBay and Anheuser-Busch. In that arena, he focused on extending those well-known brands into alternative and traditional media outlets.
Prior to joining William Morris, Silverman was vice president for New World/Marvel Entertainment. In that position, he developed sitcoms, and -- drawing on the one-of-a-kind library of Marvel Comics characters -- envisioned live-action projects for film and television. Previously, he also held posts at CBS and Warner Bros.
Silverman graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a bachelor of arts degree in history, and is involved with multiple philanthropic endeavors, including Seeds of Peace, a group helping to foster peace among young people from adversarial cultures.
Dick Ebersol was named chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics in May 2005, after serving as chairman of NBC Sports & Olympics since June 1998. He is responsible for all sports programming on the NBC and USA networks, along with overseeing every aspect of NBC Universal’s involvement with the Olympic Games. Ebersol reports directly to Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal. Beginning in 1967, when he temporarily dropped out of Yale University to join Roone Arledge and ABC Sports as television’s first-ever Olympic researcher, Ebersol has continually forged new paths. In 1975 Ebersol became NBC's first ever vice president under the age of 30 when he was named Vice President, Late Night Programming at age 28. In 1977, Ebersol was named NBC’s Vice President of Comedy, Variety & Event Programming. After a spell away from the company, Ebersol returned to NBC on May 1, 1989, as president of NBC Sports to undertake the challenge of rebuilding the division. From 1989-91 Ebersol also held the title of Senior Vice President, NBC News. In June 1998, Ebersol was appointed Chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics. In addition to running NBC Sports, Ebersol oversees every aspect of NBC’s involvement with the Olympic Games, which in June 2003 was extended to include the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and the 2012 Summer Olympics. In May of 2004, NBC Universal was formed through the merger of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment and Ebersol has overseen the seamless merger of NBC Universal’s sports properties through the combined assets of USA Network and NBC Sports. Ebersol has regularly been among the top 10 honorees on The Sporting News' annual list of the 100 most powerful sports figures, including 1996 when he was named the publication’s Most Powerful Person in Sports. In 1992, Ebersol was awarded the Olympic Order, an honor periodically bestowed by the International Olympic Committee to recognize remarkable contributions to the Olympic Movement. In 2000, the March of Dimes honored Ebersol with its Corporate Leadership Award. At the 2003 Michael S. Modell Awards Dinner, Ebersol was presented with the prestigious Dick Schaap Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics |
Current |
| NBC Sports |
President |
Former |
| NBC Universal, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, NBC News |
Former |
| Yale University |
B.A. |
Former |
Mr. Wright has been a director of the Company since May 2007. He has been a Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners, LLC, an investment firm, since May 2008. He served as the Vice Chairman of General Electric Company’s (“GE”) board and as an Executive Officer and a member of the Corporate Executive Office of GE from 2000 to May 2008. Mr. Wright joined NBC as President and Chief Executive Officer in 1986, and was made Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the network in 2001. He then served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal from 2004 to 2007, and continued to serve as Chairman of the NBC Universal board of directors until 2007. Prior to his association with NBC and NBC Universal, Mr. Wright served as President of General Electric Financial Services and, before that, as President of Cox Cable Communications.