Laura Molen

EVP, Lifestyle Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal

Under Molen’s sales leadership, both E! and Bravo soared in this year’s upfront with double-digit CPM increases, up 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively. The Lifestyle Advertising Sales Group also commissioned a study with research firm Coherency suggesting that viewers of NBCU’s Lifestyle Networks (Bravo, E!, Esquire Network, Oxygen and Sprout) are more engaged with both content and advertising than their competitors’ viewers. Series under her purview include “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “The Real Housewives” franchise. To her 13-year-old self, Molen would advise: “Always have the confidence to be who you are. That might not always mean to be the loudest in the room, but instead find a way to show your skills and passions.”

What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?

Always have the confidence to be who you are. That might not always mean to be the loudest in the room, but instead find a way to show your skills and passions.

Which current programming best reflects the kind of women’s roles you like to see and why?

Scripted programming across cable is showcasing strong female characters that are great role models for women. A great example we’re extremely proud of in NBCUniversal’s Lifestyle Group is “Odd Mom Out.” Jill Kargman’s brand of hilarious, unapologetic comedy is such a great message for our female audience.

What’s been the biggest story in cable this year?

Our Upfront presentation blurred the lines between broadcast, cable and digital, allowing all of our programming to be presented by audience segments, not by network. We showed that across our portfolio we can offer programming that earns the labels “Buzzworthy,” “Champions” and “Fierce,” to reach audiences at scale. For our advertising partners, being able to see great places across our entire portfolio to get their messaging across was invaluable.