Kathy Kayse

Hired by OWN two years before the network’s 2011 launch, Kayse leads an advertising juggernaut: OWN’s ad revenue was up 23 percent for the first quarter of 2014, and an impressive 90 new advertisers purchased time on the network during the past year. When she steps away from the office it’s often into the quiet of her garden, “a place where I can nurture my soul,” or to spend time with the two foster children she and her partner adopted.

How can cable do better job at supporting the industry’s women?

Frankly, I believe the industry has made great strides in supporting women in the industry.  There are an increasing number of women in leadership positions both at the General Manager level and in senior Sales and Marketing Leadership roles within the major media companies. I think this current generation of CEOs (Zaslav, Burke, Winfrey) have made a significant difference in rewarding and recognizing talent no matter the gender. I feel the industry can be doing more to foster diversity in the workforce however. From mentoring programs to more aggressive and focused recruitment practices, the industry has work to do to employ talent that mirrors the highly diverse demographics of the viewing audience.

How do you define a successful career?

A successful career is so uniquely defined and subjective to the individual.  I define success with the intent of ending each day (each month, each year) feeling a sense of pride in what I do…..in what I have achieved, in what I have accomplished, in how I have learned from my mistakes, in how I react to the most challenging situations, in how I treat my colleagues, and in how I take responsibility for the role that I am in.

When not in the office, where are we most likely to find you? 

In my garden…. a place where I can nurture my soul and my mind in solitude where no judgment or creative boundaries exist.