NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Matt Strauss Unveil New Exec Structures; New Roles for Pearlena Igbokwe and Frances Berwick
After weeks of speculation, Donna Langley — who took on the role as chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios after a corporate shuffle in November — unveiled her executive structure on Thursday, while Matt Strauss shared his new setup as the recently named chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.
As long rumored, under Langley’s division (which has been formed now as “Universal Television Entertainment Group”), Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe is taking on oversight of NBC Entertainment and Peacock’s scripted programming in addition to her studio duties. Her NBC Entertainment domain will include scripted, unscripted, late-night, live events and specials, as well as all scripted originals for Peacock, on top of her direct reports from Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios.
As part of the change, current NBCUniversal Entertainment chair Frances Berwick is shifting her focus back to Bravo, a brand she helped build into a pop culture giant, in addition to overseeing unscripted for Peacock. As chairman, Bravo and Peacock unscripted, that will include documentaries and true crime fare for Peacock in addition to the Bravo content that thrives on the streamer. That means that, as first reported by Deadline, another major change involves the exit of Corie Henson, who has served as executive VP of unscripted content, competition and game shows for NBCUniversal Entertainment since 2022.
Langley has also tapped Jenny Storms to serve as chief marketing officer of NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, handling “brand strategy, integrated marketing, media and consumer engagement for all entertainment content and sports, including content and brand marketing for Peacock.” Peacock marketing had previously been overseen by CMO Shannon Willett, who has shifted to a new position as chief commercial officer of the NBCU Media Group under Strauss.
Additionally, Langley has tapped Liz Jenkins as chief business officer, overseeing content strategy, TV acquisitions, strategy and business operations across the entertainment and studio groups.
Igbokwe, Berwick, Jenkins and Storms will collaborate with a senior team that also includes Jimmy Horowitz, Chairman, Business Affairs & Operations; Pete Levinsohn, Chairman, Global Distribution; Lissa Freed, Head of People & Culture; Evan Langweiler, Executive Vice President, Global Communications; Chris Miller, General Counsel; and Adam Moysey, Chief Financial Officer.
Langley’s ascension to sole greenlight power over content and marketing spending across film, TV and streaming (including NBC, Bravo and Peacock) came after Comcast announced plans to spin off most of the NBCUniversal cable networks — USA, MSNBC, CNBC, E!, Oxygen, Syfy and Golf Channel — into a separate organization (currently nicknamed “SpinCo”). It also comes as Mark Lazarus, who had previously overseen marketing, business affairs and scheduling for the NBCU Entertainment units, has now moved on to run SpinCo.
The new company will take about a year to separate from the rest of NBCU. But in the meantime, the new units run by Langley and Strauss, who will oversee Peacock, NBC Sports, ad sales, distribution, research and affiliate relations — is continuing to shake out.
Earlier this month, for example, Kelly Campbell stepped down from her role as president of Peacock and direct-to-consumer at NBCUniversal. Also exiting is Matt Bond, head of content distribution for NBCUniversal, who announced his retirement earlier this month. Annie Luo, who has served NBCU’s Peacock as executive VP, global partnerships and strategic development since 2022, is departing, as is longtime strategic communications pro Allison Rawlings, who is remaining with the company through March to help with transition on the communications side as the Media Group role moves to New York. Christy Shibata, the CFO, NBCUniversal Media Group, is moving to SpinCo.
Here are Strauss’ other appointments:
• Mark Marshall will continue as Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships.
· Shannon Willett will take a new business role as Chief Commercial Officer of the Media Group
· Matt Schnaars named President, Platform Distribution & Partnerships, overssing Content Distribution, Affiliate Relations and Strategic Partnerships across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, Telemundo and various FAST channels.
· Rick Cordella continues as President, NBC Sports.
· Ken Bettsteller continues as President, International Networks & DTC.
· Earl Marshall is named Chief Financial Officer and EVP, Strategy, NBCU Media Group, managing the business in partnership with Entertainment and Studio teams.
· Jim Denney’s duties remain the same but his title changes to Chief Product Officer, Global Streaming & NBCU Media Group.
· Patrick Miceli continues in current role, with title change to Chief Technology Officer, Global Streaming & NBCU Media Group.
· Will Gonzalez continues as Chief Data Officer, NBCU Media Group
· Courtney Rowe joins the team EVP, Corporate & NBCU Media Group Communications, reporting to Strayss and Jen Friedman.
· Andra Shapiro continues as General Counsel, NBCU Media Group.
· Joanne O’Brien named Head of NBCU Media Group HR.
Meanwhile, COO Adam Miller announced that Jen Friedman has been promoted to Chief Communications Officer. Also, Corporate Social Responsibility will continue to be led by Hilary Smith, and Corporate Events, which will now be led by Pauline Lord following Blaise’s retirement, will also report to Friedman, as will Chip Sullivan, who is taking on a new role as EVP, Corporate Initiatives.
Langley’s decision to put Igbokwe in charge of both network and studio returns NBC to an entertainment structure that kept both sides under the same full oversight — something in the last decade execs like Bob Greenblatt, Paul Teledgy and George Cheeks handled at NBCU.
Igbokwe has served as chairman of Universal Studio Group since 2020, overseeing four television studios: Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios. Before that, she spent four years as president of Universal TV and also worked at NBC Entertainment as executive VP of drama. Her tenure at NBCU began in 2012 after a successful two-decade run at Showtime. Igbokwe has long been seen as a star at NBCU, having built USG into a powerhouse with both long-running hits like Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order,” “One Chicago” and “FBI”-branded series, as well as newcomers such as Emmy-winning “Hacks.”
Meanwhile, in focusing Berwick’s attention on Peacock unscripted and Bravo, it’s a reminder of how important that network has become to NBCU. While the company was fine with spinning off the rest of its cablers, Bravo is still humming with original fare, and its lineup has helped fuel Peacock with megahits like “Vanderpump Rules.” Berwick has been instrumental in the evolution of Bravo, having first joined the network in 1996. Under her watch, the channel evolved — first with “Inside the Actors Studio,” and then “Queer Eye,” “Project Runway” and “Top Chef,” and then eventually with its Bravolebrity formats.
As for Henson, the exec’s oversight included reality competition, talent competition and game show formats across NBCU Entertainment, including NBC’s “Deal or No Deal Island,” “America’s Got Talent,” “The Voice” and “Password,” and Peacock’s “The Traitors.” She joined NBC after a stint as head of unscripted for TNT, TBS and TruTV. As executive vice president of alternative entertainment for Fox, she worked on shows like “The Masked Singer.”
As long rumored, under Langley’s division (which has been formed now as “Universal Television Entertainment Group”), Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe is taking on oversight of NBC Entertainment and Peacock’s scripted programming in addition to her studio duties. Her NBC Entertainment domain will include scripted, unscripted, late-night, live events and specials, as well as all scripted originals for Peacock, on top of her direct reports from Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios.
As part of the change, current NBCUniversal Entertainment chair Frances Berwick is shifting her focus back to Bravo, a brand she helped build into a pop culture giant, in addition to overseeing unscripted for Peacock. As chairman, Bravo and Peacock unscripted, that will include documentaries and true crime fare for Peacock in addition to the Bravo content that thrives on the streamer. That means that, as first reported by Deadline, another major change involves the exit of Corie Henson, who has served as executive VP of unscripted content, competition and game shows for NBCUniversal Entertainment since 2022.
Langley has also tapped Jenny Storms to serve as chief marketing officer of NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, handling “brand strategy, integrated marketing, media and consumer engagement for all entertainment content and sports, including content and brand marketing for Peacock.” Peacock marketing had previously been overseen by CMO Shannon Willett, who has shifted to a new position as chief commercial officer of the NBCU Media Group under Strauss.
Additionally, Langley has tapped Liz Jenkins as chief business officer, overseeing content strategy, TV acquisitions, strategy and business operations across the entertainment and studio groups.
Igbokwe, Berwick, Jenkins and Storms will collaborate with a senior team that also includes Jimmy Horowitz, Chairman, Business Affairs & Operations; Pete Levinsohn, Chairman, Global Distribution; Lissa Freed, Head of People & Culture; Evan Langweiler, Executive Vice President, Global Communications; Chris Miller, General Counsel; and Adam Moysey, Chief Financial Officer.
Langley’s ascension to sole greenlight power over content and marketing spending across film, TV and streaming (including NBC, Bravo and Peacock) came after Comcast announced plans to spin off most of the NBCUniversal cable networks — USA, MSNBC, CNBC, E!, Oxygen, Syfy and Golf Channel — into a separate organization (currently nicknamed “SpinCo”). It also comes as Mark Lazarus, who had previously overseen marketing, business affairs and scheduling for the NBCU Entertainment units, has now moved on to run SpinCo.
The new company will take about a year to separate from the rest of NBCU. But in the meantime, the new units run by Langley and Strauss, who will oversee Peacock, NBC Sports, ad sales, distribution, research and affiliate relations — is continuing to shake out.
Earlier this month, for example, Kelly Campbell stepped down from her role as president of Peacock and direct-to-consumer at NBCUniversal. Also exiting is Matt Bond, head of content distribution for NBCUniversal, who announced his retirement earlier this month. Annie Luo, who has served NBCU’s Peacock as executive VP, global partnerships and strategic development since 2022, is departing, as is longtime strategic communications pro Allison Rawlings, who is remaining with the company through March to help with transition on the communications side as the Media Group role moves to New York. Christy Shibata, the CFO, NBCUniversal Media Group, is moving to SpinCo.
Here are Strauss’ other appointments:
• Mark Marshall will continue as Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships.
· Shannon Willett will take a new business role as Chief Commercial Officer of the Media Group
· Matt Schnaars named President, Platform Distribution & Partnerships, overssing Content Distribution, Affiliate Relations and Strategic Partnerships across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, Telemundo and various FAST channels.
· Rick Cordella continues as President, NBC Sports.
· Ken Bettsteller continues as President, International Networks & DTC.
· Earl Marshall is named Chief Financial Officer and EVP, Strategy, NBCU Media Group, managing the business in partnership with Entertainment and Studio teams.
· Jim Denney’s duties remain the same but his title changes to Chief Product Officer, Global Streaming & NBCU Media Group.
· Patrick Miceli continues in current role, with title change to Chief Technology Officer, Global Streaming & NBCU Media Group.
· Will Gonzalez continues as Chief Data Officer, NBCU Media Group
· Courtney Rowe joins the team EVP, Corporate & NBCU Media Group Communications, reporting to Strayss and Jen Friedman.
· Andra Shapiro continues as General Counsel, NBCU Media Group.
· Joanne O’Brien named Head of NBCU Media Group HR.
Meanwhile, COO Adam Miller announced that Jen Friedman has been promoted to Chief Communications Officer. Also, Corporate Social Responsibility will continue to be led by Hilary Smith, and Corporate Events, which will now be led by Pauline Lord following Blaise’s retirement, will also report to Friedman, as will Chip Sullivan, who is taking on a new role as EVP, Corporate Initiatives.
Langley’s decision to put Igbokwe in charge of both network and studio returns NBC to an entertainment structure that kept both sides under the same full oversight — something in the last decade execs like Bob Greenblatt, Paul Teledgy and George Cheeks handled at NBCU.
Igbokwe has served as chairman of Universal Studio Group since 2020, overseeing four television studios: Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios. Before that, she spent four years as president of Universal TV and also worked at NBC Entertainment as executive VP of drama. Her tenure at NBCU began in 2012 after a successful two-decade run at Showtime. Igbokwe has long been seen as a star at NBCU, having built USG into a powerhouse with both long-running hits like Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order,” “One Chicago” and “FBI”-branded series, as well as newcomers such as Emmy-winning “Hacks.”
Meanwhile, in focusing Berwick’s attention on Peacock unscripted and Bravo, it’s a reminder of how important that network has become to NBCU. While the company was fine with spinning off the rest of its cablers, Bravo is still humming with original fare, and its lineup has helped fuel Peacock with megahits like “Vanderpump Rules.” Berwick has been instrumental in the evolution of Bravo, having first joined the network in 1996. Under her watch, the channel evolved — first with “Inside the Actors Studio,” and then “Queer Eye,” “Project Runway” and “Top Chef,” and then eventually with its Bravolebrity formats.
As for Henson, the exec’s oversight included reality competition, talent competition and game show formats across NBCU Entertainment, including NBC’s “Deal or No Deal Island,” “America’s Got Talent,” “The Voice” and “Password,” and Peacock’s “The Traitors.” She joined NBC after a stint as head of unscripted for TNT, TBS and TruTV. As executive vice president of alternative entertainment for Fox, she worked on shows like “The Masked Singer.”