Michael Riley
Title: President, ABC Family, Disney/ESPN
Number of Years in Cable: 17
Education: BA, University of Western Ontario; MBA, London Business School
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Why Him? ABC Family has blossomed into one big, happy network, with Riley at the head of the table. For the first time ever this year, ABC Family ranked No. 1 with women 18-34 and held firm as a top-three cable network for women in all demos. But even more impressive is the social media chatter surrounding ABC Family’s original programming, making the network and shows like “Pretty Little Liars” Twitter’s most talked about. The clever, exclusive social media announcement of upcoming “PLL” spinoff “Ravenswood” shows Riley and company know how to grab viewers’ attention, with more than 369 million worldwide impressions.

Apple or Samsung? Apple

Beatles or The Rolling Stones? Rolling Stones

My peers would be surprised to learn that I… planted trees in college as a summer job.

Appetizer or dessert? Dessert – carrot cake never hurt anyone!

Film fest or music festival? Film Fest – who doesn’t love the classics?

Favorite decade? Eighties – neon is never out of style.

Favorite airport? Bilbao, Spain – amazing architecture.

My favorite Cable Show memory: Match Game ’76 – certainly funny for a 6 year old!

The day we get multiplatform measurement is the day I… take the research team and all of ad sales to lunch (with appetizers AND dessert)! ?

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