40. Susan Swain
By | November 1, 2013
Co-CEO, C-SPAN
Long a presence both in front of and behind the C-SPAN cameras, Swain really turned heads this year with “First Ladies: Influence and Image,” which explores contributions U. S. First Ladies have made to society throughout the nation’s history. This may not be an election year, but political infighting and the government shutdown gave C-SPAN viewers plenty to discuss. “We’ve been listening for years though through our call-in programs, but tracking social media use adds a whole new dimension,” she says.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Being in the middle of the biggest events coming out of Washington—there seem to be so many of them these days—and helping shape our coverage of it across platforms.
How do you define success in the workplace?
It’s very satisfying to observe the public reacting to our coverage of national events. We’ve been listening for years through our call-in programs, but tracking social media use adds a whole new dimension. Closer to home, success is working with a lot of dedicated professionals who know how to do their jobs and do them well and also watching new generations of young staffers who want to help us grow into the future.