Michelle Strong

Strong has negotiated a broad swath of deals in her tireless efforts to expand the reach of—and revenue from—the A+E portfolio in ways that best benefit the company. Aside from overseeing the affiliate sales team domestically, she also has oversight for the coordination of digital media and business development to negotiate VOD, TV Everywhere, mobile and other digital media products in the distribution food chain. “Our business is evolving at breakneck speed, but from my side, one of the most profound differences is the sheer number of new linear OTT entrants,” she says. And perhaps most saliently, she’s known around the industry as someone who exemplifies grace under pressure.