Elizabeth Casanas

Casanas may be new to Showtime, but she’s wasted no time in setting forth her goals at the company. She recruits talent externally, but also focuses on team building and executive coaching internally. For example, she’s involved with executive management in the deployment of key business initiatives, including corporate retreats. Efforts to recruit new employees can be challenging for HR execs, she notes. “We all try very hard to attract diverse candidates so that our employees reflect our audience; however the pool of candidates at varying levels is limited so we’re all vying for the same people.”

What grade do you give the cable industry on diversity and why?
I would give the TV industry a B+ on effort and a B- on delivering. We all try very hard to attract diverse candidates so that our employees reflect our audience, however the pool of candidates at varying levels is limited so we’re all vying on the same people. I believe we all need to continue working hard on attracting the graduating diverse students and get them hooked into TV from the very start of their careers. Additionally, internship programs are the best entry for diverse students to experience the career potential in TV.

My personal election campaign slogan would be…
Michelle Obama’s: “When they go low, we go high”

Favorite charity organization you work with?
I am not connected to any one charity but when called upon I gladly volunteer…  just recently I had the pleasure and satisfaction of supporting The Fresh Air Fund and entertaining young children at the Port Authority before they got on their bus rides to their 10-day host family homes.