Lisa Williams-Fauntroy
Williams-Fauntroy negotiates and drafts crucial programming and development deals for the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer. Her complex deal negotiations and transactional work play a critical role in programming strategy for the company. Over the next year, Williams-Fauntroy will continue to collaborate with network leadership to manage business strategies and legal processes that ensure viewers worldwide can access Discovery’s high-quality content. On the topic of diversity, the Discovery 18-year veteran says “cable can continue to support diverse organizations that groom emerging leaders within corporations.”
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months?
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to negotiate a deal for a film that was a part of the Sundance Film Festival, called Racing Extinction. It was a complex and intense negotiation. We were ultimately successful with our bid and, as a result, Racing Extinction air on Discovery Channel around the world in December. I’m proud to have been a part of the deal because it introduced me to a new side of film acquisitions and, most importantly, because the film’s message is an important one and something that will hopefully have a positive impact on how the world views the environment.
How can cable better support diversity?
Cable can continue to support diverse organizations that groom emerging leaders within corporations. All companies should work to make sure that there is a diversity of voices inside decision making rooms.
How do you define success?
Success is defined in many different ways for me. For day to day measurements of success in my professional life, I aim to be a creative and pragmatic problem solver for my clients, to lead a team of people who enjoy their roles and provide great support to our clients and, of course, as a corporate lawyer, I hope to minimize risk. Success also can play out over time. Building a strong, effective team or shaping your existing team to meet new challenges are both examples of successful endeavors that aren’t reached overnight.
