In late November, RBR+TVBR reported that Comcast Corp. has agreed to move ahead with a spin-off of its cable television assets, creating a new publicly traded company in the process. Media veterans Mark Lazarus and Anand Kini to lead “the well-capitalized independent company”
Now, Lazarus, the prospective Chief Executive Officer of Comcast’s planned spin-off of select cable television networks has shed light on additional appointments to the future senior leadership team of “SpinCo.”
Appointments to the SpinCo leadership team include seven individuals who will take roles at an independent publicly traded media company comprised of USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel:
- Val Boreland will serve as President of Entertainment. She is currently the Executive Vice President/Head of Content Acquisitions, TV & Streaming for NBCUniversal, where she oversees the buying and curation of content for NBC, the Entertainment Cable Networks and Peacock.
- Keith Cocozza will hold the title of Chief Communications Officer. He is the Senior Vice President of Communications for CNBC, where he is responsible for the company’s external and internal communications worldwide.
- Brian Dorfler will take the post of Chief Human Resources Officer. He is currently the Head of Human Resources for the NBCUniversal Media Group where he leads all aspects of the HR function.
- Jeff Mayzurk will accept the role of President of Operations & Technology, shifting from his current role as EVP/News Group Operations & Technology at NBCUniversal.
- Kristin Newkirk will serve as Chief Financial Officer/TV Networks. She is currently Chief Financial Officer of NBCUniversal Local.
- David Pietrycha will hold the role of Chief Revenue and Business Officer, moving from the role of Chief Business Officer of NBCUniversal Media Group.
- Greg Wright will serve as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller. He is presently Vice President of External Reporting & Treasury Controller for Comcast Corporation.
There will be additional executive announcements in the coming weeks as the company continues to build out the management team, Comcast said.
“As we embark on this journey to build a one-of-a-kind company, I am thrilled to be joined by such a talented group of leaders with the experience and expertise needed to make SpinCo a leading multimedia company from day one,” Lazarus remarked. “Together, we will capitalize upon our iconic media assets, chart a course for growth and continue to attract additional talent as we build momentum toward the completion of the spin-off.”
Kini added, “This team was handpicked because of their expertise within each of their function areas. I am confident that with and under the leadership of Mark, we will design and build a modern media company with the scale to compete and the right strategy to unlock organic and external growth opportunities.”
Upon completion of the spin-off from Comcast Corp., SpinCo will aim to serve consumers as an “industry-leading news, sports and entertainment business with a defined strategic growth strategy, dedicated management team and stable of marquee brands that will reach approximately 70 million U.S. households.”
The future leadership team will focus on their new roles beginning in early April, allowing time to work toward the completion of the planned spin-off, expected during 2025, following the satisfaction of customary conditions.
