David Zaslav
Title: President/CEO, Discovery Communications
Number of Years in Cable: 24
Education: BS, SUNY Binghamton; JD, Boston University School of Law
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Don’t be afraid to take big swings.

Why Him? Zaslav likes to keep his bases covered, and the strategy continues to pay off big-time for Discovery. He recently gave the thumbs up to a third-year licensing deal with Netflix and is extending the empire both at home and abroad. On the programming front, flagship Discovery Channel will premiere its first venture into scripted programming, the drama “Klondike.” Zaslav’s also feeding the Animal Planet and Investigation Discovery pipeline, and adding new brands with the launch of Destination America. This year also marked the turnaround of Discovery’s Oprah Winfrey hub OWN, which saw gains in key demos after a bumpy start, and big year of growth for Hub Network, which Discovery co-owns with Hasbro. Look for more global warming for Discovery in the coming year as Zaslav leads the integration of SBS Nordic into Discovery’s international portfolio to establish the combined SBS-Discovery business as a fifth international region for the company.

Beatles or The Rolling Stones? The Rolling Stones

If I could tell my 21-year-old self something today, it would be… go with your gut.

On a Saturday afternoon, you can find me… practicing my golf swing.

Favorite business and/or motivational book? A Curious Discovery by John Hendricks… hits shelves June 25. It’s a great read.

Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with my wife and 3 kids. Recently we traveled to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef—amazing! ?

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