2. Debra Lee

Lee has much to celebrate. Since taking the reins at BET in 2005, she has worked tirelessly to refine and reinvigorate the company’s brand. That brand has been on an upward trajectory for some time, and Lee’s efforts continue to pay off big-time this year. From its signature BET Awards and other event specials that rated strongly with black audiences, to the success of original programming like multi-demo hit “The Game,” to the response to the network’s first original movie, “Being Mary Jane”—which drew 4 million total viewers with an average of 2.8 million households—BET is delivering to its target audience and then some. And the connection with fans didn’t stop at the small-screen. The inaugural BET Experience three-day music event in L.A. garnered heavy ticket sales and favorable reviews. Lee believes the cable industry needs to continue “to fill the pipeline with diverse candidates who are able to move up the ladder and occupy C-suite positions. In order to thrive, the cable industry needs to have management teams and decision makers who reflect the increasingly diverse U.S. population.”